8 Sports Management Careers for Players and Fans

Learn how to become a team player with our comprehensive list of careers with a sports management degree.

Sports management is an umbrella term that covers a wide range of different jobs. People who work in sports management careers can be found on the field alongside professional or college teams or on the “sales pitch,” planning marketing strategies, creating public relations campaigns, or managing events.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, some sports management jobs are in high demand. For example, athletic trainer jobs are projected to grow by 23% and coach jobs by 26% over the next decade.

In this article, we outline different careers in sports management. Whether you’re a recent college graduate or you’re shooting for a career change, to excel at sports management careers, we encourage you to find out which job type best suits your skills and passion.

8 SPORTS MANAGEMENT CAREERS

1. Sports Coach

What you’d do: Do you understand the game, but would rather be a leader than a player? As a coach, you would train athletes during practice sessions, determine athletes’ strengths and weaknesses, and help individual players and teams succeed at their sport.

What you’d need: Coach jobs typically require a bachelor’s degree with coursework in physical education, recreation and fitness, sports medicine, and kinesiology. Certification may be needed, depending on which state you work in.

What you’d make: Coaches typically earn an hourly wage between $13.71 and $26.69.

2. Athletic Director

What you’d do: Athletic director is one of the most common careers with a sports management degree. Athletic directors manage the scheduling, events, budgeting, and operations of athletic programs. They’re also responsible for hiring coaches, supervising personnel, as well as planning and fundraising events.

What you’d need: Most athletic directors have a master’s degree in sports management, athletic administration, or a similar field.

What you’d make: School athletic directors earn a median yearly salary of $58,497 and college athletic directors typically earn $58,643.

3. Sports Marketing Coordinator

What you’d do: Not all sports management careers are on the field—behind each game is a whole team of players who do much more than warm the bench. Sports marketing coordinators manage advertising and marketing campaigns for events, teams, individual athletes, and products. They also conduct marketing research and develop trend reports.

What you’d need: You would need at least a bachelor’s degree in sports management, marketing, or a related field to become a sports marketing coordinator.

What you’d make: The median salary for marketing coordinators is $40,447 per year.

4. Athletic Trainer

What you’d do: As an athletic trainer, you would provide treatment and rehabilitation to athletes who have sustained injuries to the muscles, joints, and bones. You would also provide emergency treatment and train athletes on how prevent future injuries.

What you’d need: Athletic trainers need at least a bachelor’s degree in physiology or a similar health-related field, accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education. However, many athletic trainers hold master’s degrees. Most states require athletic trainers to be licensed or certified. Read Monster’s guide on how to become an athletic trainer to learn more about these requirements.

What you’d make: Athletic trainers earn an annual median salary of $46,439.

5. Event Coordinator

What you’d do: Event coordinators are responsible for arranging events at strategic dates, times, and locations. They also ensure that the right staff, teams, players, coaches, and equipment are brought together for game day.

What you’d need: Most event coordinator jobs require a bachelor’s degree in business, communications, or marketing. To learn how to get the attention of employers, check out Monster’s event coordinator resume sample.

What you’d make: Event coordinators typically make between $33,000 and $59,000 per year.

6. Public Relations Manager

What you’d do: Public relations managers are one of the most critical sports management careers. Your duties would include organizing campaigns to improve the public image of teams, athletes, events, and brands.

What you’d need: Many public relations manager positions require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in public relations, communication, or business. However, some employers look for public relations managers who have earned a master’s degree.

What you’d make: The median yearly salary for a public relations manager is $64,508.

7. Contract Administrator

What you’d do: In the sports arena, contracts are crucial for establishing necessary protections and legal agreements between all parties. Contract administrators outline the performance responsibilities in team and athlete contracts. They also revise contracts to ensure that all parties’ expectations and needs are met.

What you’d need: Most contract administrators have a bachelor’s degree in business law, legal studies, economics, finance, or human resources.

What you’d make: Contract administrators typically make $62,409 per year.

8. Athletic Equipment Manager

What you’d do: Are you good at keeping track of inventory? As an athletic equipment manager, you would determine the uniform and equipment needs of teams and individual athletes. Additionally, you would be responsible for overseeing, distributing, and retrieving uniforms and equipment on game days.

What you’d need: Many athletic equipment managers have a bachelor’s degree in business or sports management. However, not all athletic equipment manager jobs require a college degree. Simply having solid work experience in equipment management may be enough to land your next job.

What you’d make: The yearly salary for athletic equipment managers ranges between $33,000 and $62,000.

GET THE BALL ROLLING ON YOUR SPORTS MANAGEMENT CAREER PATH

Now that you’ve learned about different sports management careers, are you ready to make your play? Monster can help you get the ball rolling. Join the Monster team by setting up your profile and uploading your resume. You can think of us as your job-search VIP—we’ll match your skills with positions that are a good fit for your career goals and send free job notifications to your phone, so you can hit the ground running as soon as a new job is posted.