NFL accounting jobs are behind-the-scenes positions, but they play a key role in professional football. While many positions are with teams, you also may find openings at firms that work with individual players. You may even find NFL accounting jobs with the players’ union or with the league itself.
Whatever type of job you get working within professional sports, you get a highly functional position that also has an entertaining aspect to it (such as the types of high-dollar tax write-off expenses you see). More immediately exciting, though, is the pay. While entry-level positions in the league are often low-paid, NFL accounting jobs are better paid than accounting jobs in most industries. Simply put, these NFL jobs can be highly lucrative once you build up some experience and rise in the ranks.
What Does an NFL Accountant Do?
If you are interested in NFL accounting jobs, you probably want to know about the specific duties you will perform. The finance-monitoring tasks you will complete will differ a bit depending on how high you are up within the department and the nature of your specific position.
The core responsibility of NFL accounting jobs within management is boosting the team’s profitability. One of the main duties to achieve that aim is to assess sponsorship and advertising opportunities in collaboration with executive leadership.
General tasks of NFL accounting jobs include overseeing the compensation of executives, coaches, players, and the medical staff (among others). Beyond handling payroll for the club, you also have various responsibilities during tax time. Including complexities beyond salary such as bonuses, image rights, and sponsorships, taxes can be challenging – and you find solutions that are both legal and financially savvy.
Beyond these general responsibilities you might have for a team or other league institution, you could choose to specialize in merchandise. In merchandise-focused NFL accounting jobs, you would be an expert in fan merchandise finance and inventory management.
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How Much Do NFL Accountants Make?
You can make quite a bit more in finance than in some areas of the NFL; e.g., finance roles pay $18,623 more than customer support positions. You fare a lot better than typical accountants do, too – making $8,165 better than the national accounting average. Including a base salary of $65,779 and a bonus of $6,034, the average earnings of an NFL accountant total $71,812. Those are averages, though; entry-level roles may pay as little as $36,000.
While these figures may not suggest a fast path to wealth, you can make more as you establish a name for yourself within the league – with some positions paying up to $181,000.
NFL Accounting Jobs: What to Expect
Having a few key skills will help you excel in these careers. You need to be well-organized and have great detail orientation to generate the forecasts and reports that convey the accounting picture. Plus, presenting what you discover is enhanced with great communication skills. Being a strong collaborator can also improve financial soundness by integrating multiple perspectives. Overall, you want to help your team reduce its financial risk and improve its performance – and that requires technical, analytical, mathematical, and computing skills.
Generally, you can have optimistic market expectations – but do not expect your path to be without hurdles. While NFL accounting jobs are extraordinarily competitive, careers in the field can be lucrative. Rapidly, accounting professionals are becoming MVPs for NFL teams. From contracts worth multiple billions of dollars to merchandise sales to luxury box seats, handling these complexities is highly valuable for National Football League franchises.
Expect to have to be extraordinarily responsive in accounting positions at NFL teams. Know that hard work will be involved. You have to be incredibly committed to winning in this profession. Put your passion for football accounting on display by willing to do menial tasks and move across the country if needed.
While these roles are tricky and complicated, they are dream jobs for many who have a love for the game. Core responsibilities in NFL accounting will differ, of course, depending on the specific role.
How to Become an Accountant in the NFL
You can qualify to get NFL accounting jobs with the right education and credentials, especially if you bolster your resume with NFL internships. With a bachelor’s degree in accounting and an internship, you can score entry-level NFL jobs. To get access to your first NFL opportunities beyond internships at the professional level, you can also build your career with college football accounting jobs. If you want to land management roles, you will significantly improve your chances with a master’s in accounting or a master’s of business administration (MBA) in sports management.
Overall, specializing can increase your chances of success. You may only need an accounting graduate certificate to get some specialized positions. Extend your education to a master’s in taxation to protect the team through IRS compliance. Alternatively, get a master’s in forensic accounting and become an auditor.
One of the most important steps you can take toward a career in this field is completing an NFL internship. Even if you have to work an unpaid internship, anything within football can be invaluable on your resume. Typically teams are most interested in hiring college students for these positions, so try to land them while you are still in school.
Once you have your degree in hand, the next key task is to pass the Uniform CPA Exam. Prepare to succeed by taking an exam review course (typically via online practice tests). Entry-level NFL accounting jobs could potentially be within your reach as soon as you have a CPA license.
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Start Preparing for a Successful Career in the NFL
Beyond the need for education and a CPA license, networking is also critical to landing NFL positions. To meet the right people, you need to be in the right places: sports-specific online networks. At Jobs In Sports, we offer a community of more than 15,000 sports industry professionals. Grow your career! Join our network today.