Getting paid to play: major leagues, minor leagues, Olympic sports, and surprising pro circuits from rodeo to pickleball.
Top pay: highest pay, longest training
NFL Football Player: Plays professional football in the National Football League. Typical pay $1.1M.
NBA Basketball Player: Plays professional basketball in the National Basketball Association. Typical pay $4.5M.
MLB Baseball Player: Plays professional baseball in Major League Baseball. Typical pay $1.5M.
NHL Hockey Player: Plays professional ice hockey in the National Hockey League. Typical pay $1.5M.
MLS Soccer Player: Plays professional soccer for a Major League Soccer team, training daily and traveling for matches across the US and Canada. Typical pay $300k.
WNBA Basketball Player: Plays professional basketball in the Women's National Basketball Association. Typical pay $120k.
Tour Professional Golfer: Competes in professional golf tournaments like the PGA Tour or LPGA Tour for prize money. Typical pay $1M.
Mid pay: solid pay, degree or apprenticeship
NWSL Soccer Player: Plays professional soccer in the National Women's Soccer League. Typical pay $80k.
Professional Tennis Player: Competes in professional tennis tournaments around the world. Typical pay $75k.
Professional Wrestler: Performs scripted athletic matches and storylines for live crowds and TV. Typical pay $60k.
MMA Fighter: Competes in mixed martial arts fights combining striking, wrestling, and jiu-jitsu. Typical pay $60k.
PWHL Hockey Player: Plays professional ice hockey for a team in the Professional Women's Hockey League, training, playing a full season and doing community events. Typical pay $55k.
UFL Football Player: Plays in the United Football League, a spring pro league. Typical pay $60k.
Starter: fastest way in
G League Basketball Player: Plays in the NBA's official minor league, hoping to get called up to the NBA. Typical pay $45k.
Minor League Baseball Player: Plays in baseball's minor leagues while trying to reach Major League Baseball. Typical pay $28k.
Olympic Athlete: Trains full-time to compete in the Olympics or Paralympics and world championships in sports like swimming, track, or gymnastics. Typical pay $25k.
Professional Rodeo Athlete: Competes in rodeo events like bull riding, bronc riding, roping, and barrel racing for prize money. Typical pay $35k.
Professional Skateboarder: Earns money skating through sponsorships, contests, and video parts. Typical pay $40k.
Professional Disc Golfer: Competes on professional disc golf tours for prize money and sponsorships. Typical pay $35k.
Professional Pickleball Player: Competes on professional pickleball tours for prize money, contracts, and sponsorships. Typical pay $45k.
Professional Bodybuilder: Competes in bodybuilding and physique contests, training and dieting for shows and earning most income from sponsors and online coaching. Typical pay $30k.
Paralympic Athlete: Competes in Paralympic sports like wheelchair racing and para swimming. Typical pay $35k.
Jai Alai Player: Plays jai alai, a fast Basque ball sport, at Florida frontons. Typical pay $40k.
Professional Pool Player: Competes in professional pool (billiards) tournaments for prize money, often adding income from exhibitions, lessons, sponsors, and streams. Typical pay $35k.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.