Also called: Professional Soccer Player
Plays professional soccer for a Major League Soccer team, training daily and traveling for matches across the US and Canada.
Players train daily, travel for weekend matches across the US and Canada, and work closely with sports scientists on fitness and recovery. Many came up through MLS team academies as teens.
Estimate based on MLS Players Association salary releases: senior minimum about $100k, median around $300k; a few international stars earn tens of millions.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 2 years after high school. Most athletes start as kids and compete through high school and college; no degree is required, though many earn one. Many develop in club academies; some play college soccer.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Self-taught. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Kinesiology, Sports Management.
Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years). BLS projects 5% growth for all athletes and sports competitors (2024-34), but roster spots in each league are nearly fixed, so competition is extreme.
Low risk for 10 years. AI scouting and GPS data guide training and recruiting; playing stays human, with roster spots limited.
Classes: Weight training PE, NCAA-approved core courses, Spanish.
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.