SOC 27-2021 · Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations
Athletes and Sports Competitors
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025United States, all industries
Nationally, athletes and sports competitors earned a median of $66,710 per year as of the May 2025 OEWS estimates, across 15,070 jobs. Pay varies substantially by area — look up a specific state or metro below.
National pay distribution
Pay by state
Every state and territory with a published May 2025 estimate. “Not published” means BLS suppressed the value — it never means zero. Higher medians often track higher living costs; this is not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
| State | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $253,870 | Not published | 390 | 0.1 |
| Missouri | $172,700 | Not published | 670 | 0.2 |
| Utah | $122,800 | Not published | 340 | 0.2 |
| Nevada | $119,780 | Not published | 160 | 0.1 |
| Texas | $80,510 | Not published | 1,840 | 0.1 |
| California | $79,040 | Not published | 830 | 0.0 |
| Florida | $78,610 | Not published | 1,360 | 0.1 |
| Georgia | $77,530 | Not published | 840 | 0.2 |
| Kansas | $63,630 | Not published | 170 | 0.1 |
| Kentucky | $63,020 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Virginia | $61,500 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Pennsylvania | $57,100 | Not published | 250 | 0.0 |
| Louisiana | $55,890 | Not published | 440 | 0.2 |
| Arizona | $50,090 | Not published | 940 | 0.3 |
| Maryland | $48,200 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| South Carolina | $45,720 | Not published | 280 | 0.1 |
| Oklahoma | $44,110 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Ohio | $39,040 | Not published | 590 | 0.1 |
| Alabama | Not published | Not published | 330 | 0.2 |
| Colorado | Not published | Not published | 340 | 0.1 |
| Connecticut | Not published | Not published | 50 | 0.0 |
| Illinois | Not published | Not published | 310 | 0.1 |
| Indiana | Not published | Not published | 390 | 0.1 |
| Maine | Not published | Not published | 110 | 0.2 |
| New York | Not published | Not published | 350 | 0.0 |
| North Carolina | Not published | Not published | 760 | 0.2 |
| North Dakota | Not published | Not published | 70 | 0.2 |
| Rhode Island | Not published | Not published | 50 | 0.1 |
| Tennessee | Not published | Not published | 640 | 0.2 |
Pay by metro area
All 36 metro areas where BLS publishes this occupation. Sort by median wage, employment, or local concentration — or see the highest-paying metros ranked.
Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.
| Metro area | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $203,390 | Not published | 320 | 0.2 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $124,130 | Not published | 140 | 0.1 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $123,140 | Not published | 240 | 0.3 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $107,590 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $106,060 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $100,130 | Not published | 560 | 0.1 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $94,530 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $84,810 | Not published | 30 | 0.1 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $78,790 | Not published | 330 | 0.3 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $76,860 | Not published | 350 | 0.2 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $75,550 | Not published | 510 | 0.2 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | $74,440 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $63,920 | Not published | 130 | 0.3 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $63,650 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $61,160 | Not published | 40 | 0.0 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $56,890 | Not published | 40 | 0.1 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $50,070 | Not published | 870 | 0.4 |
| Wichita, KS | $46,080 | Not published | 40 | 0.1 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | $45,710 | Not published | 60 | 0.4 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $45,230 | Not published | 50 | 0.0 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | $34,490 | Not published | 100 | 0.2 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $24,890 | Not published | 40 | 0.0 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | Not published | Not published | 160 | 0.1 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | Not published | Not published | 240 | 0.2 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Not published | Not published | 290 | 0.1 |
| Columbus, OH | Not published | Not published | 60 | 0.1 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Not published | Not published | 740 | 0.2 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | Not published | Not published | 250 | 0.2 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | Not published | Not published | 30 | 0.1 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | Not published | Not published | 240 | 0.2 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Not published | Not published | 200 | 0.0 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Not published | Not published | 180 | 0.1 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | Not published | Not published | 50 | 0.1 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | Not published | Not published | 290 | 0.4 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | Not published | Not published | 50 | 0.0 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Not published | Not published | 240 | 0.1 |
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.