Salary

Average Salary: $79,050

Expected Lifetime Earnings: $3,300,179


 
Time out, man down. (Source)

This one all depends on how many people you reach. If you're broadcasting out of a small market for a local studio covering mostly competitive chess matches, you'll probably only make the low end of $30,000 or so a year (source). 

At the complete opposite end of the spectrum—like covering a major sports team or speaking to people on ESPN—you could be raking in those high-powered six-figure contracts. Usually this means you move to talking about sports that don't involve moving tiny horse statues around.

Typically, you'll make an easy $80,000 a year as a sportscaster (source). Not-typically, you could be that one-in-a-million type with a major contract and dozens of events or specials a year. In that position you'll be making millions of dollars. If you're successful enough, maybe you'll even get a video game franchise named after you—and all the sweet endorsement money that comes with it.

Obviously, you can make more if you work double-duty. Doing the sportscasting for Monday Night Football will make you a ton of money, but if you can also snag the Olympics gig over the summer, you're going to rake in a bunch more.

And you'll do better broadcasting from a booth rather than being an on-field reporter—but that won't necessarily be your call. You've got to earn the comfy seat in the warm booth. And if you're covering a team in the cold of Chicago, Buffalo, or Boston, that might even be as big a concern as your paycheck.