All careersBusiness & finance

Talent / Sports Agent

$82,890
median / year
$48,010 – $284,570
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Represent athletes and performers by finding work, negotiating contracts, and managing their careers.

You may also see this posted as: Agent, Booking Agent, Talent Agent, Theatrical Agent, Athlete Marketing Agent, Booker.

Where you work

Offices, events, and frequent travel

The hours

Long, irregular hours

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • Collect fees, commissions, or other payments, according to contract terms.
  • Send samples of clients' work and other promotional material to potential employers to obtain auditions, sponsorships, or endorsement deals.
  • Keep informed of industry trends and deals.
  • Conduct auditions or interviews to evaluate potential clients.
  • Negotiate with managers, promoters, union officials, and other persons regarding clients' contractual rights and obligations.

Good fit if you like…

Enterprising

leading, persuading, selling, or turning an idea into action

Social

helping, teaching, caring for, or supporting other people

Conventional

organizing information, following systems, and getting details right

O*NET job zone 4 of 5

High preparation—usually a four-year degree plus experience—is common.

Work styles that matter most

Social OrientationSelf-ConfidencePerseveranceLeadership Orientation

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Adobe PhotoshopApple macOSFacebookMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft Outlook

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$82,890
per year
Hourly median
$39.85
per hour
What most earn
$48,010–$284,570
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~2,200
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+8.7%
Faster than average
Working in the U.S.
12,620
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

BLS estimates 26.1% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

Bachelor's degree

Training path: Bachelor's degree, often plus experience.

Related work experience: Less than 5 years.

On-the-job training: None.

License or certification

No license required to start in most places.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

What it takes

NegotiationNetworkingContractsCommunication

The honest take

Represents performers and athletes, finding them work and negotiating contracts for a cut of the pay.

Standard Occupational Classification 13-1011. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.