The complete list of sports jobs

The sports industry is an incredibly desirable area to work in. It’s how many of us spend our free time: following the games, catching up on the latest news, and getting into age-old debates with friends. But if you’re not the next football phenom or basketball icon, are there even opportunities to work in the sports industry?

Fortunately, the answer is yes — a lot. It takes countless professionals to manage a team and produce the broadcasts we all enjoy. And that all amounts to a number of professions to choose from for anyone interested in making this industry their home.

But rather than us telling you this, let us show you instead. We’ve put together a list of all the job types that exist in the sports industry — many of which you can apply to right here on our website.

Check out the image below to see how you can get involved in professional sports. You can download a HD version of the graphic on the links provided, too.

Download HD image here

There’s more types of sporting opportunities than you might have thought, right? To help you know which is right for you, we’ll provide a brief overview of each section on the graphic and what they entail. If you see a role you’re interested in that’s highlighted, then click on it. It means we have a category on our website dedicated to jobs in that area!

Broadcast Production

Starting alphabetically, professionals in the broadcast production area are responsible for putting on the televised shows that most of us consume sports through. And it takes a lot of people to make sure they run at the highest standard.

Audio/Visual
Camera Operations
Graphic Operations
Lighting
Makeup & Wardrobe
Segment Production
Set Design
Studio Management
Technical Direction

Business Operations

Smooth day-to-day operations are essential to any major company — and sports has many. Whether it’s a team or league that’s hiring, they both need savvy business professionals to help them succeed.

Commercial

A company’s bottom line is everything. In an industry like sports, which commands more attention than perhaps any other on the planet, there are countless monetization options. Commercial professionals use this to generate their companies revenue.

Account Management
Business Development
Corporate Strategy
Licensing
Membership Services
Merchandising
Retail
Sales
Sponsorship Management
Ticketing

Community & Marketing

You could have the best product in the world, but if no one hears about it then it’s never going to grow! The community & marketing sector is all about helping your brand reach new people and keeping fans engaged.

Content & Media

Content is king, as the saying goes, and that’s absolutely true in professional sports where the standard of competition is so high. Whether you’re reporting on news stories, editing highlight reels, or helping a team announce their new signing, people are always hungry for sports content.

Copywriting
Creative Direction
Graphic Design
Journalism
Media Management
Motion Design
Photography
Videography
Video Editing
Video Production

Education

Many professional sports teams have a youth development or education arm. These serve two purposes: to support the club’s local town or city, and to develop the next generation of star athletes under their banner. Professionals in the education sector require certain vetting or licensing documents as laid out by the employer, since many of these jobs work with children.

Facilities & Maintenance

Ever considered what it takes to facilitate a live sports event with upwards of 80,000 people in attendance? The answer is a lot! Facilities & maintenance staff work to keep stadiums and company properties clean, safe, and equipped for all scenarios — even emergencies.

Finance

The sports industry is worth hundreds of billions of dollars. With so much money flowing in and out of companies, there’s the need for a variety of finance professionals who can log this, advise on where businesses should spend their money, and more.

Accounting
Auditing & Tax
Financial Analysis

Human Resources

Where there’s a lot of employees, there needs to be the human resources staff to support them. In this field, you’ll be hiring the next wave of sporting professionals, managing your company’s policies, and ensuring fair and inclusive treatment for everyone.

Compensation & Benefits
Diversity & Inclusion
Employee Engagement
Employer Branding
Recruitment
Reward Analysis

IT

While sports itself is physical, there’s plenty of digital components to this industry. From team and league websites to supporting employees and customers with their tech needs, there’s always going to be demand for folks who know IT inside out.

Cyber Security
Infrastructure Management
System Administration
Technical Support

League Operations

Do you love competition? You could be involved at the forefront of it in the league operations segment of the industry, where you’ll be in charge of tournament schedules, rules, team relations, and more.

Competition Management
Event Management
Officiating
Player & Team Relations
Scheduling

Legal

Here’s an example of how much depth there is to the sports industry: there’s even the need for legal professionals! Jobs here will always require a degree in law, and usually a couple of years experience to match.

Compliance
Contract Law
Counsel
Intellectual Property
Mergers & Acquisitions

Logistics

There’s a whole lot of planning involved in moving teams across a country—or even the globe—on a regular basis. Whether you’re coordinating travel arrangements or working in a warehouse on merch distribution, logistics professionals are essential to sports.

Procurement
Travel & Transportation
Warehouse Operations

Manufacturing

Are you a fan of motor racing and some of the highest-spec engineering to take place in the world? Your dream job could be in this list! Manufacturing professionals are extremely technical and work in a field where milliseconds are as crucial as hours. They’re also in high demand.

Aerodynamics
Assembly
Laminating
Modeling
Technical Engineering

Match Day

Match days are the lifeblood of sports. The buzz in the stadium, the anticipation of the build-up — it’s thrilling. The good news is that there’s numerous job opportunities that focus on the match day experience! It’s worth noting, though, that these are often hired on a part time or contract basis.

Catering
Cheerleading
Commentating
Data Entry
Fan Engagement
Guest Services
Hospitality
Hosting
Stewarding

Product

Apps, fan membership programs, digital experiences: there are many products that complement the sports industry. In this sector, you’ll be part of the teams building and managing them. A variety of skill sets are needed to build a great product, so there might be something here for you.

Software Development & Engineering

As they are in most industries, software developers and engineers are highly sought after in sports. You’ll typically be contributing to a website or app in these roles, but could also specialize in data analysis, server maintenance, and more.

Team & Performance

Our last sector is likely the most recognizable type of sports job: joining the coaching and support staff that work directly with the athletes. This is a very competitive field to enter, but a background in sports science and any experience you can gather at the amateur, collegiate, or semi-pro level will all support you.

There we have it! The different job types that exist in sports. If you’re feeling ready to get involved yourself, head over to our jobs feed and see what vacancies are currently open. We have positions at teams in the NFL, NBA, Premier League, and so many more competitions for you to choose from.

If you think your application documents need some work before you start applying, then we have you covered with our resume and cover letter guides, complete with examples.

All that’s left for us to say is good luck. We’re all rooting for you to find that perfect career in the sports industry.

P.S. Here’s one last download link for the graphic