How to become an Agent or Business Manager of Artists, Performers, and Athletes

Official title: Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes

Also called: Agent, Athlete Marketing Agent, Booker, Booking Agent, Entertainment Specialist, Literary Agent, Print Agent, Talent Agent, Talent Representative, Theatrical Agent

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.
• Develop contacts with individuals and organizations, and apply effective strategies and techniques to ensure their clients' success.
• Schedule promotional or performance engagements for clients.

How to become one

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Ways in

• College: Business & Commerce degrees, Offered by 35 universities in the US
• Licence: A licence is required in 30 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $82,890 a year The middle half earn $63,670 to $146,430.
• About 26,900 people work in this job now, and about 29,500 are projected by 2035. (+9.7%)
• People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

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Questions people ask

How do I become an Agent or Business Manager of Artists, Performers, and Athletes?

Ways in include: Business & Commerce degrees.

How much does an Agent or Business Manager of Artists, Performers, and Athletes earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $82,890 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $63,670 to $146,430.

Is an Agent or Business Manager of Artists, Performers, and Athletes a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 10% by 2035, from about 26,900 to about 29,500 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become an Agent or Business Manager of Artists, Performers, and Athletes?

Usually. 69% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of an Agent or Business Manager of Artists, Performers, and Athletes?

People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

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.