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Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes

In the Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes occupation, workers represent and promote artists, performers, and athletes in dealings with current or prospective employers. The job can ask you to collect fees, commissions, or other payments, according to contract terms. The strongest interest signal is Enterprising (6.5 of 7), then Social (4.1) and Conventional, which gives it the code ESC. Plan on a bachelor’s degree plus a period of work experience; O*NET labels this considerable preparation. Strength in speaking, reading comprehension, and persuasion helps most here. Expect to send samples of clients' work and other promotional material to potential employers to obtain auditions, sponsorships, or endorsement deals. It tends to suit people who want leading, persuading and making business decisions, and it offers little for anyone seeking hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world.

What they do

Represent and promote artists, performers, and athletes in dealings with current or prospective employers. May handle contract negotiation and other business matters for clients.

Main tasks

  • Collect fees, commissions, or other payments, according to contract terms.
  • Send samples of clients' work and other promotional material to potential employers to obtain auditions, sponsorships, or endorsement deals.
  • Keep informed of industry trends and deals.
  • Conduct auditions or interviews to evaluate potential clients.
  • Negotiate with managers, promoters, union officials, and other persons regarding clients' contractual rights and obligations.
  • Confer with clients to develop strategies for their careers, and to explain actions taken on their behalf.

Skills

  • Speaking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Persuasion
  • Negotiation
  • Active Listening
  • Social Perceptiveness

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like taking the lead and making the call.
  • You get energy from helping other people move forward.
  • You are ready to spend around four years on a degree, then build experience.
  • You are comfortable relying on speaking and reading comprehension.

May not suit you if

  • You would rather not persuade, sell or manage other people.
  • You want to work with your hands for most of the day. Realistic rates 1.0 out of 7 here.
  • You want to avoid a four-year degree or its equivalent.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code ESC takes the three highest, and Enterprising comes first here.

Preparation

Considerable preparation. Most jobs here ask for a bachelor’s degree, and employers usually expect a few years of related experience as well.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Bachelor's Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Agent
  • Athlete Marketing Agent
  • Booker
  • Booking Agent
  • Entertainment Specialist

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.