Telling the story of sports: calling games, reporting, filming, producing broadcasts, and running team social media.
Top pay: highest pay, longest training
Play-by-Play Announcer: Calls the action live during sports broadcasts on TV, radio, and streaming. Typical pay $120k.
Sports Network Executive: Decides which games and shows a network or streaming service airs, and negotiates media rights. Typical pay $220k.
Live Sports TV Director: Directs live sports broadcasts, choosing which camera shot goes on air every second. Typical pay $115k.
Sports Studio Host: Hosts pregame, halftime and highlight shows for TV networks, streaming services or team networks, guiding analysts and introducing highlights. Typical pay $120k.
Mid pay: solid pay, degree or apprenticeship
Sports Reporter: Covers teams and athletes, writing stories, breaking news, and doing interviews. Typical pay $60k.
Sideline Reporter: Reports from the sidelines during broadcasts with injury updates, interviews, and inside info. Typical pay $75k.
Sports TV Producer: Plans and produces sports shows, highlights, and live game broadcasts. Typical pay $83k.
Team Social Media Manager: Runs a team's social media accounts, creating viral posts, memes, and behind-the-scenes content. Typical pay $65k.
Sports Information Director: Handles media relations and stats for a college athletic department. Typical pay $60k.
Skycam Operator: Flies the camera that hangs from cables over football fields and stadiums, giving TV viewers that video-game view of the play. Typical pay $75k.
Starter: fastest way in
Local Sports Radio Host: Hosts a local sports talk radio show or podcast, debating teams and taking calls. Typical pay $45k.
Stadium Public Address Announcer: The voice in the stadium who announces players, scores, and game-day messages. Typical pay $35k.
Broadcast Spotter and Statistician: Helps announcers by identifying players and feeding them stats during live broadcasts. Typical pay $35k.
Sports Production Assistant: Supports sports TV productions by logging footage, running errands, and setting up equipment. Typical pay $40k.
High School Sports Stringer: A freelance writer or photographer paid per story to cover local high school games. Typical pay $15k.
Sports Podcaster and YouTuber: Creates sports podcasts, YouTube shows, and social videos, earning from ads and subscriptions. Typical pay $30k.
Ballpark Organist or Arena DJ: Plays organ music or DJs walk-up songs, chants and between-play tunes to energize the crowd at pro, minor league or college games. Typical pay $35k.
Sports Radio Producer: Books guests and runs the board for sports talk shows. Typical pay $42k.
Parabolic Mic Operator: Points a dish-shaped microphone at the field during TV sports broadcasts to catch the crunch of hits, the quarterback's calls, and the referee's whistle. Typical pay $40k.
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.