How Much Money Do You Make Compared to the Athletes?

By Travis Pulver

Pro athletes make crazy amounts of money. Even the lowest of the low on an NFL roster (practice squad) make what the rest of us would consider an excellent salary (minimum of $4700/week, which adds up to $79,900 over the regular season).

With the football off-season in full swing, major moves already having been made, and baseball’s superstars signing big league deals, it has never been more obvious that these guys are insanely rich just because they happen to be able to play a game really well. Sure we get together with our friends on the weekend to play the very same sports. And afterward, we drink a few beers, and complain about how little we make at our jobs while our favorite players get paid millions to do what we just did.

As hard as you work and as much as they pay, you would think that what you make might look a lot better in comparison — but that could not be further from the truth. Curious about how your salary stands up to some of the best in the NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL? Then check out the ESPN Salary Crunch.

The following are just a few examples of how some common occupations measure up against some of the greatest professional athletes of today:

Joe Mauer

COED Writer: If I write 100 articles a month, I will make $1000 which translates into $12,000/yr. Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer recently signed an 8 year, $184 million contract. Joe Mauer will earn $12,000 before the second out of the inning is earned in the top half of the first inning of one game!

Pete Carroll

Playmate of the Year: Between her first pictorial and her POY one, she will make $125,000; Pete Carrol will make $32.5 million over the next five years for the Seattle Seahawks. He will make as much as Hugh Heffner’s latest bombshell about 3 ½ minutes into the second quarter of the first game of the season, and he’ll even keep his clothes on too (thank goodness!).

Julius Peppers

Fireman: National average is $46,000/yr. Julius Peppers recently signed a 6 year contract with the Chicago Bears for $91 million. Peppers will earn as much as a fireman does in a year during the first three minutes of a single game (while the offense is on the field)!

Patrick Kane

Beer Truck Driver: Average salary approximately $35,000/year (discounted beer= priceless); Chicago Blackhawk star Patrick Kane averages $6.3 million/year. Kane will surpass the beer man six minutes into the second period of one game. Yeah, but I bet he pays full price for his beer!

Pau Gasol

Commandant of the Marine Corps: Basic pay for one month is $19,983.60. Pau Gasol of the Los Angeles Lakers signed a three-year extension worth $57 million. In 1  year the Commandant of the Marine Corp will make just under $240,000; Gasol will do that in one game (that he logs about 38 minutes in).