The median annual wage for athletes and sports competitors was $44,680 in May 2015.
The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $19,910, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $187,200.
Athletes and sports competitors often work irregular schedules, including evenings, weekends, and holidays. During the sports season, they usually work more than 40 hours a week for several months as they practice, train, travel, and compete in events.
Athletes and Sports Competitors
Median annual wages, May 2015
Athletes and sports competitors
$44,680
Entertainers and performers, sports and related workers
$40,030
Total, all occupations
$36,200
Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics