An agent or business manager of artists, performers, and athletes represents and promotes talent. You handle contracts, negotiate deals, build relationships, and grow careers. It requires a bachelor's degree and strong business acumen, but the work is creative and entrepreneurial.
Pathly builds you a free, personalized roadmap and helps your counselor champion you along the way.
You represent artists, performers, and athletes by managing their careers and business interests. You negotiate contracts, secure performance or competition opportunities, and handle financial and administrative details. You stay current on industry trends, communicate with promoters and venues, and think strategically about how to grow your client's brand and income. You organize schedules, prioritize opportunities, and maintain relationships with key contacts across the entertainment and sports industries. Your work blends sales, marketing, and creative problem-solving.
Core work activities
Career video courtesy of CareerOneStop.
Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes earn a median of $82,890 a year, based on 2025 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and location.
The outlook is strong. Employment is projected to grow 9 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than average for all occupations, with about 2,200 openings a year.
Top skills
Knowledge areas
Start with a bachelor's degree, which is the typical entry point for this role. Focus on coursework in business, management, sales, marketing, communications, or fine arts. Develop strong reading, writing, and listening skills. Seek internships or entry-level positions in talent agencies, sports management firms, or entertainment companies to build industry knowledge and connections. Learn how contracts and deals work. Many people start as assistants and move into agent or manager roles as they build relationships and prove their ability to grow talent.
Most people enter this field through internships at agencies or management firms, then move into agent or manager roles. The path depends on which industry appeals to you and how quickly you build your network, so if you are exploring options, Pathly can map the agent and business manager of artists, performers, and athletes path that fits you and work through it with your counselor to find the right entry point.
Many agent and business manager of artists, performers, and athletess must be licensed to practice.
Licensing is handled at the state level and the requirements vary, so check the licensing board in your state. Pathly shows your state's specific steps inside your roadmap.
You are enterprising, driven to build businesses and grow talent. You enjoy negotiating, persuading, and creating opportunity. You thrive on relationships and strategic thinking.
Reading about a career is the easy part. Turning it into a plan is where most students get stuck. Pathly takes you from curious to a clear next step, and gives your counselor the insight to champion you along the way.
Start with a quick quiz and assessments that surface your personality, your EQ, and what really motivates you, so your next steps are built around who you actually are.
Your free AI guide weighs this career against your strengths and goals, and surfaces the colleges, trades, and scholarships that match, so you know if it truly fits before you commit.
Get a personalized, step-by-step plan to reach this career, with the training, coursework, and credentials tracked in one place. Link your school or IEC and your counselor in the loop.
Last updated July 1, 2026.
Data sources. Career details from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Salary and outlook figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 wages; 2024–2034 projections), delivered via the CareerOneStop API. Certification, licensing, wage, and outlook data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).