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Job outlook for athletic directors in the United States
Athletic director job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected athletic director job growth rate is 7% from 2018-2028.
About 15,500 new jobs for athletic directors are projected over the next decade.
Athletic director salaries have increased 7% for athletic directors in the last 5 years.
There are over 5,883 athletic directors currently employed in the United States.
There are 11,759 active athletic director job openings in the US.
The average athletic director salary is $71,311.
Are athletic director jobs in demand?
Athletic director job and salary trends over time
Athletic director jobs over time
Athletic director job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5,883 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 5,816 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 6,119 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 6,049 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 6,006 | 0.00% |
Average athletic director salary over time
Athletic director salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $71,311 | $34.28 | +2.2% |
| 2024 | $69,782 | $33.55 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $69,000 | $33.17 | +2.1% |
| 2022 | $67,551 | $32.48 | +1.8% |
| 2021 | $66,381 | $31.91 | +2.5% |
Athletic director jobs by state
Most common states for athletic directors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 541 | 17% |
| 2 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 499 | 17% |
| 3 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 522 | 11% |
| 4 | Louisiana | 4,684,333 | 508 | 11% |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 451 | 11% |
| 6 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 307 | 10% |
| 7 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 68 | 10% |
| 8 | Vermont | 623,657 | 22 | 4% |
| 9 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 187 | 3% |
| 10 | New York | 19,849,399 | 395 | 2% |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 196 | 2% |
| 12 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 160 | 2% |
| 13 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 107 | 2% |
| 14 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 105 | 2% |
| 15 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 100 | 2% |
| 16 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 97 | 2% |
| 17 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 66 | 2% |
| 18 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 20 | 2% |
| 19 | Alaska | 739,795 | 18 | 2% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 17 | 2% |
Most common cities for athletic directors
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Chicago | 1 | 4% | $68,707 |
| 2 | Newport | 1 | 4% | $72,715 |
| 3 | Saint Louis | 2 | 1% | $56,004 |
| 4 | Alameda | 1 | 1% | $101,773 |
| 5 | Federal Way | 1 | 1% | $75,257 |
| 6 | Redding | 1 | 1% | $98,959 |
| 7 | Springfield | 1 | 1% | $55,290 |
| 8 | Austin | 1 | 0% | $60,391 |
| 9 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $84,974 |
| 10 | Denver | 1 | 0% | $76,240 |
| 11 | Houston | 1 | 0% | $59,237 |
| 12 | Indianapolis | 1 | 0% | $67,215 |
Athletic Director job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of athletic director experts
West Virginia University
Bluefield State College
What Athletic Director skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Matthew Ohlson Ph.D.: Become knowledgeable and most importantly, comfortable, sharing the data and impact you’ve had as a school leader. The use of data is so imperative to show progress towards long and short-term goals, for example: attendance gains, teacher retention rates, etc. School leaders can seek more compensation and larger responsibilities in more prominent roles when they are able to show how their leadership made a difference. Annual impact reports, data snapshots, student/teacher testimonials, etc. can illustrate how your leadership impacted teaching and learning.
Stephanie Lorenze
Service Associate Professor, Coordinator for Teacher EducationWest Virginia University
Department of Curriculum and Instruction/Literacy Studies
What will help Athletic Directors increase their earning potential?
Stephanie Lorenze: Legislators and communities who value their work through actions.
What experience really stands out on Athletic Director resumes?
Amanda Banks Ph.D.: Adaptability and expertise in teaching diverse students in inclusive classrooms are growing focal points of many school districts nationally. With recent changes in federal education legislation (Every Student Succeeds Act, 2015), there has been a growing need for educators to universally design effective learning opportunities for a wide range of learners (Universal Design for Learning) to ensure students' academic progress regardless of their socioeconomic background or learning ability. Identifying potential teachers who can help students and schools successfully meet state and federal accountability standards is paramount to hiring committees.
Candidates should showcase any firsthand experiences they have in working with students within and outside of the classroom, especially diverse student populations (e.g., special education, bilingual education). Strong collaboration skills, content expertise, and instructional flexibility are three professional qualities that definitely set a candidate apart from the rest. Recent graduates who anticipate entering the job market in the near future should actively search for such volunteer opportunities if they didn't have these types of experiences in their preparation program.