Entertainment managers can earn high wages depending on their clients.
Entertainment managers may scout, represent and negotiate contracts on behalf of clients in the entertainment industry, including athletes, actors, musicians, artists and other public figures. They may also represent and promote events and facilities. The salary of an entertainment manager depends largely on which industry he works in, as well as the income of his clients, as working on commission is common.
Salary
The Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS, reports that the average salary of an entertainment manager in the United States was $87,430 as of May 2009. On the salary scale, the median salary for this type of manager was $61,890, with those in the 25th percentile earning less than $38,480, and those in the 75th percentile earning more than $105,870.
Industry
Agents and managers for artists, athletes, entertainers and other public figures earned an average income of $97,820 as of 2009, reports the BLS. The promoters of performing arts, sports and similar events earned a lower salary average at $63,030, while managers working for performing arts companies earned even less, with an average of $58,860. Entertainment managers working for independent artists, writers and performers earned an average income of $67,640 a year, while those working in spectator sports earned an average of $67,700.
Location
The state with the highest salary average for entertainment managers was California as of 2009 at $114,300, according to the BLS. Connecticut, New York, Illinois and Massachusetts followed with salary averages ranging from $91,330 to $107,260 a year. The highest wages in the country were found in Los Angeles, California, with a salary average of $117,320, followed by Bridgeport, Connecticut, at $109,260 and New York City, New York, at $103,770.
Advancement
Entertainment managers generally advance by taking on more high-profile clients or managing larger events. They may also seek higher wages in other industries; the BLS reports that entertainment managers working in both the accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll services and the motion picture and video industries earned average salaries of more than $119,000 a year as of 2009.
