Sports Agent: Career and Salary Facts
Do you like sports and athletes? Are you an aspiring Jerry Maguire? If so, you might consider a career as a sports agent. This article explores the educational path, job duties and earning potential of sports agents. Schools offering Education - Sports Management degrees can also be found in these popular choices.
What Are the Job Duties of a Sports Agent?
You would arrange meetings, handle contract negotiations, field offers of employment or endorsement, offer financial advice and handle financial transactions. As a sports agent, you would be the one that gets the deals done and gets both sides to sign on the dotted line. You may be called upon to travel frequently, attend certain functions and solicit offers and endorsement deals.
What Education Do I Need?
Although there is no specific educational path to becoming a sport agent, you could begin by earning a bachelor's degree in business or sport management. Graduate degree programs, such as a Master of Science in Sport Management and Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Sport Management, are also available. Bachelor's degree programs typically take four years to complete, while master's degree programs typically take 2-3 years to complete.
A degree in law is another possible educational path, especially because sports agents deal with legal contracts and financial transactions. Certificate programs in sports law are available to law students who have completed an established number of law courses. Topics that may be covered in a certificate program include sports organizations, athlete representation, society and sports, labor laws and trademark laws.
How Do I Break Into The Business?
Networking and word of mouth can go a long way and unearth potential job opportunities. Sports agents are often either self-employed or part of a sports management firm. Consider an internship position while you are still in college; this could help you establish important contacts in the industry. You could also volunteer to work for a professional sports organization. Once you graduate, you might consider and entry-level position with a sports management firm to get your foot in the door. In 2011, IMG, an international sports, fashion and media representation agency, reported it does not hire agents externally; IMG's agents must work their way up through the ranks (www.imgworld.com).
What Certifications Can I Earn?
There are a numbers of sports organizations that offer certification programs for sports agents, including the Major league Baseball Players' Association, National Football League Players' Association and National Basketball Players' Association. Most organizations will require you to pay substantial membership fees and have a combination of education and experience. If you earn a law degree, you could join the Sports Lawyers Association, through which you could improve your job marketability by taking continuing education courses.
What Can I Expect To Earn?
The median salary for sports agents in 2011 was $61,000, according to PayScale.com. Salary, however, can also be determined by other factors, such as commissions and bonuses, which are common in the sports industry. In 2011, PayScale.com reported that sports agents received bonuses within the ranges of $1,000-$98,000 and commissions within the ranges of $15,000-$85,000.
To continue researching, browse degree options below for course curriculum, prerequisites and financial aid information. Or, learn more about the subject by reading the related articles below:
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