How Much Money Does a Sports Broadcaster Make?
Sports broadcasters, also known as sports announcers or sportscasters, present sports and athletic events on television stations, radio stations and other types of broadcast media. People who have passion for sports, excellent public speaking skills and determination tend to make strong candidates for sports broadcasting. Perseverance will be especially important for candidates as prospects for the position are on the decline over the next decade.
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Definition
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A sports broadcaster is an individual who analyzes sporting contests and presents information to a particular audience. This announcer may describe plays and actions as they occur, gather statistics and facts and present them in a specialized way and update scores to an audience. Sportscasters accompany the events with descriptions of each play as well as informational, personal and comical comments to keep the game interesting. They may present, write and select sports stories to report on the radio, television and Internet. Sports broadcasters may also interview athletes, celebrities, fans and coaches before, during and after a game.
Training
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Prospective broadcasters often begin with enthusiasm for sports and try sports announcing during and for their high school or college. The top candidates for these positions typically graduate college with a four-year degree in broadcasting or a related field. Some courses that sports broadcasters concentrate on are sports psychology, exercise physiology, coaching principles and sports and cultures. During and after school, broadcasters-in-training may complete internships at local newspapers, television stations and radio stations. Further education like graduate work may help candidates to get a leg up on the competition. Some sportscasters join professional organizations like the American Sportscasters Association and the Broadcasters Foundation of America.
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Salary
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According to a survey compiled by PayScale, sports broadcasters made salaries ranging from $26,028 and $54,938 as of December 2010. Their additional compensation bonuses ranged from $1,221 to $9,944. The middle 50 percent of television and radio announcers in general had an average annual salary between $18,824 and $42,245, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The highest 10 percent earned over $75,754 while the lowest 10 percent earned less than $15,496.
Prospects
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The prospects for announcers in general are projected to decline by 4 percent between 2008 and 2018, with radio and television announcers projected to decline by 6 percent, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As technology increases announcer productivity, demand for these positions will fall. Broadcasting company consolidation also leads to increased syndicated programming, which also lowers the need for announcers. Job openings may be limited to replacing those who leave the profession, retire or transfer to other positions. Competition for these jobs will be extremely fierce, predicts the BLS, due to the number of job seekers far outweighing the number of jobs.
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References
- Photo Credit sports image by peter Hires Images from Fotolia.com
