Professional athletics is ranked as one of the top 11 most difficult professions to enter.
Most students who play sports in school from middle school on entertain hopes of turning their love of sports into a career. While this does not happen in most cases, some are lucky enough to go on to college and professional athletics. Those wishing to join this elite group can gain an understanding of which schools graduate the most student athletes, the odds of achieving employment in professional sports, average rates of pay and professional opportunities after competitive careers end by looking closely at statistics associated with professional athletes who have graduated from college.
Top Colleges for Athletes
It is becoming more common for young athletes to use college as a temporary forum to showcase their talents for professional scouts. Tempted by fame and fortune, many now leave without degrees, leaving themselves no safety net. A college degree offers the young athlete greater security and more options in the event of injury or after retirement from competition, according to StateUniversity.com. Statistically, the top five colleges for graduating athletes who go pro are the University of Michigan, which boasted a total of 68 professional athletes playing in each of the five major sports leagues in 2008, Ohio State University with 62, the University of Florida at Miami with a total of 60, UCLA with 59, and Florida State University and the University of Notre Dame, tying at 51 professional athletes each.
Odds of Employment
There are approximately 9,380 major league professional athletes in the United States.
On a list published by CollegeTimes of the 11 hardest jobs to land in America, "professional athlete" ranks fourth. Odds are heavily against becoming a professional athlete, at approximately 24,550 to 1. CollegeTimes asserts that a person has a greater chance of writing a book that makes the New York Times bestseller list, being struck by lightening or marrying a millionaire. Of the approximately 9,380 major league professional American athletes, this translates to an individual .00565 percent chance of reaching the major leagues in American sports. The odds improve if minor leagues and secondary leagues are considered, but these are generally short-lived and poorly paid jobs.
Average Professional Sports Salaries
Of all sports-related industries, spectator sports rank highest in both level of employment (at 8,910 as of May 2009) and level of pay (at a mean annual salary of $97,650), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The top states for levels of employment for professional athletes are Rhode Island, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, and Idaho. The top states for mean annual salary for professional athletes are Colorado, New York, Minnesota, California and Washington.
Career Options After Competition
At some point, every athletic career comes to an end either through injury or age. At this point, a college degree paves the way for other professional avenues in sports. A bachelor's degree in journalism, broadcasting or communications lends itself to a career in sportscasting. Someone looking for work as a sports agent needs a bachelor's degree in marketing or business. Someone who holds a bachelor's in marketing can also work as a sports marketing account executive. Sports medicine also offers many opportunities for former athletes. Possibilities range from psychology to physical therapy. A degree at the master's level is likely required for this. Someone holding a degree in public relations, communications, marketing or media relations is a candidate for a sports information position.
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