Sportspersons

ANZSCO ID 4524

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
14,200
Future Growth
2.7%
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
35%
Female Share
25%
Average age
23

Summary

Sportspersons participate in sporting events for monetary gain either as individuals or as members of a team.

Tasks

  • maintaining a high degree of expertise in a particular sport

  • attending regular practice sessions and undertaking private training to maintain the required standard of fitness

  • deciding on strategies in consultation with coaches

  • assessing other competitors and conditions at venues

  • competing in sporting events

  • adhering to the rules and regulations associated with a specific sport

  • promoting water safety awareness and undertaking rescue of persons in difficulty in the water

  • undertaking sports promotional activities and television appearances

Characteristics

Job Type
Community And Personal Service Workers
Skill Level
Medium skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
Above average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Enterprising
Physical Demand
  • Light
  • Medium
  • Heavy

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers in this occupation is likely to remain stable.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.

Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.

Projected Change
2.7%
(or 200 jobs)
From
8,100
in 2021
To
8,300
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 9,300
2012 11,000
2013 8,400
2014 11,800
2015 16,400
2016 8,100
2017 12,300
2018 11,300
2019 15,900
2020 8,100
2021 8,100
2026 8,300

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 39% of people employed as Sportspersons work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 27 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 44 hours per week in their main job. This is the same as the all jobs average.

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Arts and Recreation Services
80.9%
2
Public Administration and Safety
7.9%
3
Education and Training
5.6%
4
Retail Trade
2.2%
5
Other industries
3.4%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

30.4% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

30.5% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

18.9% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

5.3% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

10.1% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.8% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

1.0% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.7% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Sportspersons All Jobs Average
NSW 30.4 31.6
VIC 30.5 25.6
QLD 18.9 20.0
SA 5.3 7.0
WA 10.1 10.8
TAS 1.8 2.0
NT 1.0 1.0
ACT 1.7 1.9


  • Around 61% of Sportspersons live in capital cities, similar to the all jobs average of 62%.

    Victoria has a large share of employment relative to its population size.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
23
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
25%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Sportspersons is 23 years. This is younger than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 20 to 24 years.

    Females make up 25% of the workforce. This is 23 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Sportspersons All Jobs Average
15-19 19.8 5.0
20-24 36.5 9.3
25-34 22.5 22.9
35-44 9.3 22.0
45-54 6.8 21.6
55-59 2.7 9.0
60-64 1.4 6.0
65 and Over 0.9 4.2
Median Age 23 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Advanced sporting skill is needed to work as a Sportsperson.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Sport, Fitness and Recreation VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Sportspersons All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 1.7 10.1
Bachelor degree 10.3 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 9.9 11.6
Certificate III/IV 16.0 21.1
Year 12 48.2 18.1
Year 11 6.4 4.8
Year 10 and below 7.5 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Sportspersons who are motivated, have a positive attitude and have a strong work ethic.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 54%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 46%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 45%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 43%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 43%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 43%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 43%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 43%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 43%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 43%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 43%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 41%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 41%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 41%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 39%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 36%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 36%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 34%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 34%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 27%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 62%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 60%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 56%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 53%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 53%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 50%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 48%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 46%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 45%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 45%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 41%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 40%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 40%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 40%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 38%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 36%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 34%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 31%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 30%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 28%

    Foreign language

    Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 57%

    Stamina

    Exercise for a long time without getting winded or out of breath.

  • 57%

    Dynamic strength

    Exercise for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

  • 57%

    Explosive strength

    Quickly jump, sprint, or throw an object.

  • 57%

    Whole body coordination

    Move your arms, legs, and body together.

  • 55%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 55%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 55%

    Static strength

    Lift, push, pull, or carry things.

  • 54%

    Extent flexibility

    Bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.

  • 50%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 48%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 48%

    Trunk strength

    Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.

  • 46%

    Multilimb coordination

    Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • 45%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 45%

    Balance

    Keep your balance or stay upright.

  • 45%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 45%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 43%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 43%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 43%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 43%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 80%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 78%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 72%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 70%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 70%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 70%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 69%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

  • 69%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 69%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 68%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 66%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 65%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 64%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 64%

    Coaching and developing others

    Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.

  • 62%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 61%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 57%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

  • 51%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 50%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 47%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 90%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 67%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 43%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 33%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 24%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 14%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 86%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 81%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 81%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 71%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 62%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 57%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 95%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 89%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 89%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 86%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 84%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 84%

    Outdoors, exposed to weather

    Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.

  • 83%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 82%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 81%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 81%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 81%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 78%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 77%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 75%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 75%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 74%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 73%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 71%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 69%

    Very hot or cold temperatures

    Work in very hot or cold temperatures.

  • 68%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 27-2021.00 - Athletes and Sports Competitors.


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