Negotiating Your Salary in the Sports Industry

When looking for a job, especially your first one in the sports industry, salary negotiation can take a back seat to getting a foot in the door and starting your career. However, starting at a lower salary leads to lost earning potential that you have to make up later. A pair of WorkInSports Podcast listeners are dealing with the nuances of negotiating salary in the sports industry and are looking for guidance: “Hey Brian, I’m a recent college grad who just got my first job offer! I’m stoked! The salary is a little lower than I had hoped. Should I negotiate or just accept and get cracking? I’m worried if I push too hard, they’ll move on to someone else and withdraw the offer.”

-Janice in Massachusetts

“Hey Brian, I’m a 33-year-old dude who has been working in the sports industry for the last 12 years. I had been at one team this entire time. Now, I’m making the jump to a sports marketing agency. I’m excited, the salary is good, not great, and I really want to negotiate...what is your take on negotiating? I’ve never done it before, but I want to push this time around as I feel I have more leverage than I did as a recent grad last time I was in the market.”

-Bill in Pennsylvania

Salary Negotiation in Sports

According to Fidelity Investments, 58% of Americans accepted their initial job offer without negotiating salary or benefits. However, 85% of candidates who countered an offer got at least some of what they asked for. Additionally, a 2021 XpertHR survey found that 89% of companies are open to negotiating salary for some or all positions once they make a job offer.

Here are a few keys to successfully negotiating salary in the sports industry:

• Mind your Tone: Don’t come off as entitled, demanding, or adversarial, or the employer may reject your counteroffer. • Be Timely: Don’t ask for more than 48 hours to review an offer because hiring managers must move quickly to hire. • Do Research: Make sure you know what you can expect to earn in your profession in the sports industry so you can make an informed counteroffer.

Catch the full episode for more salary negotiation tips, and subscribe to the WorkInSports Podcast for more sports career advice. You can also catch additional content on our YouTube channel!