Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners Salary: $30,460 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 7,600 gambling and sports book writers and runners work nationally, and $30,460 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 42% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 5.6% annual decline.
Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners: what the data shows
Common questions about gambling and sports book writers and runners careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a gambling and sports book writers and runners?
Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 39-3012.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 7,600 workers.
What does a gambling and sports book writers and runners do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Processing Information, Assisting and Caring for Others, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a gambling and sports book writers and runners make?
BLS national median annual wage: $30,460 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $41,322 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $34,226 |
| 25th percentile | $34,411 |
| Median (50th) | $36,448 |
| 75th percentile | $46,475 |
| 90th percentile | $57,849 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Active Listening, Speaking, Monitoring, Mathematics, Coordination, Social Perceptiveness, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, Mathematics, English Language, Economics and Accounting. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is gambling and sports book writers and runners in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 5.6% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -25.1%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -43.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 7,600.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do gambling and sports book writers and runnerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 7,600 | 19.0% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 6,260 | 15.7% |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 5,360 | 13.4% |
| Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries | 4,630 | 11.6% |
| Gambling Industries | 4,540 | 11.4% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 1,400 | 3.5% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| New Accounts Clerks | 38,030 | $46,610 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | 219,010 | $84,130 |
| Gambling Cage Workers | 13,490 | $36,990 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 1,113,160 | $47,320 |
| Travel Guides | — | — |
| Database Administrators | 73,180 | $104,620 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | 600,680 | $78,300 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners workforce.
Employment Over Time
7,600 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners shrank from 4,340 in 2009 to 1,720 in 2025 (60.4%).
Historical employment for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$30,460 Median pay (BLS national)
Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners earn $30,460 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners.
Salary distribution for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners.
Employment Growth Projections
-5.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
1,287 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -25.1%
964 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -43.9%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners.
Wage Trends by Industry
-1.7% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 7.6% growth (Current: $43,260)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- NV: 1,040 employees, $31,410 avg wage
- TX: 700 employees, $32,580 avg wage
- CA: 610 employees, $40,180 avg wage
- OK: 410 employees, $30,360 avg wage
- MN: 380 employees, $36,860 avg wage
- LA: 360 employees, $23,280 avg wage
- NE: 250 employees, $27,210 avg wage
- FL: 250 employees, $28,660 avg wage
- WA: 230 employees, $41,580 avg wage
- IA: 160 employees, $36,600 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV: 750 employees, $31,620 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 160 employees, $57,330 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: 150 employees, $41,950 avg wage
- Omaha, NE-IA: 150 employees, $29,880 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 140 employees, $35,610 avg wage
- Reno, NV: 140 employees, $31,660 avg wage
- New Orleans-Metairie, LA: 120 employees, $25,390 avg wage
- Missoula, MT: 110 employees, $22,440 avg wage
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 110 employees, $41,980 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 110 employees, $34,160 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners.
Diversity
Demographic information on Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners is about 7,600 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners in 2023 were Business Administration, Communications, Journalism.
Common majors for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners workers.
Education level distribution for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners.
Skills
Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Speaking, Monitoring, Mathematics, Coordination.
Required skills for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners include Customer and Personal Service, Mathematics, English Language, Economics and Accounting, Computers and Electronics.
Knowledge areas required for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners include Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Near Vision, Speech Recognition, Speech Clarity.
Required abilities for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners.
Daily Activities
Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners spend their time on activities such as Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Processing Information.
Most important work activities for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners.
About
Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners
Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners earn $30,460 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
39-3012 - Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners reports an average salary of $41,322.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 7,600 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -5.6%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.