The top 10 Highest Paid WWE Superstars in 2024

By Ali Hammad August 20, 2024 22:03

Photo by WWE

WWE is still the king of sports entertainment, pulling in millions upon millions of fans worldwide for over 30 years thanks to a mix of athleticism and storytelling spectacle. These big superstars are linked to the company, so as a business grows, its financial landscape expands. WWE wrestlers who make the most money in 2024 illustrate how profitable those chances are not for everyone. This article will examine the top 10 highest-paid WWE superstars and analyze their income motives.

Methodology

We did full-fledged research and dug deep to come up with the list of the top-paid WWE superstars in 2024. We used numerous reliable sources that monitor wrestler income through salaries, endorsements, and merchandise sales.

Base Salary: The minimum annual salary agreed upon in a WWE contract.
Brand Partnerships: An added stream of income coming from doing deals with brands and companies.
Merchandise Sales: These are earnings from selling a wrestler's branded merchandise and can be considerable if fans are happy to buy it!
Other Revenue Streams: money made from the other things a wrestler does, such as movies or TV shows outside of wrestling.

This allows us to dissect many factors that go into why some stars make as much money and how their paychecks might compare pleasantly or not to prior years.

Highest 10 Paying WWE Superstars in 2024

1. Brock Lesnar

Yearly Earnings: $12 million
Base Salary: $10 million
Bonus: $2 million (from main events)

His unique status as a part-time performer allows him to command incredibly enticing contracts that play up how many people he lures in. Lesnar's take-home pay is being inflated by his crossover appeal from MMA and his being the main draw on huge shows.

2. John Cena

Escrow Total: $8.5 million
Base Salary: $6 million
Merchandise Sales: $2,500,000

Cena, who works part-time these days, still has incredibly strong brand value. His jump to Hollywood only made him all the more marketable, and he's continued making big money from WWE work and film gigs.

3. Roman Reigns

Total Salary (Annual): $5 million
Base Salary: $4 million
Endorsements: $1 million

Roman Reigns solidifies his status as a top earner and the face of WWE. Millions of fans have watched him fight in high-profile storylines, and his lengthy title run has led to merchandise and endorsement sales.

4. Randy Orton

Yearly Earnings: $4.5 million
Base Salary: $3.5 million
Merchandise Sales: $1 million

Randy Orton has been in the WWE for far too long now and still does a better job than 50% of the roster. Not to mention having an audience for a long time and appearing in classic storylines as well.

5. Triple H

Total Annual Salary: $3.6 million
Base Salary: $2.5 million
Endorsements: $1.1 million

Triple H's versatility as a performer and executive allows him to demand top dollar. While this would be a tremendous attribute that he could bring to AEW, it also enhances his value in WWE due to the sway he has held over creative direction and talent development.

6. AJ Styles

Annual Salary: $3.5 million
Base Salary: $2.5 million
Merchandise Sales: $1 million

The fans love AJ, he has a lot of people who swear that this man can do no wrong. He's one of the top sellers in merchandise and a solid performer all around.

7. Becky Lynch

Annual Earnings: $3 million total
Base Salary: $2 million
Merchandise Sales: $1 million

The ascension of Becky Lynch, one of WWE's most important female wrestlers and now also among its best-paid. Fans and marketability drive her money.

8. Seth Rollins

Annual Income: $3 million
Base Salary: $2 million
Endorsements: $1 million

Seth Rollins's wrestling ability and charisma are not question marks. His merch sales and his ability to engage live in front of audiences are impressive.

9. The Miz

Annual Earnings: $2.5 million
Base Salary: $1.5 million
Endorsements: $1 million

The Miz goes the other way with his reality television personality and appeals. He is a draw in fights and for his in-ring performance.

10. Kevin Owens

Annual Salary: $2,000,000
Base Salary: $1.5 million
Merchandise Sales: $500,000

Owens is famous for being a stiff and charismatic worker. His earnings are influenced by his popularity with fans and involvement in major storylines.

Looking at an evaluated competition for the title of 10 highest-paid WWE superstars in 2024 shows just how big of a price there is to be earned by workers doing their best in this industry.

These earnings are a testament to the skill and star factor of wrestlers and WWE's entire business model, which heavily involves superstar power for earning commercials. Professional wrestling moves further and didn't used to be what it is now.

Going forward, WWE's top draws stand to make more in their careers as before, and the landscape of professional wrestling appears poised to be just as competitive and lucrative.