United States · Pay by job · Arts, Design, Sports and Media
Professional Athlete salary and take-home pay
The typical US professional athlete earns $66,710 a year (BLS, May 2025); BLS gives yearly pay only for this job. In Texas, where the median for this job is $80,510, a single filer keeps about $65,469 a year after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.
BLS title: Athletes and Sports Competitors (SOC 27-2021). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.
How much does a professional athlete earn?
| Percentile | Bar | A year |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $26,500 | |
| 25th | $36,790 | |
| Median | $66,710 | |
| 75th | $109,880 | |
| 90th | $742,310 |
The middle half of people in this job earn $36,790 to $109,880 a year, and about 15,070 people do it across the US (BLS, May 2025). BLS gives yearly pay only: people in this job are usually paid by the year and often work fewer than 2,080 hours.
Take-home pay tool
Professional Athlete · Texas · single · median
$65,468.79 a year after tax
$5,455.73 a month · $2,518.03 a paycheck (every two weeks)
| Pay before tax | $80,510.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | −$8,882.20 |
| Social Security and Medicare | −$6,159.01 |
| Texas tax and payroll contributions | none |
| Take-home pay | $65,468.79 |
Pay: the median for this job in Texas, $80,510 a year (BLS). One job, standard deduction, nothing taken before tax, the year’s tax spread over 26 paychecks.
What does a professional athlete take home at each pay point?
A single filer on the national figures, paid every two weeks, with nothing taken before tax:
| Pay a year | Texas | California | New York | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $26,500 | $23,433 | $22,949 | $22,453 |
| 25th | $36,790 | $31,741 | $30,843 | $30,161 |
| Median | $66,710 | $55,760 | $52,891 | $52,436 |
| 75th | $109,880 | $86,131 | $78,872 | $80,219 |
| 90th | $742,310 | $490,572 | $409,998 | $439,828 |
Take-home after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax for 2026. New York is outside New York City.
Where does a professional athlete keep the most after tax?
Our 19 states, ranked by take-home pay on each state’s own median for this job (single filer). Only these 19 states have take-home figures so far.
| Rank | State | Median pay | Take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $253,870 | $170,832 |
| 2 | Nevada | $119,780 | $93,095 |
| 3 | Texas | $80,510 | $65,469 |
| 4 | Florida | $78,610 | $64,132 |
| 5 | California | $79,040 | $60,419 |
| 6 | Georgia | $77,530 | $60,252 |
| 7 | Virginia | $61,500 | $48,873 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $57,100 | $46,267 |
| 9 | Ohio | $39,040 | $32,925 |
Not ranked, because BLS released no median there: Alaska, Illinois, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington, Wyoming.
How much does a professional athlete earn in each state?
| State | Median pay | People in the job | Take-home (single) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | not released | 330 | not yet |
| Alaska | not released | not released | – |
| Arizona | $50,090 | 940 | not yet |
| Arkansas | not released | not released | not yet |
| California | $79,040 | 830 | $60,419 (#5) |
| Colorado | not released | 340 | not yet |
| Connecticut | not released | 50 | not yet |
| Delaware | not released | not released | not yet |
| District of Columbia | not released | not released | not yet |
| Florida | $78,610 | 1,360 | $64,132 (#4) |
| Georgia | $77,530 | 840 | $60,252 (#6) |
| Hawaii | not released | not released | not yet |
| Idaho | not released | not released | not yet |
| Illinois | not released | 310 | – |
| Indiana | not released | 390 | not yet |
| Iowa | not released | not released | not yet |
| Kansas | $63,630 | 170 | not yet |
| Kentucky | $63,020 | not released | not yet |
| Louisiana | $55,890 | 440 | not yet |
| Maine | not released | 110 | not yet |
| Maryland | $48,200 | not released | not yet |
| Massachusetts | not released | not released | not yet |
| Michigan | not released | not released | – |
| Minnesota | not released | not released | not yet |
| Mississippi | not released | not released | not yet |
| Missouri | $172,700 | 670 | not yet |
| Montana | not released | not released | not yet |
| Nebraska | not released | not released | not yet |
| Nevada | $119,780 | 160 | $93,095 (#2) |
| New Hampshire | not released | not released | – |
| New Jersey | $253,870 | 390 | $170,832 (#1) |
| New Mexico | not released | not released | not yet |
| New York | not released | 350 | – |
| North Carolina | not released | 760 | – |
| North Dakota | not released | 70 | not yet |
| Ohio | $39,040 | 590 | $32,925 (#9) |
| Oklahoma | $44,110 | not released | not yet |
| Oregon | not released | not released | not yet |
| Pennsylvania | $57,100 | 250 | $46,267 (#8) |
| Rhode Island | not released | 50 | not yet |
| South Carolina | $45,720 | 280 | not yet |
| South Dakota | not released | not released | – |
| Tennessee | not released | 640 | – |
| Texas | $80,510 | 1,840 | $65,469 (#3) |
| Utah | $122,800 | 340 | not yet |
| Vermont | not released | not released | not yet |
| Virginia | $61,500 | not released | $48,873 (#7) |
| Washington | not released | not released | – |
| West Virginia | not released | not released | not yet |
| Wisconsin | not released | not released | not yet |
| Wyoming | not released | not released | – |
Median yearly pay for this job in each state, from BLS. Take-home and its rank are for the 19 states with a take-home engine so far. Each linked state shows its highest-paying jobs after tax.
What is the job outlook for a professional athlete?
BLS expects jobs as a professional athlete to grow 5.5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,200 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).
- Job growth, 2025 to 2035
- +5.5%
- Openings a year
- about 2,200
- Usual education
- No formal educational credential
- Work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
What do similar jobs pay?
The 10 arts, design, sports and media jobs closest in pay to a professional athlete:
- Sound Engineering Technician median $73,130
- Court Reporter median $72,420
- Other Artist and Related Worker median $71,240
- Other Media Equipment Worker median $70,720
- Lighting Technician median $68,060
- Interior Designer median $67,190
- Other Designer median $64,950
- Graphic Designer median $62,960
- News Reporter and Journalist median $62,200
- Actor median $29.05 an hour
Every job in the group: Arts, Design, Sports and Media jobs. Not sure which job suits you? Try the free career test.
What else can I work out?
- Your paycheck on $66,710, with any pay schedule, 401(k) or HSA.
- Hourly to salary.
- Your 2026 tax refund on $66,710, with the new deductions for tips and overtime.
Where do these figures come from?
Pay is the BLS estimate for all employers in May 2025 (the latest), and the outlook is from BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Your own pay depends on your employer, area and experience. Take-home is our estimate for 2026: one job, the standard deduction, nothing taken before tax, from the same engine as our paycheck calculator.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics tables (BLS); Employment Projections tables (BLS). This site is independent and not part of the BLS.
Questions about professional athlete pay
How much does a professional athlete make an hour?
BLS publishes only yearly pay for this job, because people in it are usually paid by the year and often work fewer than 2,080 hours: the median is $66,710 a year, and the middle half earn $36,790 to $109,880.
Which state pays a professional athlete the most?
Among the 50 states and DC, New Jersey has the highest median for this job: $253,870 a year (BLS). After tax, of the 19 states we cover, New Jersey leaves the most: $170,832 a year for a single filer on its median of $253,870.
What is a professional athlete’s take-home pay?
On the national median of $66,710, a single filer keeps about $55,760 a year in Texas (no state income tax), $52,891 in California and $52,436 in New York outside New York City, after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax. Pick your state in the tool above.
What education do you need to be a professional athlete?
BLS lists no formal educational credential as the usual way in, with no work experience in a related job and long-term on-the-job training (more than a year).
Is the number of professional athlete jobs growing?
BLS expects jobs as a professional athlete to grow 5.5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,200 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).