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Job outlook for sports directors in the United States
Are sports director jobs in demand?
Yes, sports director jobs are in demand. Sports director demand is projected to grow 8% from 2018 to 2028.
Sports director job and salary trends over time
Compare the number of sports director jobs and the average sports director salary over time.
Sports director jobs over time
Sports director job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 991 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 856 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 926 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 850 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 842 | 0.00% |
Average sports director salary over time
Sports director salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $61,211 | $29.43 | +2.7% |
| 2025 | $59,625 | $28.67 | +3.8% |
| 2024 | $57,429 | $27.61 | +0.1% |
| 2023 | $57,381 | $27.59 | +0.9% |
| 2022 | $56,844 | $27.33 | +3.7% |
Sports director jobs by state
The map below shows you the number of sports director job openings in each state. The darker areas on the map show where sports directors earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average salary: Job openings:
Most common states for sports directors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 193 | 22% |
| 2 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 513 | 16% |
| 3 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 475 | 16% |
| 4 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 104 | 15% |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 438 | 11% |
| 6 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 490 | 10% |
| 7 | Louisiana | 4,684,333 | 487 | 10% |
| 8 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 298 | 10% |
| 9 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 388 | 6% |
| 10 | New York | 19,849,399 | 571 | 3% |
| 11 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 226 | 3% |
| 12 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 163 | 3% |
| 13 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 155 | 3% |
| 14 | Vermont | 623,657 | 18 | 3% |
| 15 | California | 39,536,653 | 852 | 2% |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 243 | 2% |
| 17 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 136 | 2% |
| 18 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 95 | 2% |
| 19 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 87 | 2% |
| 20 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 51 | 2% |
Most common cities for sports directors
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beloit | 3 | 8% | $45,071 |
| 2 | Greenwood | 4 | 7% | $51,191 |
| 3 | Bothell | 3 | 7% | $77,278 |
| 4 | Gaithersburg | 4 | 6% | $71,632 |
| 5 | Manchester | 4 | 4% | $66,885 |
| 6 | Hollywood | 4 | 3% | $42,539 |
| 7 | Salt Lake City | 4 | 2% | $55,829 |
| 8 | Las Vegas | 5 | 1% | $67,193 |
| 9 | Boston | 4 | 1% | $83,113 |
| 10 | Milwaukee | 4 | 1% | $46,344 |
| 11 | Aurora | 3 | 1% | $49,344 |
| 12 | Baton Rouge | 3 | 1% | $44,677 |
| 13 | Birmingham | 3 | 1% | $49,829 |
| 14 | Los Angeles | 5 | 0% | $81,312 |
| 15 | New York | 5 | 0% | $106,605 |
| 16 | Philadelphia | 5 | 0% | $63,782 |
| 17 | Chicago | 4 | 0% | $51,452 |
| 18 | Phoenix | 4 | 0% | $52,996 |
| 19 | Charlotte | 3 | 0% | $44,466 |
Sports Director job outlook: Expert opinions
We spoke to sports director professors and experts from several universities and companies to get their opinions on where the sports director job market for recent graduates is heading and how young graduates entering the sports director industry can be adequately prepared. Here are their thoughts.
Our panel of sports director experts
M
Mary Beth Mason Ph.D.
Thiel College
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Sports Director job market given the pandemic?
Mary Beth Mason Ph.D.: I think we are going to see teletherapy as a more common service delivery model across settings. I think that that will be what I call a "Pandemic Positive". I think many states will pass legislation post pandemic for teletherapy to be a reimbursable service.
Sports director jobs
Updated February 6, 2021