15 Best States For Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes

If you are an agent or manager looking to find your perfect new home state, take a look into our list of the 15 best states for agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes.

What does a talent agent or manager do? Depending on the person or people that an agent or manager is working for will determine the type of representation that they are responsible for giving. An agent can book auditions for their actor client, while a manager can negotiate their football player client’s contracts.

Becoming a talent agent or manager is a bit trickier than a lot of comparable career paths, simply because a formal education track is not required or specified. Many agents and managers have a Masters degree, while many have Associates degrees. Experience is key in this field. A portfolio full of internships or successful projects would be advantageous to have when attempting to become a successful working agent or manager. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary of an agent or manager is about $88,620 per year, while the the lowest 10 percent made $27,500 or less, and the top 25 percent earned at least $110,550. The four major US regions that reported average incomes of over $120,000 per year were Oakland, CA, Minneapolis, MN, Washington DC, and Los Angeles, CA.

If you are interested, you can also check our list of 15 best states for aerospace engineers.

Deciding which states qualify as the “best” is not a simple task. Different factors matter more to different people. We decided to consult the Bureau of Labor Statistics for information on the average mean wage and the number of employed agents and managers in each state. We then sourced information on the cost of living index from Missouri Economic Research And Information Center. Considering all of these factors, we were able to sort our list.

It is not enough for a state to simply have a high average salary for its agents and managers. It must also be considered that the number of working agents and managers in the state may affect the number of job positions that are open to newcomers. On the other side of that argument, more employed agents and managers points to the possibility of a more steady stream of work available. The cost of living index can also not be considered alone. It is great to have a low cost of living, but this only matters if your salary is also not super low. A low cost of living paired with a high salary is the most advantageous situation. States falling into this category made the top of our list. 

Without further ado, here is our list of 15 best states for agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes.

15. Illinois

Cost of Living Index: 95.5

Annual Mean Wage: $66,950

Hourly Mean Wage: $32.18

Number of Employees: 170

14. New York

Cost of Living Index: 135.2

Annual Mean Wage: $96,810

Hourly Mean Wage: $46.54

Number of Employees: 3,050

13. Indiana

Cost of Living Index: 87.9

Annual Mean Wage: $64,740

Hourly Mean Wage: $31.12

Number of Employees: 120

12. Florida

Cost of Living Index: 99.0

Annual Mean Wage: $73,850

Hourly Mean Wage: $35.50

Number of Employees: 970

11. Nevada

Cost of Living Index: 104.5

Annual Mean Wage: $78,150

Hourly Mean Wage: $37.57

Number of Employees: 120

10. Tennessee

Cost of Living Index: 89.8

Annual Mean Wage: $67,630

Hourly Mean Wage: $32.51

Number of Employees: 530

9. Massachusetts

Cost of Living Index: 134.7

Annual Mean Wage: $106,930

Hourly Mean Wage: $51.40

Number of Employees: 210

8. Michigan

Cost of Living Index: 88.2

Annual Mean Wage: $70,150

Hourly Mean Wage: $33.72

Number of Employees: 250

We’re halfway through our list of best states for agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes, and now, let’s see the other half.

7. Georgia

Cost of Living Index: 91.4

Annual Mean Wage: $72,850

Hourly Mean Wage: $35.02

Number of Employees: 190

6. Ohio

Cost of Living Index: 93.0

Annual Mean Wage: $77,770

Hourly Mean Wage: $37.38

Number of Employees: 90

5. Texas

Cost of Living Index: 90.7

Annual Mean Wage: $75.890

Hourly Mean Wage: $36.48

Number of Employees: 330

4. Wisconsin

Cost of Living Index: 96.9

Annual Mean Wage: $89,580

Hourly Mean Wage: $43.06

Number of Employees: 70

3. North Carolina

Cost of Living Index: 94.2

Annual Mean Wage: $87,640

Hourly Mean Wage: $42.13

Number of Employees: 280

2. Connecticut

Cost of Living Index: 130.7

Annual Mean Wage: $123,550

Hourly Mean Wage: $59.39

Number of Employees: 170

1. Virginia

Cost of Living Index: 100.2

Annual Mean Wage: $99,190

Hourly Mean Wage: $47,68

Number of Employees: 130

This was our list of 15 best states for agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes. We hope we managed to show you some great options, and what you should expect from each state when deciding where to move.