A new report offers fresh insight on what is the minimum salary for a WWE wrestler in 2025.
World Wrestling Entertainment has had many peak periods. The 1980s brought Hulkamania and serious revenue from the growth of pay-per-view. The late 1990s saw the birth of the Attitude Era and huge revenue from cable television and putting on events in massive arenas.
Also Read: 20 Best WWE Wrestlers Of All Time
WWE is now in another peak period and the company is as popular as it has ever been. They are breaking records in views, ticket sales, and merchandise consistently. And that has benefited the talent on the roster. The promotion’s recent success and the addition of a legitimate competitor in AEW have led to some big rumored pay raises for wrestlers on the roster.
On Monday, Fightful revealed, what the minimum salary for a WWE wrestler on the main roster is. According to the outlet [h/t Wrestle Ops], while top stars on the roster make millions annually, the minimum salary for a newer talent on the roster is between $200,000 to $300,000 per year.
It begs the question, how does it compare to major sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, MLB, and UFC?
WWE minimum salary is well behind the NFL, NBA, and MLB
If WWE wrestlers today make $300,000 as a base salary, that is not too bad compared to what talent at a similar level made a decade ago. Furthermore, performers can make a lot of extra money in the sale of their merchandise or bonus checks from major events.
However, it is still far behind when compared to major sports leagues. In 2024, the minimum salary in the NFL was just over $1.1 million. In the NBA, the lowest salary is $795,000 while in MLB it is $740,000. But it must be mentioned that far more money comes into those sports than into WWE.
While WWE stars make less than athletes in the top North American sports, they do far better than new fighters in the UFC. As of this past year, the minimum pay for a newbie inside the Octagon is reportedly as low as $10,000 to fight and $10,000 to win. This means if they fought and won four times in that year, they would still only make $80,000.
