Also called: Mixed Martial Artist, UFC Fighter
Competes in mixed martial arts fights combining striking, wrestling, and jiu-jitsu.
Fighters train twice a day in gyms, sparring, drilling grappling, and cutting weight before fights. They might fight only two or three times a year, so each fight's purse matters a lot. Injuries are common.
Estimate. Regional fighters may earn a few thousand per fight; UFC base pay starts around $12k to show and $12k to win; top stars earn millions.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. Years of training in wrestling, boxing, and jiu-jitsu; amateur fights before going pro.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Self-taught. Training cost: Under $15k.
Growing about average. Popular but limited roster spots.
Low risk for 10 years. AI fight analytics help scout opponents; fighting is human, but pay for most pros is very low.
Classes: High school wrestling, Weight training PE, Health and nutrition.
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.