Athletic teams in all leagues are directed by sports managers.
Organized sports would not survive without the direction of managers. Sports managers commonly schedule practices, coordinate games, hire and fire coaches, help with scouting, and direct the marketing, public image and finances of the team or sports organization. Managing a sports team can provide an enormous range of salaries because of so many wage influences.
General Salary Estimates
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statics, business managers for performers and athletes in general made an average of $87,430 a year, as of 2009. It was also reported that the bottom 10th percentile of managers made less than $25,860 a year while the top 10th percentile earned more than $166,400. However, while exact figures aren't always available, it is known that managers at the highest levels of professional sports can earn exponentially more money.
Education and Experience
All business schools recently did a study on the effect of experience and education on a sports manager's salary. With a bachelor's degree but virtually no experience, the median salary was $35,435 a year. However, after just five to nine years on the job, the wages went up to an average of $48,778 annually. The most experienced, managers with 10 to 19 years of experience, earned a median salary of $56,203 annually. Managers with a master's degree in sports administration had a chance to make much more. The same manager with 10 to 19 years on the job but that also possessed the master's degree could average $100,000 a year.
Athletic Directors
Based on a 1994 report by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrator Association, high school athletic directors earn between $25,000 and $70,000 a year. StateUniversity.com reported that as of 2006, college level athletic directors earned a median wage of $94,406 a year, and the website Salary Expert reported in 2011 that athletic directors in Manhattan average $106,907 a year. However, some of the most successful athletic directors can again make substantially more. Bloomberg reported in 2009 that the director at the University of Florida made $965,000 in base pay, and the director at the University of Kansas earned $900,000 a year.
Qualifications
Some sports managers and athletic directors were simply former athletes and coaches that obtained enough credentials, experience, and reputation to enter into management. Others are professionals with finance, marketing, or business degrees who are also sports enthusiasts. Some of the higher paid managers may also be attorneys.
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