Utah ranks among states with the highest percentages of full-time athletes

Photo: Professional Ski by Patrick T’Kindt via Unsplash

UTAH —A press release from September 26 featured a study by Journalists’ Research Department and Sidelines.io used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and found that Utah has one of the highest concentrations of athletes per 100,000 jobs, coming in 4th place overall in the nation.

Tennessee had the highest percentage, with 33.9 athletes per 100,000 jobs, compared to 3.87 per 100,000 national average. Utah came in with 18 athletes per 100,000 jobs. The study named the NFL’s Merlin Olsen, the WNBA’s Natalie Williams, and world boxing champion Gene Fullmer as some of Utah’s most notable athlete professionals.

A spokesperson from Sidelines.io commented on the data, saying the following:

“Despite overall numbers for athletes in the US making it seem like an uncommon job, this list highlights where you might have the best chance of making a living from sports compared to other states. Although the likes of California and New York may have the largest volume of athletes, when compared to the amount of overall employment their statistics don’t seem as significant.”

In other words, aspiring athletes might have a better shot at making a living doing what they love in states like Utah than others.

The release did not mention snow sports athletes specifically, which would likely account for a large percentage of professional athletes in Utah and especially in Summit County.