How to Make Money in the Sports Industry

Figuring out how to make money in the sports industry is the easiest way to earn a living while doing what you love – even if you’re not an athlete. Some positions, such as sports marketers and college athletic directors, can earn well over six figures per year.

The first step in turning your dream into a reality is figuring out how to make money in the sports business with your existing skills. This article will help you by outlining the top job opportunities for non-athletes passionate about sports.

Let’s get started.

How Non-Athletes Can Make Money in Sports

Sports Administrator Jobs

One field for non-athletes to look into is sports administration. These positions are best for people with previous management experience who don’t necessarily need to enter sports. Here are three examples of careers in this part of the sports industry.

Athletic Director

Salary: ~$61,000

An athletic director oversees all of an institution’s athletics programs. High schools and colleges commonly hire them. To get one of these jobs, you need a college degree and experience managing large groups of people.

Sports General Manager

Salary: ~$45,000

A sports general manager organizes a team’s contracts, players, and coaches. They’re needed at every level of severe competition and can earn well over $200,000 per year at the highest levels. But you may need previous high-level sports industry experience to get one of these jobs.

Equipment Manager

Salary: ~$98,000

A sports equipment manager ensures a team has everything it needs for practice and games. They’re typically only required at the highest levels of competition. You may score one of these jobs with experience managing and maintaining equipment in other industries.

Sports Management Jobs

Sports management jobs involve overseeing various aspects of sports departments and teams. Some require previous athletic experience, while others don’t. We’ll cover three examples below to get you started.

Athletic Coach

Salary: ~$43,000

Coaches are needed at every level of play. You can gain lower-level experience and leverage that into higher-paying jobs as your career grows. Previous coaching experience is a must for employment at the highest levels.

Corporate Partnership Manager

Salary: ~$82,000

A corporate partnership manager oversees a team’s sponsorship deals with outside corporations. You need business experience to get one of these jobs.

Fitness Manager

Salary: ~$66,000

A fitness manager oversees a team’s fitness regiment, equipment, and trainers. You may need a degree and previous experience in the fitness industry to get this job.

Sports Marketing Jobs

Sports marketing jobs involve marketing a team (or multiple teams) to increase their exposure and excite the fanbase. Here are three types of jobs you can get in this sector.

Market Researcher

Salary: ~$65,000

A market researcher uses data and analytics to learn more about a team’s target audience and what’s needed to reach it more effectively. It would help if you had a college degree in a related field and previous experience to get this position.

Public Relations Manager

Salary: ~$115,000

Public relations managers oversee how their teams communicate with the outside world. This position is typically only available at the high school and college levels, and you will likely need previous high-level media experience.

Advertising Manager

Salary: ~$103,000

An advertising manager oversees a team’s advertising deals, relationships, and goals. It would be best if you had previous experience in the advertising industry and a college degree to get this job.

Sports Journalism Jobs

Sports journalism jobs involve creating content related to a sports team, school, conference, or league. Here are three of the most common positions in this field.

Sportswriter

Salary: ~$32,000

It’s a sportswriter’s job to create compelling written content for the assigned sport, team, or school. It would help if you typically had a portfolio of solid writing samples and previous experience to get this job.

Sports Radio / Podcast Host

Salary: ~$39,000

A sports radio and podcast host each creates audio content related to the sport(s) they’ve been assigned to cover. You may need previous experience in this industry to get this job, as well as a good portfolio.

Sports Investigative Reporter

Salary: ~$65,000

An investigative reporter focuses on breaking news stories and in-depth sports analysis. It would help if you had good connections in the league that you’re covered and previous journalism experience to get this job.

Sports Media Jobs

Sports media jobs entail creating content for sports fans to engage with. There are many positions in this field, including each of the following.

Video Specialist

Salary: ~$50,000

A video specialist creates compelling sports video content. It would be best if you had a good portfolio of editing work to get this job.

Graphics Designer

Salary: ~$53,000

A graphics designer creates imagery for sports teams on social media platforms, emails, scoreboards, and more. It would help if you had a good portfolio and a college degree to get this sports job.

Content Producer

Salary: ~$51,000

A content producer creates and helps manage all the different kinds of content that a sports team needs, including audio, visual, and written. You need previous experience in this field to get this position.

What Sport Makes the Most Money in America

If you want to earn a good salary, then figuring out what sport you make the most money in is an excellent first step. Doing so will help you look for job opportunities in the fields that are likeliest to pay you the most.

The list looks like this:

• MLB
• NFL
• NBA
• College Football
• NHL
• MLS
• CFL (Canadian Football League)

Because they’re so large, these leagues have lots of administrative and content creation needs. That makes them a good target if you’re a non-athlete looking to get established in the world of sports.

Start Making Money in the Sports Industry

Figuring out how to make money in sports will allow you to do what you love. We’re all about that at JobsInSports.com.

When you create an account with us, you can receive real-time notifications when new sports jobs get posted in your area of interest. That will make it much easier to apply for the best jobs on time to give yourself the best chance of getting hired.

So why wait? Create an account with us today to get started.