Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes

More data on this career

Pay by education level. Among full-time, year-round agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes ages 25 to 64, median yearly pay is $64,000 with some college or an associate's degree, $83,300 with a bachelor's degree and $105,600 with a master's degree or higher (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024 dollars). Pay differs for many reasons besides education, such as experience, employer and location.

Industries that employ this career. The largest shares of agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes work in Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (48%), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (14%), Information (7%) and Transportation and Warehousing (6%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).

Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes are Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (86% of the jobs counted, median pay $95,570), Performing Arts Companies (4% of the jobs counted, median pay $52,850), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (4% of the jobs counted, median pay $88,100), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (2% of the jobs counted, median pay $64,380) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures ($95,570). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.

What workers studied. Among agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes with a bachelor's degree or higher, the most common fields of the bachelor's degree are General Business (7%), Marketing and Marketing Research (7%), English Language and Literature (6%) and Communications (5%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).

Injury and illness rates. For the broader group "Business operations specialists", which includes this career (BLS did not publish enough cases for this exact occupation), employers reported 12.1 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 7 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.

Union membership. In the broad group "Business and financial operations", which includes this career, 4.7% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $1,564 for union members and $1,657 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes.

Employer benefits. In the broad group "Management, business, and financial", which includes this career, 91% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 94% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 97% had paid sick leave, 97% paid vacation and 96% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $89.14 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Management, business and financial" in June 2026 ($59.62 in wages and salaries and $29.52 in benefits, 33.1% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).

Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes are: telephone conversations (100%), e-mail (100%), spend time sitting (100%), time pressure (99%), contact with others (97%), determine tasks, priorities and goals (91%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).

Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for related work experience, the most common answer (37% of 22 respondents) was "over 1 year, up to and including 2 years"; for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (33% of 22 respondents) was "up to and including 1 month"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (34% of 22 respondents) was "over 1 month, up to and including 3 months". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).

Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes in the work done and the skills used: Talent Directors, Advertising Sales Agents, Public Relations Specialists, Advertising and Promotions Managers, Writers and Authors, Marketing Managers, Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners, Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).

Compare agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →