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The differences between talent managers and agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a talent manager has an average salary of $102,404, which is higher than the $37,864 average annual salary of an agent.
The top three skills for a talent manager include human resources, succession planning and project management. The most important skills for an agent are insurance products, customer service, and life insurance.
| Talent Manager | Agent | |
| Yearly salary | $102,404 | $37,864 |
| Hourly rate | $49.23 | $18.20 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 22,473 | 184,325 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 47 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 6 | - |
A talent manager is an individual who oversees the business dealings of various talents such as athletes, artists, and musicians. To become successful, a talent manager should be able to find good talents, understand what it takes for the talents to succeed, and establish a trust to sign clients. Some of the requirements to qualify for the position include possessing strong negotiation, scheduling, listening, and communication skills and having a bachelor's degree in management, marketing, or a related field.
Agents are individuals who are employed by their clients to represent them in various dealings. Agents are usually employed by people in the show business industry, such as actors, writers, or directors. They meet people who are interested in dealing with their clients. They listen to the plans and vision for the project and assess if the project fits their clients' interests or public image. In the case of agents whose clients are actors, they send their clients to auditions upon review of the project details. Agents are also responsible for negotiating terms on behalf of their clients, such as salary, royalties, and set benefits, among others. They also inform the project leaders of their clients' demands on set. Agents are expected to be business-savvy and good negotiators.
Talent managers and agents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Talent Manager | Agent | |
| Average salary | $102,404 | $37,864 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $170,000 | Between $19,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | New York |
| Best paying company | Boston Consulting Group | Latham & Watkins |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a talent manager and an agent in terms of educational background:
| Talent Manager | Agent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between talent managers' and agents' demographics:
| Talent Manager | Agent | |
| Average age | 47 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.7% Female, 61.3% | Male, 50.5% Female, 49.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 5.7% White, 70.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 4.9% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 18% | 7% |