What You’ll Earn: Sport Management Salaries

A Master of Arts in Sport Management can lead to many sports and athletic-related career opportunities. Athletic directors at high schools and colleges, as well as head coaches at the postsecondary level, often require a graduate degree in sport management or a related field. Scouts are always in demand since they directly contribute to the success of a team or organization.

In addition, directors of parks and recreation departments or other kinds of agencies often have graduate degrees in sport management. Park superintendents, facilities coordinators and even team owners can all benefit from a master’s degree in sport management.

Salary Potential

Positions like recreation supervisors, camp directors, directors of parks and recreation, and other recreation-related management positions can make up to $38,750 a year. In most cases, these professionals work full time, as opposed to those with a bachelor’s degree who may only be qualified for seasonal positions.

Graduates with a master’s degree in sport management may consider becoming an agent or manager for athletes or teams. Though a bachelor’s degree is the most commonly held degree for such positions, earning a Master of Arts in Sport Management offers the opportunity to gain more skills and knowledge concerning business, finance and management — all of which are essential to these positions. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median pay for a promotions or marketing manager is between $88,590 and $119,480 a year.

Coaches for public or private schools make around $22,140 a year, according to the BLS. A coach at the college and university level makes $39,960 a year. The pay typically depends on the size of the institution and the sport.

However, larger universities and professional sports teams can pay upwards of $100,000 or more for highly experienced and educated sport management professionals. These kinds of jobs are not necessarily available to people with only a bachelor’s degree in sport management.

Career Growth

Many of the different careers that a sport management graduate can pursue are expected to experience at least an average amount of growth over the next few years, if not more than average. Jobs for managers and agents, for example, are growing at an average pace. Coaching positions, on the other hand, are expected to grow at a faster than average pace.

The BLS reports that the job market for coaches and scouts is competitive. Many colleges and universities are allocating more money into their athletic programs, which increases the demand for experienced and educated coaches and scouts. The BLS also notes that there is less competition for positions in women’s sports.