Do Olympic Athletes Get Paid? Job Description of an Olympian

Job Description of an Olympian - Do Olympic Athletes Get Paid

Olympic Athlete, Dan Walsh

Yes, Olympic athletes get paid! Here, an Olympian shares his job description – including salary, education, and career tips for athletes.

“Sports fans say we must be rich because we are Olympians,” says Bronze medal winner Dan Walsh. “But I am an Olympian who has to pick up part time work as security at a night club.”

Sports careers require passion and determination…and few athletes hit the Big Time. Dan Walsh is one of the more successful athletes: he currently makes his living as an Olympic athlete for the U.S. National Rowing team.

Here’s a glimpse of his sports career, and what it’s like to work in the Olympics…

Do Olympic Athletes Get Paid? Job Description of an Olympian

Walsh is an Olympian/US Rowing National Team Member. He trains with the US National Team, up to 10-16 practices a week. He and his team are dedicated to winning Gold medals for the United States at the next Olympics.

How Much Money Does an Olympic Athlete Make?

“The average salary is $8,000 a year,” says Walsh. “That’s right: eight thousand dollars a year. The US Olympic team does not have any government support. All the money the United States Olympic Committee receives is from private donations and sponsors.”

You don’t need to be formally educated to pursue this sports career, but most Rowing team members have a college degree. Walsh estimates that 20% of the athletes also have Masters degrees. He holds a B.S. in Athletic Training and a minor in Exercise Physiology from Northeastern University.

Many sports jobs require education of some sort, such as working as a personal fitness trainer.

The Best Part of This Sports Job

“I enjoy the constant need to push myself outside my comfort zone,” says Walsh. “It is a privilege that comes from hard work, to have the chance to be the best in the world. The athletes I train and compete with are the most dedicated and hard working people I have ever met.”

He says he and his teammates – and the athletes he competes against – form friendships through struggles and triumph that is hard to find anywhere else. Walsh adds that competing in the Olympics is a peaceful way for him to represent America and bring the US to the rest of the world.

The Downside of Being an Olympic Athlete

“I dislike the lack of financial freedom,” he says. “If we are to be competitive with other countries and beat them, we must spend most of our day training to exhaustion.”

Olympic athletes have to put their college educations on hold, to work towards winning medals and making the United States shine in sports. “I dislike having to reach out for financial help for in the form of other jobs or donations from corporations and businesses,” says Walsh. “They won’t provide us jobs or money, yet they expect us to be the best.”

The Biggest Surprise About Working as an Olympic Athlete

Though many athletes who have careers in sports are wealthy, Olympic athletes are not. “Sports fans say we must be rich because we are Olympians. But I am an Olympian that has to pick up part-time work as security at a night club.”

Sports Career Tips

“It is worth every heartache, loss, struggle, and sacrifice to have a chance to be on that podium in the world’s greatest sporting event,” says Walsh. “It is hard work…but if it was easy, then everyone would do it.”

Two-time Olympian and Bronze medalist Dan Walsh is the founder of a San Diego based fitness company called Engine Room Fitness.

If you have any questions or thoughts on this job description or a sports career as an Olympic athlete, please comment below.

Another career in sports is working as a sports psychologist or professional coach.

Do Olympic Athletes Get Paid? Job Description of an Olympian

Do Olympic Athletes Get Paid? Job Description of an Olympian