Also called: Pro Gamer, Competitive Gamer
Competes in video game tournaments and leagues for teams and prize money.
A pro player practices 8-12 hours a day with teammates, reviews match footage with coaches, streams for fans, and travels to tournaments.
Esports pay is extremely uneven: a few hundred top pros earn six figures or more; most competitive players earn little.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
No formal education, about 0 years after high school. Elite skill in one game; most pros start as teens.
Ways in: Self-taught. Training cost: Under $15k.
Growing about average. Esports has contracted since 2022 but remains active.
Low risk for 10 years. Human competitors are the product; AI coaching tools sharpen practice but don't replace pro players.
Classes: Physical education, Psychology, Computer applications, Speech.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-2021.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.