The jobs behind game day

Last weekend was the big debut for Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX with a George Strait concert. Being a Dallas native myself, I’ve kept up with the media coverage of the stadium even though I don’t live there anymore. Having seen the stadium in various stages of its construction, I’ve been amazed for the past three years that something so gargantuan came from a set of blueprints. The magic, of course, comes from all the hours of construction from many, many workers.

I read this article in the Dallas Morning News the other day that gave a little information on the stadium’s construction and was a bit shocked. At its peak, the stadium involved 1,800 construction workers. 1,800! That’s enough men and women to fill some concert halls. Or small towns.

So as I browsed through more factoids, I got to thinking about how many jobs are involved in building the stadium and ensuring it runs smoothly. There are 100 permanent concession stands, 1,733 toilets and urinals, four first aid locations, and scattered EMTs throughout the premises–just to name a few of the amenities requiring workers.

And I know, I know. Plenty of people hate the Cowboys and/ or the stadium. But these workers are at your favorite football stadium, ballpark and arena, making sure your experience is pleasant. So keep that in mind the next time you’re finding your seats on game day.

So here are some jobs necessary to make this or any stadium a pleasant place to be.

Who: Construction workers
What do they do: They built the darn thing
How much do they earn: $31,781

Who: Ticket takers
What do they do: Take your ticket.
How much do they earn: $18,692

Who: Merchandise vendors
What do they do: Sell you programs, t-shirts, big foam fingers.
How much do they earn: $19,876

Who: Concession vendors
What do they do: Sell you beer, hot dogs, beer, burgers, beer, nachos, beer.
How much do they earn: $50,968

Who: Emergency medical technicians (EMTs)
What do they do: Use their defibrillators to revive you after you scarf down all that greasy food.
How much do they earn: $29,892

Who: Ushers
What do they do: Show you to your seat because your arms are too full of concessions to look down at the row and seat numbers.
How much do they earn: $18,007

Who: Maintenance staff
What do they do: Keep the bathrooms clean, the seats free of gum, and make sure all the spilled beer is wiped up before the next game; change lights, handle seating changes for different events.
How much do they earn: $22,714

Who: The rowdy fan covered in body paint  sitting next to you
What do they do: Invade your personal space with their flailing arms, spilling beer, and absurdly loud air horn.
How much do they earn: They’re priceless.

*Salary figures based on data from CBsalary.com, powered by SalaryExpert.com