Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes salary by state
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
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About this role
Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes is a professional role within the function in the Business and Financial Operations job family.
Typical entry preparation: Bachelor's Degree and up to 2 years of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
What Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletess do
Typical education: Bachelor's Degree
Collect fees, commissions, or other payments, according to contract terms.
Send samples of clients' work and other promotional material to potential employers to obtain auditions, sponsorships, or endorsement deals.
Keep informed of industry trends and deals.
Conduct auditions or interviews to evaluate potential clients.
Negotiate with managers, promoters, union officials, and other persons regarding clients' contractual rights and obligations.
Top skills:SpeakingReading ComprehensionPersuasionNegotiationActive ListeningSocial Perceptiveness
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes pay by experience level
Entry level$49,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$66,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$86,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$151,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$294,500
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+8.7%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
2,200
projected openings per year
Growing faster than average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes salary by industry
Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries
11,260 workers
$152,000
Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures
9,970 workers
$157,000
Performing Arts Companies
440 workers
$91,500
Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events
440 workers
$155,500
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers
270 workers
$72,000
Spectator Sports
140 workers
$134,500
Employment Services
40 workers
$100,500
Legal Services
30 workers
$120,500
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services$83,000
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services$60,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Who works in this role
About 60,000 people held this occupation in the United States in 2025.
Women
51.7%
White
83.9%
Black or African American
4.2%
Asian
1.7%
Hispanic or Latino
16.4%
Race categories and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity overlap, so shares can sum to more than 100 percent. Figures describe this occupation across the national workforce, not any single employer. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Annual Averages, Table 11, 2025.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $75,420 to $82,890.
+9.9% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$49,500
Early career25th percentile
$66,000
Median50th percentile
$86,000
Experienced75th percentile
$151,500
Top earners90th percentile
$294,500
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
Collect fees, commissions, or other payments, according to contract terms.
Send samples of clients' work and other promotional material to potential employers to obtain auditions, sponsorships, or endorsement deals.
Keep informed of industry trends and deals.
Conduct auditions or interviews to evaluate potential clients.
Negotiate with managers, promoters, union officials, and other persons regarding clients' contractual rights and obligations.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Exempt · Professional, Administrative, or Executive exemption
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Exempt when paid above the salary threshold, provided they satisfy the duties test for one of the FLSA exemption categories. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$146,500
2027$151,500
2028$157,000
2029$162,500
2030$168,000
2031$174,000
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
Get your Personal Pay Report for Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes
Keep your market comparison in a print-ready PDF, with negotiation targets, a script using your numbers, and a five-year market-pay illustration. Career ladder where available.
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Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
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How much does a Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes make?
The median market pay for a Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes in the United States is about $146,500 per year in 2026, based on WePayFairly's market model.
What is the salary range for a Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes?
Most Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes pay falls between about $66,000 (25th percentile) and $151,500 (75th percentile), with top earners above $294,500.
What does a Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes do?
Core responsibilities include: collect fees, commissions, or other payments, according to contract terms; and send samples of clients' work and other promotional material to potential employers to obtain auditions, sponsorships, or endorsement deals.
Is pay for Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes roles growing?
Yes. The national median wage for this occupation moved from $75,420 in 2020 to $82,890 in 2025, a change of +9.9% in nominal dollars.
How this role compares
Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes pays 55% above the average across 47 roles in the Business and Financial Operations job family (family average $94,500).
Similar-paying roles in Business and Financial Operations
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes make?
The average base salary for a Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes in the United States is $146,500 per year, or about $70.43 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $66,000 and $151,500 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Business and Financial Operations roles?
The Business and Financial Operations job family averages $94,500 across 47 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
Need Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
