If you are thinking about a career as a sportscaster, you might be wondering what to expect in terms of salary. This quick and easy-to-read guide answers the most asked question: How much do sports broadcasters make? Plus, we’ll take a closer look at what it’s like to work as a sports broadcaster and how to become a sportscaster with a bright future.

What Does a Sports Broadcaster Do?

Before we start talking about sportscasting salaries, let’s take a moment to discuss the job itself. As a sports broadcaster, your essential role is to provide commentary for sporting events of all kinds. 

The job duties of sports broadcasters can vary somewhat, depending on their specific role or where they work. But often, sports broadcasters’ responsibilities include:

• On-air hosting
• Reading behind the scenes for voiceovers
• Researching
• Writing content
• Providing recaps for news segments, playbacks, and other duties.
• Offering informed opinions on specific players or teams, game regulations, and calls, or even the sport itself
• Staying on top of current events in sports, league/team news, and other important happenings

What is it Like to Be a Sports Anchor?

When you think of sports announcers, you might immediately picture the famous hosts of programs on channels such as ESPN, NBC, CBS, or FOX Sports. These sports broadcasters have reached a certain level of celebrity status. They are well-known figures that regularly participate in highlight reels, roundtable discussions, and major events across multiple sports, leagues, and teams. 

But many extremely successful sportscasters work at a local level or specialize in a specific sport. These sportscasters might work for local TV or radio stations or have jobs as sports podcasters or hosts on live stream platforms. 

What are the Salary Ranges & Averages for Sportscasters?

Salaries for sportscasters depend on factors such as:

• Job type
• Experience level
• Market size/location
• Network/station

The average annual salary of sportscasters is just over $38,000. Some of the highest-paid sports broadcasters make well into the tens of millions of dollars yearly – so the sky is the limit.

Understanding the Difference Between Sportscaster Salary Highs and Lows

It’s important to realize that there is a wide range of sportscaster salaries because there is a diverse spectrum of sports commentator jobs in general. For example, the salary of a primary commentator on the NFL’s Monday Night Football broadcast is likely to be significantly higher than that of a news sports broadcaster working in a mid-sized city. The salary range for sportscasters starts with local rookie announcers for a college team and goes up to national celebrity broadcasters, so there is plenty of variation.

However, you can still make good money as a sportscaster – it can be a very lucrative career. It is helpful to realize that many factors affect sportscaster salaries, so considering both the averages and the ranges is a must when comparing job opportunities.

What Does it Take to Become a Sports Commentator?

For anyone wondering how to get a job as a sports anchor, a well-rounded foundation of talent, dedication, and experience is key. You’ll need to have specific technical skills, such as understanding how to use specialized audio and visual equipment and be equipped to connect with an audience.

Gaining Experience as a Sportscaster

Natural talent is a great quality for a prospective sportscaster, but the experience is essential.

One of the best ways to get experience in sports broadcasting is to start with specialized media education and training, which can evolve into opportunities for sports broadcasting internships. From there, you’ll typically begin with an entry-level position and then work your way up. Be open to learning as much as possible, taking on out-of-the-box tasks, and building professional relationships – because the experience will be the key to your success.

Want to Work in Sports Broadcasting?

If you want to break into the broadcasting industry, you will have some serious competition. But as a graduate of a professional sportscasting training and education program, you can have an advantage.

At the Beonair Network of Media Schools with campuses located in Miami, Chicago, Colorado, and Ohio, our Sports Broadcasting program provides studies with the unique opportunity to learn how to get a job as a sportscaster. You’ll gain classroom knowledge and in-studio experience, and we can even help you find internships in major markets throughout the U.S.

Kick Off Your Sports Broadcasting Career Today!

Don’t wait any longer to start working towards your career in sportscasting: apply for our sportscaster training program now!

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