Start with the answer
Athletes and Sports Competitors pay in New Jersey and Texas
The May 2025 BLS OEWS median for Athletes and Sports Competitors is $253,870 per year in New Jersey. It is $80,510 per year in Texas. New Jersey is 215.3% above Texas on the published median.
Both rows use SOC 27-2021 and the same annual wage metric. Median means the middle of each area's published wage spread. It is not one worker's pay. The larger median is not proof that one place gives a better job or a better result. It is one wage fact from one source period.
BLS lists 390 wage and salary jobs in New Jersey and 1,840 in Texas. Those are survey job counts, not open posts. Read pay, job scale, local share, and price level as separate facts before you make a choice.
Evidence: bls-oews-may-2025 · Rule: same-soc-same-metric-pair · nominal-median-gap · employment-not-openings
