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Professional Athlete

Sports & Wellness

Compete in athletic events.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Allied HealthGeneral

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Assess performance following athletic competition, identifying strengths and weaknesses and making adjustments to improve future performance.
  2. 2Maintain equipment used in a particular sport.
  3. 3Attend scheduled practice or training sessions.
  4. 4Maintain optimum physical fitness levels by training regularly, following nutrition plans, or consulting with health professionals.
  5. 5Participate in athletic events or competitive sports, according to established rules and regulations.
  6. 6Exercise or practice under the direction of athletic trainers or professional coaches to develop skills, improve physical condition, or prepare for competitions.
  7. 7Receive instructions from coaches or other sports staff prior to events and discuss performance afterwards.
  8. 8Represent teams or professional sports clubs, performing such activities as meeting with members of the media, making speeches, or participating in charity events.
  9. 9Lead teams by serving as captain.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Boxer
  • Diver
  • Gamer
  • Rower
  • Skier
  • Archer
  • Bowler
  • Golfer
  • Jockey
  • Player

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. Typical entry

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationLess than high school

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

BusinessDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Bahasa MelayuDraws directly on Communications and Media — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Additional MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Administration and Management74%

    BusinessEconomics

  • English Language74%

    English

  • Customer and Personal Service72%
  • Personnel and Human Resources68%

    Business

  • Communications and Media66%

    EnglishBahasa Melayu

  • Education and Training65%

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicA little
  • Handling conflict situationsOften
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherEvery day
  • Time spent sittingA little
  • Time spent standingMost of the time

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

0%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Growing role in the US

US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Broadcast Journalist / Media Producer

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

International Pre-U

A-Levels, AUSMAT, IB and more. The flexible premium route, local or overseas.

1–2 years

Related careers

If this interests you, these are worth a look too.

About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Athletes and Sports Competitors

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org