Athlete salary

Athlete earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level athlete earnings begin at:

$3.38 per hour

$7,024 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level athlete earnings begin at:

$2.17 per hour

$4,522 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level athlete earnings begin at:

$1.33 per hour

$2,772 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level athlete earnings begin at:

$0.82 per hour

$1,699 per year

10th percentile

Starting level athlete earnings begin at:

$0.53 per hour

$1,094 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Athlete salary by state

How do athlete salaries compare to similar careers?

Athletes earn 79% less than similar careers in the United States. On average, they make less than physical education teachers but more than referees.

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)