Being a professional elite athlete requires a lot of discipline, years of practice, and resilience. Fortunately, once they have made it there, their future is assured if they know how to play their cards. Professional athletes have one of the biggest pay and the contracts they sign are worth enormous amounts of money. Therefore, if they continue with great performance and stay out of trouble, they are set for life. Keep reading if you want to find out how much these athletes earn per contract and how their discipline and perseverance are eventually – and very handsomely - paid off.

SHOW ME THE MONEY!

 

Hulk Hogan - Wrestling - $4.6 Million

Hulk Hogan is one of the biggest wrestling legends out there. He made a name for himself and also brought wrestling to the spotlight, thanks to his unique style and talent. When he switched from WWE to WCW, his contract became extremely favorable to him. He even had a high percentage of pay-per-view income, then some acting stints here and there. But that’s the type of things that being Hulk Hogan would allow you to do back in the ‘90s. Hogan, who still apparently keeps his good workout schedule, appears on Wrestlemania 35 in April 2019.

Floyd Mayweather - Boxing - $275 Million

Floyd Mayweather is one of the biggest names in boxing right now. Even though he is technically retired, he is still young and able to come out of retirement for another epic fight. Mayweather had definitely made the right choices during his career and he became one of the well-paid boxers in the history of the sport. In 2017, he was paid $275 million for one night – yes, you read that right - where he had to fight against Conan McGregor. Recent declarations from his father hint that Mayweather might come back to the ring, for a second match against Manny Pacquiao.

Shaquille O'Neal - Basketball/Boston Celtics - $1.3 Million

Shaquille O’Neal’s last contract as a basketball player was for $1.3 million, however, he actually made more in promotions and endorsements than he ever earned on the court. However, his court income definitely was one worthy of Shaq's talents. After all, he is a legend. He has been named Papa John’s ambassador in March 2019 and he has kept an active life as a speaker and the face of numerous brands out there. Shaquille’s net worth is near the $400-million mark and he has only made it grow since retiring after playing for his last team, the Boston Celtics.

LeBron James - Basketball/LA Lakers -  $35 Million

LeBron James is, without a doubt, one of the greatest basketball players out there. Despite having a rough season in 2019, he also happens to be one of the better-paid players out there with an average of $35 million going to his bank in 2019 only for his contract. However, he signed for four years with the Lakers and he will end up being paid the pretty sum of $153 million. LeBron has declared in March 2019 that he will not be playing in the China World Cup for team USA as he will be recording Space Jam 2.

Tiger Woods - Golf - $100 Million

Tiger Woods is one of the biggest names in golf ever since he became the youngest person ever to win a Masters tournament back in the ‘90s. Since then, he has been a constant name, breaking records, and winning tournaments His hard work and discipline certainly came with a big paycheck, not only from prizes and the like but also endorsements. Sports’ brand Nike hired him to be their image in golf for five years and they decided to pay him $100 million for this contract. It might sound like a lot, but considering that Tiger is amongst the highest earning athletes out there, we really shouldn’t be surprised.

Conor McGregor - Boxing - $85 Million

Conor McGregor is a very well-known fighter for the Ultimate Fight Championship but the fight from which he has earned the most so far was actually against a professional boxer. Floyd Mayweather was his opponent on a fight that had Conor earning more than double of what he normally would for any other fight. Certainly, versatility can come with plenty of benefits or a sizable increase in his savings account. McGregor made news on April 1, 2019, after challenging Mark Wahlberg to a fight. Considering that McGregor has declared that he is retiring in 2019, we certainly don’t know what to expect.

Tom Brady - American Football/New England Patriots - $15 Million

Tom Brady has claimed that he would like to play football until the end of times if possible. That was why everyone was so surprised when, on April 1, 2019, he announced that he was retiring! But worry not, it was just an April Fool’s joke. What is certainly no joke is his income! He makes an average of $15 million a year. He has allegedly had better offers but he feels at home with the Patriots. And why shouldn’t he? They won the Super Bowl in 2018 after all! Brady is married to model Gisele Bündchen and they are one of the most enduring NFL couples.

Ronda Rousey - Wrestling - $3 Million

Ronda Rousey first represented the USA as a wrestler before dabbling in mixed martial arts. Finally, she signed a contract with WWE and one of her highest paydays was the one where she earned $3 million without counting a percentage of the total of pay per view. She certainly seems to have things figured out income-wise. Therefore, you could understand everyone’s surprise after she announced on her YouTube channel that she was retiring on April 1, 2019. The reason behind this could be that she has decided to have a baby with Travis Browne, her husband, and part of the wrestling world as well.

Peyton Manning - American Football/Denver Broncos - $15 Million

Peyton Manning played most of his career with the Colts from the Indianapolis, but it was during his time with the Broncos that he signed his biggest contract per year. The last one represented about $15 million during his last year (though he earned as much as $18 million a year before that) and he became throughout his career, one of the highest-paid football players out there. He decided to retire from the field in 2016. However, he continues his legacy with his own NFL talk show on ESPN, as announced in March 2019.

Stephen Curry - Basketball/Golden State Warriors - $34 Million

Stephen Curry went from being one of the highest paid players to the highest paid of them all in this new season. For 2019, he will be paid an approximate of $34 million. You don’t think that’s a lot? It turns out that his entire five-year contract is for $201 million! Pretty impressive and a good investment for his team! Curry has been instrumental in helping the Golden State Warriors to win the Pacific Division once again in 2019. That's actually five years in a row! Going from a $12-million a year pay to $34 million must have inspired Curry.

Lex Luger - Wrestling - $4.75 Million

Lex Luger’s biggest contract probably was with the now extinct WCW for $4.75 million. Despite the fact that he left the company for the WWE and then came back, Luger didn’t manage to achieve the success many of his coworkers did. He was supposed to be the next big thing at the WWE but unfortunately for him, he never quite managed to gain a big enough base fan. He has been open about his depression and how hard it has been for him to get back on his feet. These days, he has opted to remain out of the spotlight for the most part.

 

Wayne Rooney - Football/DC United - $10 Million

Wayne Rooney used to play for the Manchester United and he became known in England and the rest of the world for his talent. After being awarded many times and creating a name for himself, he decided to try his hand at soccer in America. He now plays for the MLS, specifically for the DC United in Washington and he has been having a great season. He has kept to his exercise routine and hasn’t lost any of his talents despite having some issues regarding his personal life in 2018.

Lionel Messi - Football/Barcelona - $50 Million

Lionel Messi signed an extension for his contract with the Barcelona F.C. that brings a $50-million bonus! That’s right, $50 million is only 'A' bonus. Considering the immense talent of Lionel Messi and that he’s considered by many as one of the best players in history, it makes sense that his paycheck is one of the biggest ones out there. During the current season, he has been playing spectacularly – as usual - and is on the running for getting the award for best player of the league once again. He is considered the highest-paid footballer out there.

Cristiano Ronaldo - Football/Juventus - $137 million

Cristiano Ronaldo is said to be the most popular athlete around the world, and some people may even see him as an idol. He’s earned 5 Ballon d’Or and has been amazing us with his glorious moves all around the field for over two decades. He is also a Social media king with 150 million followers just on Instagram. He is one of the best-paid athletes in the world, and just in 2009, he increased his earnings by $105 million when he became one of the Forwards of Real Madrid C. F. In 2018, he took on an offer from Juventus and then decided to switch to Serie A in 2018 for $137 million.

Roger Federer - Tennis - $7.5 Million

Roger Federer has been considered the greatest tennis player of all time. He’s won more titles than his hands can count and has the record of being No. 1 for more times than any other player for 310 weeks at the ATP ranking. But how much has he earned throughout his sports career? His total net worth is $450 million, $115 million of which he has earned from his ATP professional career. Just between 2017 and 2018, his fortune had increased for another $7.5 million and in 2018, we had the pleasure of seeing him back at the top as the No. 1 tennis player.

Canelo Álvarez – Boxing – $365 Million

The world of sports is all about seizing the best opportunities that present at the right time. This is what DAZN has been doing as HBO declared that they won't be broadcasting boxing matches any longer. Enter Canelo Alvarez, a Mexican boxer who has a huge following not only in his native country but also in the United States. DAZN decided to offer a huge contract to Alvarez, paying him $365 million for his commitment to fighting 11 matches. This will certainly help build up Canelo's retirement fund! One of his matches is close by and will take place on May 4, 2019.

Kevin Durant - Basketball/Golden State Warriors - $61.5 Million

Kevin Durant is considered the one of the best among the Golden State Warriors team ever since he ended up signing in 2016 for a $25-million contract for two seasons. However, there is so much more about him you might not know about. For instance, he has his own YouTube channel with more than 200K subscribers, and he’s one of the richest basketball players. He has managed to develop a business plan that has increased his fortune as of 2019 to $170 million and owns a company called The Durant Company since 2016.  His contract was renewed in 2018 for $61.5 million for two more years, earning him $31.7 million

Nolan Arenado – Colorado Rockies – $260 Million

The year 2019 started off great for Nolan Arenado, who got offered an eight-year contract with his team, the Colorado Rockies. He received a lot of money for his commitment to the team, with a contract that sums up to a total of $260 million. Impressive? Certainly. But not unheard of, though, considering the long careers MLB players can have as long as they remain in good health. Besides, Nolan has been an established player with a lot of victories for the team, and he is considered one of the best—if not the best—players of the Rockies.

 Lewis Hamilton - Racing Driver/Formula 1 Racing - $42 Million

BBC’s sports personality of the year made his F1 debut in 2007. Since then, Hamilton has managed to earn four times the F1 Driver’s World Championship and he won 64 times at the Grand Prix F1. In 2015, he signed up for a $33-million-year-guaranteed contract with Mercedes, which directly went into his bank, plus an average of $10 million in bonus - making over $120 million in total. In 2018, he made around $42 million, thereby becoming the highest paid F1 driver and also extended his contract with Mercedes until 2021. He was named by Forbes as the richest F1 driver in 2018.

Drew Brees - Football/New Orleans Saints - $27 Million

Brees is one of the highest paid players in NFL’s history with a fortune that circles around $130 million and he has earned approximately $221.7 million overall in 18 seasons. He’s working very hard to show that he's worth all this money, having made 32 touchdowns and completion percentage at 74.4 by his 18^th season. He is also at the top of the NFL’s passing categories, setting the bar too high for those to come.  In 2018, he extended his contract for two years with the New Orleans Saints at $50 million and would walk out at the end with a guaranteed paycheck of $27 million.

Phil Mickelson - Golf - $4.3 Million

Phil Mickelson is better known for his remarkable left-handed swing - even though he is right-handed - and for being one of the top golf players for many years. He is the 3rd person to remain within the top-10 ranking for over 700 weeks between 1996 and 2014 following Tiger Woods and Ernie Els. We finally had the opportunity to see him win again on our screens in 2018 when he beat Tiger on a match and added to his account another $9 million. In 2019, he accomplished another milestone when he won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, defeating Paul Casey.

Usain Bolt - Track & Field - $32 Million

Usain Bolt is the greatest sprinter who has ever lived and he went into retirement in August 2016 after he performed last as a sprinter at the Rio Olympics. The nine-time gold medalist collected around $90 million over the year. Just in 2016, he earned around $32 million, mostly from endorsements with Puma (approximately $10 million per year), Visa, and Gatorade, among others. He is now pursuing a different passion; his dream of becoming a professional soccer player came true in 2018 when he joined the Central Coast Mariners as one of the left-wingers of the team.

Albert Pujols - Baseball/L.A. Angels - $29.3 Million

He’s been first base of the L.A. Angels since 2012 and he has been considered one of the most talented Big League players. He played for the Saint Louise Cardinals for a decade and then signed a $240-million contract with the L.A. Angels, which started at $12 million per year, increasing yearly thereafter. By 2020, it will be around $30 million and he probably won’t have a problem with his credit card payments but among that, he also receives $3 and $7 million in bonuses. As of 2019, his fortune is worth $170 million.

Neymar - Football/Paris Saint-Germain - $53 Million

Even though Neymar hasn’t been around for too long, he has become a success in the football world and you don’t have to be a football fan to know who this guy is. In fact, you may just remember him for having a lot of different hairstyles. He made a huge jump into fame after he joined Barcelona F.C in 2013 when he signed a $130-million contract. In 2017, he switched teams from Spain to France joining the Paris Saint-Germain with a business deal that is outstanding. He earns around $1.3 million per week, $53 million annual, plus endorsements for a total of $70 million.

 Rafael Nadal - Tennis -  $14.4 Million

Nadal is known as the top tennis player of all times, with over 1000 ATP titles won and over $180 million worth. He has also made pretty good deals out of his endorsements with multiple companies like Nike, Telefonica, and Tommy Hilfiger and continues to make good profits from it. He owns a luxury yacht and a couple of expensive estates and in 2016 opened an academy in his hometown in Spain to teach kids to play tennis. In 2018, he earned around $41.5 million in total from his pay. He won two tournaments in 2017, each one for $6 million in prize and endorsements.

Kyrie Irving - Basketball/Boston Celtics - $19.1 Million

Irving was born in Australia, but shortly after his second birthday, he moved to the U.S., luckily for the Boston Celtics. He started playing since he was a small kid, given that his father was also a professional basketball player. But it wasn’t until 2010 that he began his career. He played for the Cleveland Cavaliers for six years and made $94 million. In 2017, he was traded for the Celtics and made around $19.1 million in 2018 even though he had a health issue due to an injured knee; he ended the season pretty early. If we add to this amount all his endorsement deals, it would be a total of $36.1 million a year.

Von Miller - Football/Denver Broncos -  $17 Million

The linebacker of the Denver Broncos, Von Miller, started his career very young while he was in high school and ended up in his senior year as the District 8-5A defensive MVP of the year. Throughout his NFL career, he has earned a total of $40 million. In 2016, he signed a contract with the Detroit Broncos of $114 million for a 6-year contract, earning a $17 million pay. He also signed many juicy endorsement deals with several companies and started dating Megan Denise. The couple came out in public after they were spotted together at the 2018 ESPY awards.

Matthew Stafford - Football/Detroit Lions - $17 Million

The Detroit Lions QB, Mathew Stafford, has an estimated fortune of $60 million.  He began his journey as one of the most recognizable NFL players at the University Of Georgia and then after he and his family moved to Dallas, he joined the Detroit Lions in 2009. Most recently, he signed a six-year contract for $70 million and has led the Lions for over a decade. In November 2016, he announced that he and his wife were expecting not one child but two! Thankfully, the twins came to the world healthy and wealthy. He currently makes a $17-million a year salary.

Matt Ryan - American Football/Atlanta Falcons - $30 Million

Matt Ryan is well-known as an American football quarterback and captain for the Atlanta Falcons since 2008. He began his football career playing with the Boston College Eagles team in 2003. As one of the highest-paid NFL players, his riches are over $85 million and he is estimated to have won at least $149 million during his entire career. If he knows how to budget well, he will never experience financial struggles. However, he is not done yet. In 2018, he got $30 million from his pay and became the first NFL player to earn that amount and made a total of $67 million that year.

Kei Nishikori - Tennis - $34.6 Million

Kei Nishikori is known as the best Asian tennis player in history and almost considered a rock star in Asia. He started his career in 2006 after winning his first professional title and was able to qualify into the 2007’s ATP tournament in Los Angeles. He won a bronze medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016. He suffered from a personal injury on his wrist in 2017, however, his sponsors did not take a step back and continued to support him during this difficult time.  He earned $34.6 million as of 2018. In 2017, he was considered the second-highest paid tennis pro in the world.

Paul Pogba - Football/Manchester United - $25 Million

Paul Pogba is a famous French footballer who won the FIFA World’s Cup in 2018 after scoring the winning goal at the finals. He currently plays as a midfielder for the Manchester United again after taking a short break from the team back in 2012. He is worth $85 million and has an annual pay of $25 million so he sure must be living in affluence. He also makes tons of dollars from endorsements and is one of the top 50 highest-paid athletes around the world. He partnered with Adidas and launched his personal sportswear clothing line, which has his name all over it!

Carmelo Anthony - Basketball/Houston Rockets - $28 Million

Carmelo Anthony is a basketball star without a doubt. As one of the three players with a no-trade clause, he has a long host of teams he has been with, such as the Knicks, Denver Nuggets, and the Houston Rockets. After playing for the Syracuse University team in college, he signed his first NBA contract back in 2003 when he was picked 3rd with The Nuggets, earning around $94 million throughout nine years. Overall, he has earned $246 million just for his NBA professional career. His one-year contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder began in 2018 for $28 million which ended not long after.

Russell Westbrook - Basketball/Oklahoma City Thunder - $205 Million

Russell Westbrook is one of the top youngest players out there. He currently plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder and he snagged a $205-million contract extension. Hopefully, he gets some financial planning, considering that investing that cash will certainly assure him some beautiful golden years once he leaves the sport. He has also accepted other sources of income like endorsing Nike. His temper has been a bit volatile during this current season and he has been sanctioned for technical issues. After an altercation with a basketball fan in March 2019, he has refused to talk about the subject.

James Harden - Basketball/Houston Rockets - $28.3 Million

James Harden is having a great season and he knows it. He has plenty of reasons to be happy about as he is in good health and he has been leading his team, the Houston Rockets, to success in a spectacular way. All this work definitely pays off as he is one of the best-paid players out there. In fact, when he signed his contract in 2017, he was the best-paid NBA player. Today, he’s still in the top 10, with $28.3 million in 2019. This is only part of a contract for over $200 million. Meanwhile, Harden continues to shine, breaking new records throughout the 2019 season,

Alex Rodriguez - Baseball/New York Yankees - $4 Million

Don’t be fooled by the seemingly humble figure of $4 million. This was what Alex Rodriguez signed for the last time he was with the New York Yankees, but in prior years, his annual pay had come up to numbers as high as $32 million. Alex Rodriguez has managed to amass a fortune of more than $500 million during his long-running career. He has also managed to grow in his personal life as well; he gave an engagement ring to Jennifer Lopez in March 2019. Jennifer is another self-made millionaire, with a successful career as an actress and a singer.