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Professional basketball player vs athlete

The differences between professional basketball players and athletes can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a professional basketball player and an athlete. Additionally, a professional basketball player has an average salary of $51,882, which is higher than the $51,729 average annual salary of an athlete.

The top three skills for a professional basketball player include championship, role model and NBA. The most important skills for an athlete are team-oriented environment, math, and apparel.

Professional basketball player vs athlete overview

Professional Basketball PlayerAthlete
Yearly salary$51,882$51,729
Hourly rate$24.94$24.87
Growth rate36%36%
Number of jobs50,0237,350
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 84%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age3636
Years of experience66

Professional basketball player vs athlete salary

Professional basketball players and athletes have different pay scales, as shown below.

Professional Basketball PlayerAthlete
Average salary$51,882$51,729
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $109,000Between $24,000 And $108,000
Highest paying City-Oakland, CA
Highest paying state-Alaska
Best paying company-Erlanger Health System
Best paying industry-Education

Differences between professional basketball player and athlete education

There are a few differences between a professional basketball player and an athlete in terms of educational background:

Professional Basketball PlayerAthlete
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 84%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Professional basketball player vs athlete demographics

Here are the differences between professional basketball players' and athletes' demographics:

Professional Basketball PlayerAthlete
Average age3636
Gender ratioMale, 82.6% Female, 17.4%Male, 61.6% Female, 38.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 3.7% White, 72.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 3.7% White, 72.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between professional basketball player and athlete duties and responsibilities

Professional basketball player example responsibilities.

  • Gain leadership abilities that directly translate into the professional workplace.
  • Mentore junior players; develop team-building and leadership activities include in programs manual.
  • Study and apply basketball fundamentals and utilize mass communication techniques in advancing media and public relations.
  • Participate in track races all over California with the ultimate goal of competing in the Olympics.

Athlete example responsibilities.

  • Apply time management, goal setting, leadership and teamwork to achieve academic success while fulfilling training and competition requirements.
  • Manage supervision of elite and NCAA pipeline development.
  • Certify to represent athletes in the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB and WTA.
  • Participate in soccer and volleyball athletics
  • Organize and participate in basketball camps.
  • Provide efficient customer service by executing mobile transactions in apparel departments and meeting sales goals.
  • Show more

Professional basketball player vs athlete skills

Common professional basketball player skills
  • Championship, 21%
  • Role Model, 13%
  • NBA, 10%
  • Training Sessions, 9%
  • Leadership, 6%
  • Community Outreach, 6%
Common athlete skills
  • Team-Oriented Environment, 29%
  • Math, 25%
  • Apparel, 20%
  • Visual Displays, 9%
  • Customer Service, 4%
  • Nike, 2%

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