💰 Wrestling is a multi-million dollar industry, with the biggest wrestlers earning huge sums of money.
💰 Roman Reigns was the highest paid WWE wrestler in 2025, earning over $15 million from the company.
💰 The average WWE wrestler base salary is in the region of $100,000 to $500,000 per year.
Wrestling is a multi-million-pound industry. The biggest names in the sport are known all over the world and rake in cash in the process. Events are frequent and lucrative for those at the forefront.
Fans want to know a whole range of questions – including who is the highest paid WWE referee in the ring. The wrestling world has no boundaries when it comes to life outside of the ring, and away from the fighting.
WWE’s Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania are known to fans far beyond the wrestling sphere. These are showpiece, pay-per-view occasions which attract an audience outside the usual sports betting fanatics.
Highest Earning WWE Wrestlers:
💰 Roman Reigns – £10.86 million
💰 Cody Rhodes – £7.24 million
💰 Randy Orton – £7 million
💰 Seth Rollins – £6.51 million
💰 Drew McIntyre – £5.79 million
5) Drew McIntyre – £5.79 millio
The current Undisputed WWE champion, it’s perhaps surprising to see Drew McIntyre outside the top three in salary. He earns little more than half of the highest-paid wrestler in 2026.
From the Claymore to the Glasgow Kiss, the Scot has managed to develop his character throughout his wrestling career. The use of social media has been a big factor in McIntyre’s increased profile.
His salary is going to be bolstered with film appearances in coming years as he begins the transition into acting.
4) Seth Rollins – £6.51 million
Debuting back in 2005, Seth Rollins (or Cody Lopez to use his official name) has racked up tens of millions in salary from WWE.
Kicking off his career in Ring of Honor, Rollins penned a deal with WWE in 2010. The developmental circuit was successful, leading to opportunities in marquee events as his career progressed.
Tag Team Championships and becoming the 19th Grand Slam champion followed. A six-time world champion, his legacy resides among the most successful wrestlers ever.
3) Randy Orton – £7 million
With a salary of around £3.2 million in 2022, Randy Orton’s income has ballooned in recent years. After some time in the marine corps, Orton set a record as the youngest world champion in WWE history.
Not many wrestlers are as well known outside wrestling fandom as Orton. Many of his moves are known by people without even a passing interest in the sport.
He holds the record for the most pay-per-view appearances in WWE history.
2) Cody Rhodes – £7.24 million
It’s been quite a comeback story for Cody Rhodes. Leaving WWE in 2016 seemed like a bold choice, with Rhodes searching for something more fulfilling. He returned in 2022 and quickly returned to prominence.
The Rock, Seth Rollins, and John Cena have been among his recent opponents, though his most high-profile work was his long-running feud with Roman Reigns.
The outcome was Rhodes getting his hands on the WWE Championship.
1) Roman Reigns – £10.86 million
The ring name of Leati Joseph Anoa’I, Roman Reigns is one of the highest-earning wrestlers in WWE history. It hasn’t always been about wrestling, however, as American football was his first love.
Reigns played college ball for Georgia Tech and had a few seasons in the CFL before turning to wrestling.
His 1,316-day title reign in the WWE Universal Championship is the longest title reign recognised by the organisation since 1988.
Average WWE Salary
The average WWE salary is somewhere around £500,000 per year.
Some earn considerably less, of course, with reports suggesting there are WWE wrestlers on under £100,000 per year. At the upper end, the big names are well into the millions.
This sort of pay gap is nothing new in sport. The same disparity can be seen between the lowest and highest earners in the Premier League, NBA, NFL and many other high-profile leagues.
Just because someone is an option in WWE in-play betting doesn’t mean they are raking in millions each year. Still, even the lower salaries in WWE are well above the average earnings in the USA and UK.
Sale of WWE
Following seven decades under the McMahon family, WWE was sold in April 2023 to Endeavor Group Holdings. Endeavor also owns UFC.
They will be merging WWE and UFC in a $21 billion sports offering, described as a ‘global live sports and entertainment company’.
This huge move leaves Endeavor with a 51% controlling stake, while the remaining 49% is split across WWE’s shareholders.
Vince McMahon departed the company in July 2022, but it proved to only be a brief hiatus, as he returned on the board of directors in early 2023.
Inevitably, McMahon’s reappearance provoked rumours of a sale, even though he was adamant he was just aiming to negotiate a new television rights agreement.
Amazon, Netflix, Liberty Media and Disney were among numerous organisations who reportedly had an interest in purchasing WWE.
There were reports and counter-reports, including suggestions WWE had been sold to a Saudi Arabian investment fund. Ultimately, though, it was Endeavor who sealed the deal.
McMahon spoke soon after the sale, saying, “Together, we will be a $21-plus billion live sports and entertainment powerhouse with a collective fanbase of more than a billion people and an exciting growth opportunity.
“The new company will be well positioned to maximize the value of our combined media rights, enhance sponsorship monetization, develop new forms of content and pursue other strategic mergers and acquisitions to further bolster our strong stable of brands.”
WWE’s worldwide brand is going to remain a part of online betting going forward.
It has been immensely profitable over the last few decades, and has traded on the public stock exchange since 1999. Such revenues have led to enormous salaries for the stars.
Exactly how the company will operate, and how this will impact the product, has yet to be revealed.
McMahon initially wanted to remain involved with WWE in a creative capacity. He ultimately resigned in January 2024 following sexual assault allegations.
