As a student-athlete, you may be wondering what career choice could be the best option for you. Not every student gets a chance or wants to be an actual professional athlete. In this case, there are many options aside from doing just that. However, if you become an experienced and well-known professional in your field, you could be paid a whole lot more than you expect. That’s why it’s worth doing proper research and choosing wisely. 

If you are seeking inspiration about athlete careers, here are the top choices with high-paying compensation you might love! By learning more about professional sports opportunities, you could easily pick the one that suits your expectations and wants best. 

Physical Therapist

As with any other medical field, this is quite a lucrative opportunity for you to consider. A physical therapist is someone who takes care of athletes’ injuries and helps them get back up strong if it’s possible. 

You will need a doctor in physical therapy (DPT) or an equivalent professional degree. You will also have to cultivate patience while completing lots of academic assignments. That’s when you could look into Writemy to find professional help if you get overwhelmed. Finally, once you know the ins and outs of the profession, you can apply for a license in the state where you’re working. 

If you dream of having an impact on people’s lives and health, then this option might suit you best.

Your knowledge and injury-healing skills will pay off very well. A professional who specializes in sports medicine and treats famous or even amateur athletes gets paid the most. By being a physical therapist, you could earn as much as $82,365 per year. But it also depends on the location you are in. For example, in the state of California, a sports therapist has the potential to earn much more than $100,000.

Sports Statistician

Another option to consider is becoming a sports statistician. You could be either an academic statistician or a recorder. 

If you work as an academic statistician, you must keep track of player and team data. The main task is to be able to analyze all the data to get special knowledge about the team and a particular athlete. This job helps find out the perfect efficacy of a plan or strategy for sports players. Following your investigation, you provide management personnel with useful insights and recommendations. 

As to the recorder, the responsibilities include capturing in-game data mostly. Then, you share the information you gather with the team, academic statisticians, sports news, and media agencies. The salary to expect is $41,500-$100,000 per year. To be a successful sports statistician, you must study mathematics, statistical analysis, or even computer science. 

Sports Broadcaster 

If you are an athlete, you are probably a fan of multiple sports shows. We bet you noticed that a sports event show is impossible without a good broadcaster. You could choose broadcasting as your career if you are more of an extrovert. Yet, think twice because it can be tough to make it in this field. 

Your work will evolve around announcing interesting commentary that excites people and makes them want to watch the show from the beginning to the end. You could also interview popular players and conduct post-game analyses. The special requirements differing from the typical job are the ability to be available on non-traditional work hours, such as late at night. And you can’t do without the skills to go live and improvise. 

A professional sports broadcaster’s salary might be $53,534. But some top-tier broadcasters could make it to the millions of dollars each year. 

What about the basic requirements to get into the field? You will need the following: 

  • Communication degree; 
  • Broadcasting degree; 
  • A lot of experience to go from the local level to the regional and even national.

But if you ace it, you’re about to enjoy a rewarding career.

Sports Manager

If you are a person who enjoys negotiations and leading others, this career could be a perfect fit for you. Sport is also some sort of business. And a sports manager is someone who takes care of the organizational tasks. This figure still remains beyond public attention despite being crucial for the sports industry. 

It is someone who deals primarily with the business side of sports and managing other athletes, so their success drives the income. So if you don’t strive for a huge fan base, this is one of the best choices you could make. Besides mundane tasks, you could have a lot of fun managing team state or worldwide trips, as well as a bunch of other fascinating events. 

What is the typical compensation for a sports manager? The salary could range anywhere from $36,000 to $46,000. However, this figure isn’t final and can be significantly affected by the area you are in, the team you work with, and the type of sport. For instance, a director of sports information can make $60,000, and a director of athletics can make $80,000. Meanwhile, a seasoned sports manager can make up to $200,000 or even seven figures.

Education requirements include a degree in Masters of Business Administration (MBA) in Sports Management. The study process will allow you to focus on developing your business skills, which are crucial for this position. You will most likely need to learn how to delegate some tasks to one of the best assignment writing services to help you stay on top. Prioritizing is crucial at this point. 

The other degree you could take is called Masters of Science in Sports Management. This one will gear you with the right knowledge to become an administrator, manager, or head coach too. 

Conclusion

Choosing a suitable career can be a tough task for a student-athlete. There are many professions in sports that can also relate to other fields, such as mathematics, medicine, broadcasting, etc. Considering the options above, you can pick the niche where you are the strongest and become quite successful with a high salary.