Salaries & Earnings
Contracts, salaries and net worth across the leagues the salary databases neglect — coaches, the WNBA, the NHL, NIL and women’s sport.
How to read sports earnings figures
Salary, prize money, endorsement income and net worth answer different questions. A contract may show guaranteed or average annual pay, while a prize-money table records performance in a specific event. Neither figure is the same as take-home income.
Our earnings guides state the reporting period, separate verified figures from estimates, and explain whether bonuses, endorsements or business income are included. That context matters more than a headline number, especially when sources use different currencies or time windows.
What SportsLook checks before publishing
We prefer league releases, tournament documents, contracts and established financial reporting. Changing rankings are dated, estimates are labelled, and totals are not presented as audited income unless the underlying source supports that description.
How Much Do Olympic Athletes Get Paid? Medals, Bonuses and Support
The IOC does not pay athletes a standard Olympic salary or medal bonus. National bodies, federations, sponsors and prize programmes determine what athletes actually receive.
How to Get a NIL Deal: A Safe, Practical Guide for Athletes
Learn how to find a NIL deal, pitch the right brands, check contract terms, and protect eligibility, disclosures, and payment rights.
How NIL Valuations Are Calculated: Models, Deals, and Limits
Learn how NIL valuations are calculated, which inputs providers use, and why an estimated value is not the same as a disclosed athlete paycheck.
College Football NIL Rankings 2026: Top 10 Players
Darian Mensah leads the September 2026 college football NIL rankings. Compare the top 10 player values, source dates and model differences side by side.
High School NIL: Eligibility Rules, Deals, and Practical Safety Checks
A practical guide to whether and how high-school athletes can do NIL, including state-rule differences, timing risks, and what to review before signing.
NIL Agents Explained: What to Check Before You Sign
A practical guide to what a NIL agent does, what they can and cannot promise, and the contracts to review first.
NIL Collectives Explained: Funding, Rules, and Red Flags
A plain-language guide to how NIL collectives are structured, how athletes are paid, and how to spot compliance and conflict risks.
College Athlete Pay: $20.5m a School, All Sports
The House settlement lets each school share about $20.5m with its athletes. One coach at one of those schools earns $13.3m — 65% of the whole pool.
Highest Paid College Football Coaches: $13.3m Top
Kirby Smart leads on $13.3m. Nine coaches clear $10m — and unlike football managers, these salaries are public record rather than reported estimates.
Highest Paid Female Athletes: Shut Out of the Top 50
Coco Gauff earned an estimated $33m — and still missed Forbes' top 50, which had no women for a third straight year. The cut-off was $54.6m.
Highest Paid Football Managers: Simeone Leads on €35m
Diego Simeone earns a reported €35m a year at Atlético, well clear of Guardiola's £20m. Every figure is an estimate — here's why, and which to distrust.
Highest Paid NBA Coaches: Steve Kerr on $17.5m
Kerr leads at $17.5m, Spoelstra and Lue at $15m. Seventh place still earns 13 times the best-paid coach in world rugby.
Highest Paid Rugby Coaches: £800,000 at the Top
Andy Farrell is reportedly rugby's best-paid coach on ~£800,000. The ninth-best-paid US college football coach earns roughly ten times that.
Highest Paid WNBA Players: The $1.4m Ceiling
Three players share the WNBA's 2026 maximum of $1.4m. Why A'ja Wilson is also reported at $1.67m — and why both figures are correct.
Lionesses Pay: Equal Since 2020, on £2,000
England's women earn the same match fee as the men — about £2,000. The bonus is where the money is: £1.75m collectively, £73,000 each, before £788,000 of tax.
LPGA vs PGA Prize Money: 3.4x, Not 1.7x
The PGA Tour pays $450m a season against the LPGA's $132m. But at major level the gap is half that — the majors have closed, the schedule has not.
Premier League Referee Salary: 21 People, £250k Ceiling
Select Group One has 21 full-time referees on £72k–£148k basic plus £1,116 a match. The best earn £250,000 — about 1/80th of Guardiola's reported pay.
Highest NIL Deals 2026: Overall, Women and High School
Darian Mensah leads the 2026 NIL rankings at $6.5 million. Compare the top overall, women's and high-school values, with methods and dates.
Highest-Paid NFL Coaches in 2026: Top 15 Salaries
Andy Reid and John Harbaugh lead the highest-paid NFL coaches at a reported $20 million. See the 2026 top 15 and contract details.
Highest-Paid NHL Players in 2026-27: Top 10
Kirill Kaprizov is the NHL's highest-paid player by cap hit at $17 million. See the 2026-27 top 10, contract values and salary-cap context.
Top 20 Highest-Paid WNBA Players in 2026
See the top 20 highest-paid WNBA players in 2026. Three stars lead at $1.4 million, followed by Ezi Magbegor and a large $1.19 million tie.