If you have a passion for sports, a career in the sports industry can be rewarding and profitable even if you are not a sports player. Athletic ability is not required to pursue a career in sports. Depending on your strengths and career objectives, you may consider a wide range of sports occupations. Knowing what you could make in this field will help you set career goals and drive you to work toward them. Let’s take a look at the sporting jobs that pay well.
Sports Jobs With the Highest Pay
In no particular order, the highest paying athletic jobs for non-athletes are listed below.
1. Football Instructor/Coach
Football coaches work with athletes to help them develop their athletic ability so that they can perform to their full potential. These specialists design players’ exercises, advise them on best practices, and teach them crucial sport-specific skills. They also assess the players’ physical and emotional well-being and provide aid as needed. Football coaches can lead teams at the amateur, collegiate, or professional levels.
Coaches are frequently required to have a bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as sports science, physical education, or athletic coaching. To become an international coach, though, you must be licensed by FIFA, the world football regulatory organization.
2. Talent Scout
Talent scouts identify and follow up on athletes who have the potential to succeed in collegiate or professional sports. They observe athletes while they workout, practice, and compete in sports. These specialists also keep an eye on trends, read the news, and interact with coaches to learn more about promising athletes. The bulk of athletic scouts work for colleges or professional sports organizations, and they travel regularly to identify the best athletes for their teams. Talent scouts are usually former athletes or coaches with great knowledge of the sport, but formal education is not normally required.
3. Referee/Umpire
They are in charge of overseeing games and enforcing game regulations as needed. These rules experts are in charge of judging if a player has broken the rules and the necessary punishment. They must play with entire concentration and respond quickly to game events.
4. Sport Marketers
Sports marketers promote teams, players, leagues, and stadiums or arenas. They do market research, develop marketing strategies, and create concepts to generate interest and awareness. The majority of sports marketers are responsible for increasing attendance, viewership, and merchandising. They consume media through a variety of channels, including social media, newspapers, magazines, television, and radio. This is a hugely lucrative business, particularly in sports such as wrestling and boxing, where they are known as promoters. Sports marketers must be well-versed in public relations and advertising.
5. Sports Editor
Sports editors are journalists who specialize in sports news. They write about sports teams, athletes, and leagues for local newspapers, magazines, and online. These writers perform extensive research, interview players and coaches, and publish news and opinion pieces. Some sports editors cover a wide range of sporting events, while others specialize in a specific sport. A degree in journalism, public communication, or a related discipline can help you stand out in the profession.
6. Sports Reporters
Sports reporters or sports journalists write about athletes, teams, leagues, and events for blogs, newspapers, radio stations, and television networks. Using their extensive knowledge of sports, they provide commentary, evaluate performance, and estimate the outcomes of upcoming events or seasons. Many sports writers work hard to promote themselves as celebrities and cultivate fan following in order to keep their knowledge in demand.
A bachelor’s degree in mass communication, English, or a similar discipline is frequently required for a position as a sports writer. Major media outlets may demand a master’s degree in journalism. Students who want to learn more about sports and become better reporters might consider taking sports-related classes.
Other high-paying sports careers include:
- Baseball coach
- Personal trainer
- Basketball coach
- Athletic director
- General manager
- Physical therapist
- Statistician
- Sports psychologist
- Sports physician