12 Careers for Sports Management Graduates
If you're passionate about sports but not planning to become a professional athlete, a degree in sports management might be for you. This interdisciplinary field explores the sport industry from a wide arrange of angles, covering everything from marketing to economics. Over the course of thier degree, students learn the basics of branding, sport law, athletic statistics and analytics, team management, and more. They graduate with an in-depth knowledge of the sports industry, a strong set of business skills, and—of course—a true love of the game.
With their unique educational background, sports management graduates can pursue an array of careers. Let's take a closer look at a few of the most common ones.
This article will be covering the following careers:
| Career | Avg Salary | Satisfaction | Your Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account Manager | $55k | 2.8/5 | |
| Digital Marketing Specialist | $47k | 3.1/5 | |
| Sports Writer | $29k | 3.6/5 | |
| Fitness Coordinator | $95k | 3.5/5 | |
| Public Relations Specialist | $73k | 3.0/5 | |
| Event Planner | $58k | 3.5/5 | |
| Coach | $31k | 3.8/5 | |
| Marketing Manager | $153k | 3.2/5 | |
| Sports Scout | $51k | 4.1/5 | |
| Recreation Worker | $32k | 3.6/5 | |
| Sports Broadcaster | $61k | 4.1/5 | |
| Fitness Trainer | $46k | 3.6/5 |
Are these careers suited to you? Our comprehensive career test measures your personality traits and interests and matches you to over 800 careers.
1. Account Manager
Account managers are expert mediators. They manage relationships between their clients—in this case, professional athletes or teams—and the brands that want to partner with them. This can involve negotiating terms of sponsorship agreements, attending networking events, monitoring client relationships, and more.
Account Manager
An account manager serves as the primary point of contact for clients within a company or organization.
2. Digital Marketing Specialist
How are your social media skills? If you're tech-savvy with a knack for promotion, you could use your degree to become a digital marketer. Apply your business expertise and sports knowledge to raise awareness about different teams, championships and events, athletic apparel companies, and more.
Digital Marketing Specialist
A digital marketing specialist specializes in developing and implementing online marketing strategies to promote products, services, or brands.
3. Sports Writer
It might not be the first career you think of, but becoming a sports writer is perfect fit for any sports management major who has a way with words. In this role, you'll use your industry knowledge to write compelling short stories for print and online media.
Sports Writer
A sports writer is a journalist who specializes in covering sporting events and writing about sports topics for newspapers, magazines, websites, or other publications.
4. Fitness Coordinator
Gyms, fitness centers, and health clubs are always on the look out for qualified wellness coordinators. These skilled professionals use their fitness knowledge and administrative skills to plan exercise classes, wellness seminars, and other special events.
Fitness Coordinator
A fitness coordinator is responsible for overseeing and coordinating fitness programs and activities within a fitness facility, organization, or community.
5. Public Relations Specialist
Most top-ranking sports teams employ at least one PR specialist. These talented communicators help build and monitor the team's professional image. This can involve crafting press releases and announcements, coordinating with the media, and handling damage control if the need arises.
Public Relations Specialist
A public relations specialist manages the public image and reputation of individuals, organizations, or brands.
6. Event Planner
Coordinating a major tournament—or even a minor league championship—takes lots of work. That's where event planners come in. These organized professionals help determine the programming for the event, set the budget, book the venue, arrange the ticket sales, oversee the marketing and promotion, and more.
Event Planner
An event planner specializes in organizing and executing various types of events, ranging from small gatherings to large-scale conferences and weddings.
7. Coach
From training high school soccer leagues to top NHL teams, coaching can be rewarding at almost any level. This career path demands a true passion for the game and a sharp set of administrative skills, both of which sports management graduates posses.
Coach
A coach supports and guides individuals or groups in various areas of personal or professional development.
8. Marketing Manager
Sports marketing is a unique industry that brings together athletics and business. Sports marketing professionals devise promotional strategies, craft marketing campaigns, and liaise with advertising and publicity staff to help raise the profile of whatever athlete, brand, or team they serve.
Marketing Manager
A marketing manager is responsible for planning, implementing, and overseeing marketing strategies to promote a company's products or services.
9. Sports Scout
Athletic scouts are tasked with recruiting the best athletes to play on sports teams of all levels. The job requires excellent communication skills, a thorough knowledge of the game, and excellent interpersonal abilities. No degree is required for this career, but a bachelor's in sports management or a related field can be an asset.
Sports Scout
A sports scout has the important responsibility of identifying and evaluating talented athletes across various sports.
10. Recreation Worker
Recreation workers work at youth summer camps, community centers, and everywhere in between. Using their sports knowledge and their excellent leadership skills, they craft and lead activities that help people improve their fitness, get active, and enjoy themselves.
Recreation Worker
A recreation worker plans, organizes, and leads recreational activities for various groups of people.
11. Sports Broadcaster
Sports management graduates don't just know the rules of their favorite sports; they also understand sport analytics and policy. This deep understanding of the industry—as well as their professional training in marketing and communication—are ideally suited to a career as a sports broadcaster for TV or radio.
Sports Broadcaster
A sports broadcaster provides coverage and analysis of sporting events for television, radio, or online media.
12. Fitness Trainer
You don't need a degree in sports management to become a fitness trainer, but it can definitely help. Fitness trainers assist people of all athletic abilities in improving and maintaining their well-being. As a sports management graduate, you can use your passion for sports to motivate your clients and your skills in business and marketing to promote your services.
Fitness Trainer
A fitness trainer, distinct from a personal trainer, typically encompasses a broader role in guiding individuals through general fitness activities and group exercise sessions.