The top paid sports are led by Basketball (NBA), Soccer, and American Football (NFL), with high average salaries and top athletes earning massive figures, followed by Golf, Boxing, and Auto Racing (F1), which consistently feature high earners due to lucrative contracts and endorsements, making them the most lucrative sports globally.
The top 5 highest-paid sports by average salary are: 1) Basketball (NBA) - $11.91M, 2) Baseball (MLB) - $4.66M, 3) Soccer (Premier League) - $4.1M, 4) Ice Hockey (NHL) - $3.5M, 5) American Football (NFL) - $2.7M.
The 10 Most Expensive Sports in The World - 2025 Rankings
The highest paying jobs with a sports management degree include sports marketing director, athletic director, sports agent, and stadium operations manager. These roles can earn between $80,000 and $200,000+ annually, depending on experience, location, and industry level such as collegiate or professional sports.
Most Popular Sports by Number of Fans
Let's dive into the Top 10 Toughest Sports in the World—and what it takes to be one of the best in each.
As the NFL only competes in the United States, the prominent gridiron football league in Canada is the Canadian Football League (CFL). MLB, the NBA, the NFL, and the NHL are commonly referred to as the "Big Four".
Many jobs in Australia pay over $100,000 annually, including roles in IT, Healthcare (like Surgeons, Dentists, Psychologists), Engineering (Mining, Aerospace, Building), Construction Management, Finance (Accountants, Managers), Law, Sales (Business Development, Account Managers), and specialized trades (Pilots, Drillers, Electricians), often requiring degrees, certifications, or significant experience and skill, though some technical or trade roles can reach this income without a university degree through vocational training.
Magic Johnson joins the billionaire club, becoming the fourth athlete to reach this milestone, alongside Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Tiger Woods.
The #1 highest-paying job is consistently in the medical field, with Surgeons and Anesthesiologists often topping lists globally and in countries like Australia, earning over $400,000 AUD on average due to extensive training and high-pressure responsibilities, though roles like Financial Dealers, CEOs, and specialized Engineers also rank high.
The number one sport in the world by a significant margin is Soccer (Association Football), boasting an estimated 3.5 to 4 billion fans globally, making it the most popular by fan base, participation, and viewership, especially during events like the World Cup. Cricket and Basketball follow as the second and third most popular, respectively, in terms of fan numbers.
The Most Inexpensive Sports for Kids
Here are some of the lowest wages in professional sports:
How much does a Big 3 Basketball make? As of Jan 8, 2026, the average annual pay for a Big 3 Basketball in the United States is $37,729 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $18.14 an hour. This is the equivalent of $725/week or $3,144/month.
Beyoncé is now a billionaire, according to a report from Forbes – becoming the fifth musician to obtain the status.
Michael Jordan destroys No. 2 Tiger Woods in highest paid athletes of all time list. GOATs across all sports square off, and His Airness is in a league of his own by over $1 billion. Check out the entire Top 10 and where they all stack up.
Most of Federer's net worth was generated through sponsorship deals with companies like Nike, Rolex, Mercedes-Benz, and Uniqlo, as well as a minority stake in the publicly traded Swiss shoe and apparel brand On, which is valued at $375 million. But every sports fan knows this information.
To be in Australia's top 1% of individual taxpayers, you generally need an annual income of around $375,000 to $390,000, though figures vary slightly by source and year, with higher thresholds for households (around $530,000). For context, the median individual income is much lower (around $55,000), and while top earners often include surgeons and anaesthetists, reaching the top 1% of net worth requires significantly more wealth, often exceeding $7 million.
Most Americans Earn Far Less Than $100k
According to last year's YouGov data, only 18% of U.S. adults earn more than $100,000 annually. And the biggest earners are mostly men—25%—and those aged 35 to 44—25%. For comparison, just 12% of women make six figures.
Jobs paying $200k+ in Australia are common in specialized fields like Medicine (Surgeons, Anaesthetists, Specialists), Technology (Data Scientists, Cloud Engineers), Engineering, Executive Management (C-Suite, Directors), Law, and high-end Sales, with significant opportunities also in the Mining sector, alongside specialized roles in Finance, Construction Management, and Healthcare Administration, often requiring significant experience or niche skills.
What is the fastest-growing sport right now? Pickleball is currently the fastest-growing sport worldwide due to its low barrier to entry, fun gameplay, and exploding social popularity.
Two days later, the NBA rejected TNT's offer of $1.8 billion per year, opting to sign agreements with ABC/ESPN, Amazon, and NBC. The NBA claimed that they had rejected TNT's attempt because TNT was unable to fully match the terms of Amazon's contract.
By contrast, American football is the most popular sport in the United States with 52%. Basketball with 43% and baseball with 37% are further behind. Approximately 17% of the people in the United States follow ice hockey.