Everyone knows that an athlete gets paid well if they are good enough to make it to a professional level. In 2015, the amount of money that athletes earned reached well o
ver $3 billion and that is only the earned income of the most popular athletes. Most athletes make way more than even our best surgeons. This is perhaps the best way to encourage kids to become more active? All you have to do is tell them the truth when they ask, “How much do athletes earn?”
The truth is, there is no one sport that pays higher than another. It is based mostly on the popularity of a particular athlete. However, in the last year, boxing did manage to top out the list and show that there is something to be gained from wearing padded gloves. The top earner for 2015, Floyd Mayweather Jr. brought home an awe-inspiring $300 million. The only other athlete to come near that amount is Manny Pacquiao, also a boxer, who earned an impressive $160 million. Most of their money was earned because of their ability to win, but they also have endorsements that pay big money because of their popularity.
Soccer also features a variety of very popular athletes and they are well paid for their ability to play the game well. Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi grossed over $70 million for their talent and for their popularity, they were also rewarded with over $20 million from endorsements.
There is even a place among those athletes who are paid very well to entertain the world for golfers. Even though the name Tiger Woods probably does not surprise people, it still may shock you to know that he made just over $50 million in the last year in endorsements alone. Only a little of his earnings came from his salary and winnings. Paul Mickelson, a fellow golfer, earned slightly more than Woods at $50.8 million, most of which came from endorsements.
All of these athletes earned more in the last year than the best football, basketball, or baseball star. Perhaps that is proof that times are changing and people are beginning to pay more attention to the other sports. Either way, when it comes to earnings, athletes are definitely better paid than most of us. All it takes is being good at something you enjoy doing and perhaps you could make more money than you ever dreamed possible.
