Talent Agents and Scouts
Overview
Introduction
An agent is a salesperson who sells artistic or athletic talent. Talent agents act as representatives for actors, directors, writers, models, athletes, and other people who work in the arts, advertising, sports, and fashion. Agents promote their clients talent and manage their legal contractual business. Talent scouts work for production companies, sports teams, or music producers and recruit talented people to perform in movies, television shows, or theatrical productions.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Earnings for agents vary greatly, depending on the success of the agent and his or her clients. An agency receives 10 to 15 percent of a clients fee for a project. An agent is then paid a commission by the agency as well as a base salary. According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes earned a median annual salary of $73,740 in...
Work Environment
Work in a talent agency can be lively and exciting. It is rewarding for agents to watch a client attain success with their help. The work may seem glamorous, allowing agents to rub elbows with the rich and famous and make contacts with the most powerful people in entertainment, sports, fashion, or publishing. Most agents, however, represent less-famous actors, artists, models, authors, and athl...
Outlook
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted film and television production, sports events, fashion and modeling events, authors tours, and other artists and performers events. Slow growth is expected for talent agents and scouts into 2021, or at least until the pandemic ends and productions and events can fully resume.
Post pandemic, employment in the arts and entertainment field is expected ...