The Datum Report

Occupation 3431 · Associate professional occupations

Sports players

Professional sportsmen and women train and compete, either individually or as part of a team, in their chosen sport for financial gain.

How people enter it

No academic qualifications are required. Entry is based upon talent that can be further developed through coaching and training.

What the work involves

• participates in exhibitions, pre-qualifying events, tournaments and competitions
• attends training sessions to develop skills and practice individual or team moves and tactics
• builds stamina, physical strength and agility through running, fitness exercises and weight training
• maintains clothing and other specialised sporting equipment
• discusses performance problems with coaches, physiotherapists, dieticians and doctors

Also called

Cricketer · Footballer · Jockey · Golfer

What it pays

Every regional figure

ONS does not publish occupational pay below region. Cells the survey could not support are shown as withheld, with its reason — adding a region split to a specific occupation leaves roughly a tenth of cells publishable.

Common questions

Classified alongside this

Fitness and wellbeing instructors · Sports coaches, instructors and officials