The Average Salary of an NFL Kicker

A kicker's field goal can win a football game.

NFL kicker Matt Stover said, describing his job, "The way I look at a kicker is that we are the sniper. We are the guy who sits out in the brush for three, four days waiting for his opportunity---to kick the field goal or take out the general or whatever it takes." For this ability, NFL kickers are paid well.

Salary

NFL kickers earn a base salary that is augmented by signing and other bonuses. Starting in the 1994 season, salary caps were implemented by the league to prevent wealthy teams from hiring all the best players and to manage costs for all teams. In the 2010 season, that cap was removed when NFL team owners decided to end their collective bargaining agreement with the players' union. Future salaries of all players, including kickers, are likely to be affected by this change.

2009 Base Salary Ranges

Base salaries vary widely. According to USA Today, two NFL kickers had the highest base salaries in the 2009 season of $2,483,000: Michael Koenen of the Atlanta Falcons and Shayne Graham of the Cincinnati Bengals. Five kickers had the lowest base salary of $310,000.

Average Base Salary

The 67 kickers on the 2009 NFL rosters had combined total base salaries of $70,425,780, an average of $1,051,131, according to USA Today.

References

• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: NFL Salary Cap Ends
• USA Today: Football Salaries by Position