Top 10 Athlete Salaries

There is a premium in what you earn when you happen to be one of the elite in your field.  Sports is no exception.  In a major league like the NBA where only 450 players play, the world expects that the 450 out of millions of professional basketball players should belong in the NBA, and that is why they are paid as such. 

Since talented athletes can do things that a lot of people can only dream of, they also become effective role models for a wide demographic.  Many marketers believe that athletes are the most bankable endorsers because they only have to perform on the field and let their game communicate to the audience.  Unlike artists who belong in the top salaries for hip hop artists, athletes only need to worry that they do their best to win the next game and have success on the court, and the endorsement will follow. 

The NBA is the best league for top salaries for athletes because a team only has to pay for 15 players at any given time, unlike in other leagues where teams have to pay 30-40 players.  Let us look at the top ten athletes salaries in the United States.

Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods is regarded as the most dominant player in professional golf since Jack Nicklaus, and at the age of 34, he is already among the most accomplished golfers of all time.  He earned an estimated $122 million from winnings and endorsements in 2007, which made him the highest earner in golf and in all sports for the year.  Despite some injury problems, Tiger Woods still earned $117 million in 2008, $7.7 million of which came from tour winnings, and the rest of the $109.6 million coming from sponsorships and endorsements.  At this rate, it is expected that he will reach the billion dollar mark by 2010.  He commands top salary for winning 14 major championships, which include four first place finishes in the PGA Championship and similar results in the Master’s, U.S. Open, and Open Championship.

Phil Mickelson

If Tiger Woods won’t convince you that golf is a lucrative sport for top salaries, Phil Mickelson ranks second in the top ten athletes salaries for 2008.  Mickelson earned $62 million in 2008, $53 million of which came from endorsements with the rest coming from his salary and winnings.  Phil Mickelson earned  considerable money for making an appearance in the Singapore and Shanghai leg of the Asian tour, effectively reaching a marketing hole that many Asian sponsors are willing to pay.     

       

Lebron James

The NBA is the top major league for high paid athletes as proven by Lebron James.  Lebron is regarded as the heir apparent to Jordan for the greatest of all time.  He commanded more than $40 million in earnings for 2008 including $28 million in endorsements.  His NBA salary is just starting to kick in at $12 million in 2008, and it will continue to increase until 2010 where he is in the free agent market.  With teams like the New York Knicks interested in his services, Lebron James is expected to make a windfall for the next decade.  Not bad for a 24 year old.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. 

Floyd Mayweather Jr. retired undefeated and become the highest paid boxer last year after his fight with Ricky Hatton that earned him more than $20 million.  As a parting performance, he also agreed to perform in entertainment wrestling for another $20 million.  The crossover helped him a lot, although he is expected to be out of retirement with potential big money fights against Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez.

Kobe Bryant

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar and the 2008 NBA MVP is regarded as the best basketball player in the world.  Kobe Bryant still managed to become one of the top ten athletes salaries despite all the legal battles that damaged his reputation as a marketing savant.  Kobe raked in more than $16 million dollars in endorsements and $36 million total including his salary.

Shaquille O’Neal

Shaquille O’Neal is the most marketable big man in the United States even at the age of 37.  Having won four NBA Championships and regarded as the alpha male in the NBA, Shaq horded $15 million in advertisement deals on top of his $20 million in salary.  His contract with the Phoenix Suns is up to the 2009-2010 season where he will earn another $20 million. 

Alex Rodriguez

Alex Rodriguez just recently netted a whopping ten-year $275 million deal with the New York Yankees, making him the highest paid baseball star in the world.  His ten-year contract is also one of the longest ever in pro sports, and if he completes the length of the contract, he will have played 24 years in the league.  Alex Rodriguez is the highest paid athlete in all U.S. sports if we are only going to consider base salaries.

Kevin Garnett

Fresh from winning an NBA Championship last season, Kevin Garnett made $22 million in salary and winnings and $9 million in endorsements.  The Celtics committed a contract extension prior to the start of the championship season and so far it has paid off.  At the age of 32, Kevin Garnett still has a lot of years as one of the top ten athletes salaries in the US.

Peyton Manning

Although the NFL is the highest rating major league in the U.S., the highest paid player is only 8th overall, and only a few other players from the NFL make the list of athletes with top salaries.  Peyton Manning is regarded as the best quarterback in the league, and he is well rewarded for it with earnings upward of $17.5 million.

Derek Jeter

The New York Yankees do have money to throw around with two of the highest paid MLB players on the same team.  Although Alex Rodriguez is the face of the league, Derek Jeter is the team captain of one of the most popular teams in the league. 

Other top U.S. superstar athletes who could make the top ten athletes salaries for years to come include Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon of auto racing, Manny Ramirez of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and NBA superstars Dwyane Wade and Kevin Durant.