Sports agents' salaries range widely based on a number of factors. Agents are paid on a commission basis, so earnings are dependent upon the salaries of their clients. Salaries also depend on whether the agent works for a marketing firm or represents his or her own clients.Base Salary
- Agents that work for a marketing firm often receive a base salary in addition to perks and incentives. According to Pay Scale, the average base salary ranges from $39,601 to $81,389 a year.
Bonuses
- Agents representing a firm often receive a bonus for various performance benchmarks. These bonuses can be based on meeting certain salary thresholds for clients, client retention or simply longevity. The average bonus, according to PayScale, ranges from $2,000 to $14,000 annually.
Commissions
- In addition to base salary and bonuses, agents working for firms also receive commissions. These commissions are paid either by a flat stipend per client or a percentage of negotiated earnings for clients. PayScale reports the annual average for commissions to range from $42,000 to $140,000.
Athlete Salaries
- Sports agents, or their firms, are paid based on a percentage of an athlete's salary. Most athletes share an industry standard 4 percent of their salary and performance bonuses. This means an agent or his firm would be paid $40,000 for every $1 million earned. However, the NFL Players Association mandates agents receive a maximum of 3 percent. Agents of NFL players earn anywhere from $6,750 to $600,000. Major League Baseball agents earn between $12,000 to $880,000 a year. NBA agents earn between $15,400 and $1,120,000, while NHL agents earn $14,000 to $400,000. Because each league sets different minimum salaries for their athletes, and the highest salaries differ from league to league, agents or their firms make differing amounts from the various sports.
Athlete Endorsements
- In addition to salaries, agents (or their firms) are compensated a percentage of endorsements of professional athletes. While the percentage can range anywhere from 5 percent to 80 percent of the endorsement deal, typically agents earn 15 percent to 20 percent. An endorsement of $10 million would mean $1.5 million to $2 million paid to the agent.
Read more: What Is a Sports Agent's Salary? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_6614812_sports-agent_s-salary_.html#ixzz1gj5dnJlb
