Helena Frye
Basketball is widely considered the highest-paid sport in the world. NBA players earned an average of $11.9 million in the 2024-25 season, a 22.8% increase from the previous year. This figure is more than double the average salary in the NFL, which sits at $4.5 million. NBA players also earn substantial amounts from endorsements and sponsorships. In 2023, sixteen basketball players featured on Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid athletes, more than any other sport. While individual athletes in sports like soccer may earn more than NBA players, basketball leads when considering average compensation across all league participants.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Average salary of NBA players | $11.9 million in the 2024-25 season |
| Average salary of NFL players | $4.5 million |
| Number of players in NBA | 450 |
| Number of teams in NBA | 30 |
| Number of players in NFL | 1,700+ |
| Number of teams in NFL | Not mentioned |
| Average salary of NHL players | Not mentioned |
| Number of teams in NHL | 12 |
| Number of players in NHL | Not mentioned |
| Average salary of MLB players | $3.82 million in 2014 |
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What You'll Learn
Average NBA player salaries
Basketball is the highest-paid sport in the world, with NBA players averaging $11.91 million in the 2024-25 season. This represents a 22.8% increase from the previous year, with the previous season's average annual salary being $9.7 million. The median salary for the 2024-25 season is $6,696,429, which is the largest median salary in the four major professional sports leagues.
The NBA's salary structure can be confusing due to the salary cap, multiple luxury tax aprons, and various contract types. The minimum salary for an NBA player in the 2024-25 season is $1,157,153, while the highest-paid player, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, will make $55.76 million.
The average NBA salary has been steadily increasing, with the 2022-23 season resulting in a five-year, $304 million contract extension for Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown, the largest contract in NBA history. Brown's contract is worth $288.3 million, with the value fluctuating due to NBA salary cap dynamics. For the upcoming 2025-26 season, 16 players are scheduled to make above $50 million, with Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis breaking the $60 million per year barrier.
The NBA's salary supremacy is due to its economic structure. With only 450 active roster spots across 30 teams, the league's $10.9 billion in annual revenue is distributed among relatively few players compared to other major sports leagues.
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NBA endorsements and sponsorships
Basketball is the highest-paid sport in the world, with NBA players averaging $11.91 million in the 2024-25 season. This represents a 22.8% increase from the previous year and significantly exceeds other major sports leagues globally. The NBA's salary supremacy stems from an optimal economic combination. With only 450 active roster spots across 30 teams, the league's $10.9 billion in annual revenue is distributed among far fewer players than the NFL's 1,700+ or MLB's 1,000+.
NBA players can increase their earnings through endorsements and sponsorships. Companies are eager to pair athletes with consumer products outside the sports industry, and this trend has become most popular in the NBA. Every player in the NBA has some sort of endorsement, whether it be an athletics company, like Nike, or those unrelated to sports, such as McDonald's.
Endorsement deals are lucrative contracts that can extend beyond a player's career. NBA players with large social media followings can make hundreds of thousands of dollars per promotional post, with LeBron James earning as much as $1 million per Instagram post.
To maximise endorsement money, players should build their social media following and play in larger markets like New York, Miami, or Los Angeles. Endorsers seek top players with upstanding character, both on and off the court, who are dedicated to the game and well-organised. While basketball players with lower profiles may also be sought out, companies want to endorse athletes who take themselves seriously.
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Highest-paid athletes in other sports
Basketball is the highest-paid sport in the world, with NBA players averaging $11.9 million in the 2024-25 season. This represents a 22.8% increase from the previous year, with the previous average annual salary being nearly $10.5 million.
While basketball players may earn the highest on average, individual athletes from other sports can earn more. Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-earning individual athlete, earning $275 million in 2025, and $260 million in 2024. Other high-earning athletes include LeBron James, who earned $133.8 million in 2025, and Tiger Woods, who has dominated previous years.
Other sports with high-earning athletes include:
- American football: NFL players can earn over $2 million, with Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Travis Kelce all earning high payouts.
- Baseball: Baseball players can also earn millions, with David Beckham signing a deal worth $251 million with the Los Angeles Galaxy, and Alex Rodriguez making the list of largest sports contracts.
- Golf: Golfers can earn high incomes through endorsements and sponsorships, with James Harden making over $15 million through brand deals.
- Ice hockey: The NHL has the fifth-highest total average salaries, paying out over $2.5 billion in 2023.
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Popularity of other sports
Basketball is the highest-paid sport in the world, with NBA players averaging $11.91 million in the 2024-25 season. This represents a 22.8% increase from the previous year, which far exceeds other major sports leagues globally.
While basketball may be the highest-paid sport on average, individual athletes in other sports can earn more. Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, for instance, earned $275 million in 2025, the third-best year for an active athlete ever measured by Forbes. In 2023, Ronaldo earned $107,668,409 for half a season, and $214,384,204.50 for each of the two full seasons he played from 2023 to 2025.
In individual sports, such as golf, tennis, boxing, and MMA, athletes are not employed by a team and usually earn money through event winnings. In 2025, sixteen basketball players made it to Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid athletes, the most from any sport. However, soccer players like Ronaldo and LeBron James, who earned $128 million, are often among the highest-paid athletes.
Other popular sports include:
- Hockey: The average NHL player earns $3.5 million annually, while the league's highest earners, like Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon, make over $12 million per year.
- Baseball: Major League Baseball (MLB) is unique due to its lack of a salary cap, allowing teams to invest heavily in talent and offer lucrative contracts.
- Formula 1: Max Verstappen is reported to have the highest income in Formula 1, with an annual income of $70 million, excluding various endorsements.
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Salary cap and revenue
Salary caps exist in sports to limit the total amount that teams can spend on player salaries, with the aim of promoting competitive balance and financial stability. Salary caps emerged in response to skyrocketing player salaries in the 1980s and the shift in revenue generation from ticket sales to lucrative television contracts and merchandising. Most major North American and European leagues have adopted some form of salary cap, with variations including hard caps, soft caps, and luxury tax systems.
The NBA, which has a soft salary cap, paid out an average annual salary of $10.5 million in 2023, with this figure increasing to $11.9 million in the 2024-25 season. The soft cap allows teams to exceed the cap amount but changes their tax obligations and includes other workarounds. The NBA's salary cap for the 2024-25 season is projected to be around $141 million, up from $136 million previously.
The NFL has a hard salary cap, which means that teams may not exceed the cap amount. The NFL salary cap saw the largest increase in league history, jumping from $224.8 million to $255.4 million. Despite this increase, some teams exceeded the cap and had to make cuts and refrain from signing large contracts. The average annual salary in the NFL is $4.5 million, less than half of that in the NBA.
The NHL also has a salary cap, which is the lowest of the big four sports leagues in the US, sitting at $83.5 million for the 2023-24 season. The NHL system has been viewed as ideal, as players ostensibly have a role in the cap, and higher league revenues lead to a higher cap on team and individual salaries. However, if revenues are down, players may have to give back part of their salaries at the end of the season.
The MLB does not have a salary cap, but teams that exceed an "established threshold" are taxed more heavily, and this additional money is disseminated to teams that do not surpass the threshold.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, basketball is the highest-paid sport in the world, with NBA players averaging $11.91 million in the 2024-25 season.
The NBA's average annual salary of $4.5 million is higher than that of the NFL, which sits in second place. The MLB and NHL are also highly paid leagues, with players earning an average of $3.82 million and $2.5 million, respectively.
While NBA players have the highest average salary, individual athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo ($275 million) and LeBron James ($133.8 million) are the highest-paid athletes.
