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Occupation · 2026 assessment

Sports goods retail Category Manager

The Sports goods retail Category Manager role combines repeatable operations with decisions that require professional context. The index measures task exposure to AI, software automation and robotics—not the probability that the occupation disappears.

Moderate risk level Search jobs ↗
How risk may change

A forecast estimate, not a guaranteed scenario.

45%2026
49%2028
54%2030
61%2035

Which tasks are exposed

Risk applies to individual tasks—not to a person or an entire occupation.

TaskRisk
Collecting metrics and preparing management reports65%
Resource planning and scenario modelling59%
People, conflict and accountability decisions25%
Finding and qualifying prospects67%
Preparing standard outreach and proposals69%
Maintaining CRM records and contact history68%
Forecasting deals and next actions60%
Negotiating complex terms30%

Task map

AI replaces ↔ AI augments

Each task is positioned by AI capability and the degree of human involvement still required.

  1. 1Collecting metrics and preparing management reportsAI 65% · human 61%
  2. 2Resource planning and scenario modellingAI 59% · human 54%
  3. 3People, conflict and accountability decisionsAI 25% · human 69%
  4. 4Finding and qualifying prospectsAI 67% · human 57%
  5. 5Preparing standard outreach and proposalsAI 69% · human 47%
  6. 6Maintaining CRM records and contact historyAI 68% · human 56%
  7. 7Forecasting deals and next actionsAI 60% · human 51%
  8. 8Negotiating complex termsAI 30% · human 58%

Why technology can change this work

  • AI prepares reports, plans, minutes and management options
  • AI finds leads and prepares personalized outreach
  • CRM systems predict deal probability and next action
  • standard consultations move to chat and voice agents

What protects the occupation

  • accountability for people, priorities and conflicting interests
  • trust and long-term relationships
  • complex negotiation and customer motivation
  • accountability for non-standard commercial offers

United States · before tax

Average pay and outlook

Estimated nominal monthly pay. The scenario reflects sector, demand and task resilience; it is not a guarantee of income.

2026$6 500per month
2035$8 800scenario estimate
2026: $6 50020262027: $6 70020272028: $6 95020282029: $7 20020292030: $7 45020302031: $7 70020312032: $7 95020322033: $8 20020332034: $8 50020342035: $8 8002035
Find jobs ↗The partner link may contain referral parameters. Data benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ↗

Practical next step

Where to move next

Do not restart from zero: carry your experience forward and add scarce skills.

Customer Success Manager

Established resilient role
New role risk30%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit89%

AI Vendor Manager

Emerging role
New role risk31%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit87%

AI Adoption Coach

Emerging role
New role risk19%
DemandHighDifficultyMediumTime6–12 monthsSkill fit60%

AI Workflow Designer

Emerging role
New role risk31%
DemandHighDifficultyHighTime12–24 monthsSkill fit52%

Real Estate Market Analyst

Established resilient role
New role risk49%
DemandMediumDifficultyMediumTime6–12 monthsSkill fit58%

AI Procurement Manager

Emerging role
New role risk29%
DemandHighDifficultyHighTime12–24 monthsSkill fit50%

Job search and transitions

Find work with a lower risk index

Compare adjacent paths and open a current search for the selected occupation.

Skills you already have

  • goal setting
  • people management
  • resource allocation
  • needs discovery
  • negotiation
  • objection handling

Skills to build

  • AI-enabled team management
  • auditing AI management recommendations
  • AI prospecting
  • funnel analytics
  • sales AI-assistant management
  • complex B2B sales
CurrentSports goods retail Category Manager · 45%
→
Keepgoal setting · people management · resource allocation
→
AddAI-enabled team management · auditing AI management recommendations · AI prospecting

Sources and update

Updated: 2026-09-25 · Assessment confidence: Medium

International Labour Organization · 2025Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure

Nearly 30,000 tasks; a global assessment of GenAI exposure across detailed occupational groups.

World Economic Forum · 2025The Future of Jobs Report 2025

A survey of more than 1,000 employers representing over 14 million workers across 55 economies.

O*NET Resource Center · 2026O*NET Database

Occupational, task, skill and work-context structure.