Most of the WWE wrestlers in the roster has long term contracts with with the company depending on the experience and potential it can be anywhere from minimum 1 year to 10 year period. With the professional contract wrestlers get basic yearly salary plus bonuses and traveling allowances. According to WWE the average wrestler on the roster makes between $500,000 to $1 million a year in basic salary. We take a look at WWE’s current contract and how much each wrestler makes in 2017.
How Much WWE Executives Makes In A Year ?
Looking at the leaked information here is how the pay scale works in the excutives of WWE, starting from Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon to other executives.
- Paul “Triple H” Levesque (vise president live events, talent) – $1.1 million(basic salary) + $1.65 million in yearly talent contract and of course his WWE ring & match appearance making him highest paid WWE executive.
- Vince McMahon ( CEO ) Salary In 2016 – $2.4 million (highest paid
- George Barrios (Financial and Strategic Officer) – $800,000
- Kevin Dunn (Producer) – $800,000
- Michael Luisi (WWE Studios President ) – $700,000
Before we get into the yearly figures lets take a look what a professional contract of a Wrestler with WWE looks like. The contract include atleast 13 different clauses which are as follow.
- Booking (Wrestler granting right to book him/her for events for which WWE can sell tickets and TV rights. Wrestler also grand permission to WWE to negotiate on their behalf for merchandising, publishing, endorsements and personal appearances etc. )
- Works (WWE has the right to film/photograhp any event involving contracted wrestlers. Since the contract is based on “Works for hire” WWE owns rights from events which include anything from incidents, dialogues, routines, any special moves, ideas or gags.
- Intellectual Property (WWE are holds exclusive rights to wrestlers likeness, name, personality, contume, genstures and what not)
- Merchandising
- Exclusivity (Long list of clauses here but mainly focus on stuff like all rights granted to WWE are exclusive to the company otherwise stated)
- Term and Territory (pretty straight forward this one, contains stuff like length of wrestler’s contract with WWE can range from 1 year to 10 year. Territory is usually “Worldwide”)
- Payments and Royalties (A very complex payment structure covers basic salary plus any bonuses. WWE state that average wrestler in main roster makes around $500,000 a year)
- Promoters Obligations
- Wrestlers Obligations (to make things clear, wrestlers obligation clauses are three times more than the promoters)
- Warranty
- Early Termination
- Breach
- Miscellaneous
WWE Wrestler Contract & Basic Salary + Bonuses:
Every wrestler who signs up for WWE gets a professional contract with the company stating number of years, basic salary plus bonuses and some other clauses concerning factors like release, retirement, injury layouts and what not. The basic yearly salary is the downside guarantee payments. While the bonuses and royalties comes from PPV/merchandise sales share. WWE confirmed that every wrestler on the main roster makes guaranteed $500,000 a year while some top names rack in much more than that.
Incomes From PPV Events:
Some bigger names like John Cena etc enjoy PPV revenue share with the company and they make alot of money than the other stars in the roster. The PPV income figures are impossible to know because WWE never disclose this information. So we will only be taking a look at how WWE compensate their stars in basic salary and other clauses.
Highest Paid Wrestlers:
John Cena is the undisputed star in WWE at the moment who can be seen week after week in the ring, he makes around $3.5 million a year plus portion of merchandise sales and PPV revenue share. He also enjoy off the ring payments from different sources. Brock Lesnar is another wrestler who returned to WWE in 2014 and makes around $3 to $5 million a year.
WWE Male Wrestlers Salaries & Contracts (2018)
| Brock Lesnar | $10 million | Lesnar make $500k per main event and $100k for sale of merchandise | 5 Years Contract |
| John Cena | $8.5 million | John Cen get paid $500k for main event appearances and 5% for merchandise sale almost ($1 million) | 3 Years Contract |
| Roman Reigns | $5 million | He earn almost 5% from main event PPV sales other bonuses in case winning wwe title fight. | 3 Years Contract |
| Randy Orton | $4.5 | 3.25% bonus for high merchandise sales, Free Travel, PPV revenue share | Contract upgraded (2018) |
| Seth Rollins | $3 million | No bonus for merchandise sale but make $200k per main event appearances. | Upgraded 2018 |
| The Miz | $2.5 million | 5% Merchandise sales, travel and accommodation, PPV share | 5 Years |
| AJ Style | $2 million | AJ make big money he gets main ppv event revenue share | 5 Years |
| Dean Ambrose | $2 million | His earnings double for PPV event and more bonus included in contract for winning wwe title match. | 3 Years |
| Dolph Ziggler | $1.4 million | Ziggler earn 3.5% share from merchandise sale and his ppv earnings increased upto $250k per main event | 3 Year |
| Sheamus | $1 million | 1.5% bonus for high merchandise sales, travel & Accommodation | 5 Years |
| Jeff Hardy | $1 million | 2.5% bonus for high merchandise sales and 200k per main event match appearance | 3 Years |
| Jinder Mahal | $900,000 | Mahal making big money after becoming the wwe champion and earned 350k per ppv event extra bonus. | 5 Years |
| Big Show | $850,000 | Big show is in-active due to his hip injury but his contract improved with extra bonus earnings | 3 Years |
| Goldust | $400,000 | Get paid extra for merchandise sale | 3 Years |
| Titus O’Niel | $300,000 | Starter package on base of performance get full time contract he earn only when make appearance | 2 Years |
| Sin Cara | $700,000 | Cara is on full time contract making extra $250k on main payper-view event revenue share | 2 years |
| Chris Jericho | $750,000 | Chris Jericho on full time contract and earning 3.5% on merchandise sale | 3 Years |
| Luke Harper | $550,000 | Harper making regular appearances on weekly and main event matches making bonus money upto ($100k) extra each year. | 2 Years |
| Rusev | $600,000 | The Russian wrestler earning big money from ppv event bonus from the contract extension upto ($350,000) per main event. | 3 Years (Upgraded 2017) |
| Erick Rowan | $550,000 | Rown is one full time contract and competing for tag team competition | 2 Years (Upgraded 2017) |
| Bray Watt | $1 million | Watt making extra from main event revenue share and gets free travel and accommodation. | 2 Years (Upgraded 2018) |
| Bo Dallas | $300,000 | He is part time currently but contract get upgraded in 2018 on base of his performances to full time. | 2 Years (Upgraded 2018) |
| Braun Strowman | $300,000 | | 2 Years (Upgraded 2018) |
| Tripple H | $2.5 million | Limited appearances in main event payper-view matches and minority owner | 2 Years |
| Apollo | $300,000 | | 2 Years |
| Matt Hardy | $650,000 | Hardy making 2.5% extra earning on sale of merchandise | 1 Year |
| Samoa Joe | $800,000 | Full time contract holder earn 5% main event revenue share | 3 Years |
| Scott Dawson | $250,000 | | 3 Years |
| Undertaker | $2 million | Only part time appearances expected comeback at Wrestle-mania | 2 years |
| Kane | $900,000 | Currently in-active but still make part time appearances | 3 Years |
| Cesaro | $500,000 | Extra bonus money on main event match winning | 2 Years |
| Luke Gallows | $250,000 | | 2 Years |
| Kalisto | $350,000 | Full time contract holder | 3 years |
| Big Cass | $250,000 | | 1 Years Upgraded (2017) |
| Heath Slater | $400,000 | Extra bonus on ppv main event appearances | 1 Year (2018) |
| Curtis Axel | $250,000 | | Upgraded 2018 |
| Curt Hawkins | $200,000 | | Upgraded 2018 |
| Big E | $500,000 | Full time contract based wrestler and extra bonus holder | 2 Years (2017) |
| Fandango | $400,000 | Full time contract base wrestler | 3 Years (2017) |
| Epico Colon | $200,000 | | 1 Year (2018) |
| Kevin Owens | $750,000 | On base of his performance he gets contract with (ppv revenue share bonus) upto $200k | 5 years (2018) |
| Tyler Breeze | Starting package | | Upgraded (2018) |
| Mike Kanellis | $200,000 | | Upgraded 2017 |
| Jey USO | $250,000 | No extra share revenue and bonus from PPV main events | 1 Year Contract |
| Jimmy USO | $250,000 | No extra share revenue and bonus from PPV fights | 1 Year Contract |
| Kofi Kingston | $500,000 | Earn 3.5% extra after making appearance in main ppv event matches | 3 years (Full time contract) |
| R-Truth | $550,000 | Earn 5% on sale of merchandise | 3 years contract |
| Rhyno | $500,000 | Until he get upgraded contract he wont get any extra ppv revenue share | 2017 (Upgraded) |
| Shinsuke Nakamura | $400,000 | Nakamura will get full time contract after winning Royal Rumble 2018 and earn extra on base on ppv revenue share. | Upgraded 2018 |
| Xavier Woods | $350,000 | Xavier currently starting package holder on base of his performance get full time contract | Upgraded 2018 |
| Zack Ryder | $400,000 | Zack earn 3.5% extra earnings on base high sale merchandise | 2018 (Upgraded) |
| Viktor | $250,000 | He is on starting package making regular appearances bring him to full time contract | 2018 (Upgraded) |
Most of the female wrestlers have short term contracts usually “rolling contracts” which automatically renew every year unless one of the party decides otherwise. Female wrestlers earn less than male counter parts due to far less appearances. But they do have bonuses and other royalties.
WWE Divas Salaries 2018 (Contract Upgraded)
| Ronda Rousey | $1.5 million | 5% extra bonus for high sale on merchandise and free travel and ppv event share upto ($500k) | 2 year contract (full time) |
| Charlotte Flair | $550,000 | Extra bonus on winning main event matches | 3 Year contract (Full-time) |
| Nikki Bella | $350,000 | | 3 Years (automatic renewal) |
| Alexa Bliss | $350,000 | | 3 Years |
| Mickie James | $300,000 | | 1 Year (till 2018) |
| Brie Bella | $300,000 | | 1 Year (Roling contract) |
| Natalya | $300,000 | | 3 Years |
| Asuka | $250,000 | | 2 Years |
| Summer Rae | $120,500 | | 1 Year (Roling contract) |
| Nia Jax | 100,000 | | 1 Year (Roling contract) |
| Mandy Rose | $80,000 | | 1 Year (Roling contract) |
| Paige | 350,000 | In-active making limited appearances | 1 Year (Roling contract) |
| Dana Brooke | $200,000 | | 1 Year (Roling contract) |
| Sonya Deville | $100,000 | | 2 Years (Roling contract) |
| Bayley | $200,000 | | 1 Year (till 2018) |
| Becky Lynch | $250,000 | | 3 Years |
| Carmella | $120,000 | | 1 Year (Roling contract) |
| Lana | $200,000 | | 3 Years |
| Live Morgan | $75,000 | | Upgraded 2017 |
| Naomi | $180,000 | Main event appearances | 5 Years |
| Rubby Riott | $80,000 | | Upgraded 2017 |
| Sarah Logan | $80,000 | | Upgraded 2018 |
| Tamina | $80,000 | In-active due to injury | 1 Year (till 2018) |
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