Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletess across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $141,580 ≈ $68/hr
National median salary $82,890
Total employment 12,620 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth +8.7% Much faster than average
Annual openings 2,200 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 21,400 → 23,200 (+1,900)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

Mean annual wage $0–$0 $0–$67,000 $67,000–$89,000 $89,000–$113,000 $113,000–$178,000 U.S. mean $141,580

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

  1. Florida$178,340
  2. California$159,240
  3. Connecticut$138,010
  4. New York$134,200
  5. Colorado$115,420

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

  1. Arizona$66,940
  2. Illinois$67,170
  3. Texas$85,360
  4. Ohio$86,950
  5. Wisconsin$87,640
#StateMeanMedian Hourlyvs. U.S.Employment
1 Florida $178,340 $98,200 $86 +26% 870
2 California $159,240 $98,110 $77 +12.5% 4,860
3 Connecticut $138,010 $81,470 $66 -2.5% 170
4 New York $134,200 $79,620 $65 -5.2% 2,660
5 Colorado $115,420 $95,530 $55 -18.5% 80
6 Washington $114,000 $74,620 $55 -19.5% 120
7 Tennessee $113,350 $75,390 $55 -19.9% 730
8 Arkansas $107,330 $78,560 $52 -24.2% 30
9 New Jersey $104,670 $81,190 $50 -26.1% 170
10 New Hampshire $94,130 $81,690 $45 -33.5% 40
11 Michigan $92,030 $82,440 $44 -35%
12 Virginia $88,580 $73,400 $43 -37.4% 110
13 Wisconsin $87,640 $74,990 $42 -38.1% 40
14 Ohio $86,950 $76,790 $42 -38.6% 100
15 Texas $85,360 $82,920 $41 -39.7% 320

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 21 metro areas.

#Metro areaMedianMeanEmployment
1 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $123,950 $124,200
2 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV $108,580 $147,630
3 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $103,730 $156,430 180
4 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL $100,650 $215,110 500
5 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $98,930 $148,270 160
6 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $97,750 $159,110 4,120
7 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX $90,530 $87,180 60
8 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $83,820 $139,300 2,490
9 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $83,360 $127,530 110
10 Cleveland, OH $76,790 $93,560 40

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletess (BLS OEWS, by median).

#IndustryMedianMeanEmployment
1 Administrative and Support Services $147,180 $125,930
2 Sector 56 - Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services $147,180 $125,930
3 Legal Services $117,500 $116,390 30
4 Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services $96,710 $104,510
5 Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures $95,570 $151,700 9,970
6 Spectator Sports $90,530 $130,160 140
7 Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries $88,100 $146,900 11,260
8 Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events $88,100 $150,200 440
9 Sector 71 - Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation $88,100 $146,850 11,270
10 Cross-Industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local $82,890 $141,580 12,620
11 Cross-industry, Private Ownership only $82,890 $141,600 12,620
12 Employment Services $75,250 $97,060 40

Workforce Deep-Dive

Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.

Annual wage distribution

< $10K
17,823
$10-20k
1,988
$20-30k
2,287
$30-40k
5,634
$40-50k
4,106
$50-60k
4,877
$60-70k
4,657
$70-80k
2,974
$80-90k
2,948
$90-100k
1,710
$100-110k
3,079
$110-120k
905
$120-130k
989
$130-140k
369
$140-150k
1,152
$150-160k
1,911
$160-170k
479
$170-180k
811
$180-190k
418
$190-200k
312
$200k+
6,316

Pay by age band

16-24
$32,459
25-34
$66,267
35-44
$103,111
45-54
$107,200
55-64
$103,261
65+
$59,327

Education level

Bachelors Degree
$108,024
1 or more years of college credit, no degree
$66,739
Masters Degree
$86,762
Regular high school diploma
$35,379
Associates Degree
$54,533
Some college, but less than 1 year
$29,114
Doctorate degree
$153,072
GED or alternative credential
$21,404
Professional degree
$79,866
Grade 11
$95,178
No schooling completed
$3,153
Grade 10
$21,493
Grade 9
$27,427
12th grade - no diploma
$142,733

Full-time vs part-time

Full-time
42,112 · $116,627
Part-time
6,977 · $71,320

Race / ethnicity

White
$98,035
Black
$47,166
Two or More Races
$60,457
Other
$49,903
Asian
$69,288
American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races
$53,808

Top fields of study

Business Management And Administration
$96,886
Communications
$92,732
General Business
$137,115
Psychology
$111,141
Music
$193,318
Political Science And Government
$155,768
Journalism
$113,569
English Language And Literature
$65,299

Top Skills

Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).

Persuasion
4.0
Reading Comprehension
4.0
Active Listening
4.0
Speaking
4.0
Negotiation
4.0
Social Perceptiveness
3.9
Critical Thinking
3.8
Coordination
3.8
Time Management
3.8
Writing
3.6
Active Learning
3.5
Complex Problem Solving
3.4

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes make in the U.S.?

The median agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes salary in the United States is $82,890 per year (mean $141,580), and about 80% earn between $48,010 and $284,570.

How much do agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes make per hour?

Roughly $68 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $141,580 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes the most?

Florida has the highest average pay for agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes at $178,340 per year (median $98,200).

What is the job outlook for agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes?

Employment is projected to change +8.7% from 2024 to 2034 (Much faster than average), with about 2,200 openings per year.

What People Search

Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.

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