How Much Money Do Pro Bodybuilders Make a Year?
Although the origins of bodybuilding stretch back to the Greek and Roman times, modern bodybuilding came into its own in the 1890s with the arrival of European strongman and showman Eugene Sandow. Bodybuilding as a spectator sport started becoming popular in the United States and Europe in the 1930s and by the 1960s, multiple professional bodybuilding contests, including Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia, became highly attended annual events.
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Professional Bodybuilding in the 21st Cettury
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Modern professional bodybuilding is divided into two camps, the smaller natural bodybuilders organization who are tested for steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs and the larger professional bodybuilders organization where there is no testing. While natural bodybuilding is growing in popularity, maximum muscle mass professional bodybuilding, where almost all contestants use some performance-enhancing techniques, is still much more popular and well-paid.
Top BodyBuilders Make a Lot of Money
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The top half a dozen professional bodybuilders are all making at least several hundred thousand dollars a year in total when you add up prize money, endorsements and other income. YourDictionary.com states that the top tier of professional bodybuilders earn over $500,000 a year, and Kay Circle suggest that the top names might even earn over $1 million annually.
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Average Bodybuilder Earnings
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According to YourDictionary.com, the second tier of professional bodybuilders might bring in $75,000 to $100,000 annually, but the majority of this income is from appearances and endorsements. The large majority of professional bodybuilders are doing it strictly for the love of the sport, as they earn little to nothing when you count in expenses associated with training for bodybuilding and travel.
Other Jobs for Professional Bodybuilders
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The large majority of professional bodybuilders have either part-time or full-time employment to supplement their earnings as a bodybuilder. Many work as personal trainers, some work as models, other do endorsements for income and some get involved in the nutritional or medical supplement business. Quite a few bodybuilders take part-time gigs as bouncers or other security positions to make ends meet.
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References
- YourDictionary.com: How Much Do Professional Bodybuilders Make?
- BodyBuilding.com; A History Lesson in Bodybuilding; David Robson
- Muscle and Strength; The Evolution of Bodybuilding: An Interview With Author Gordon LaVelle; Steve Shaw
- KayCircle: How Much Does a Professional Bodybuilder Make Per Year? ...; Rachel Basset; June 2010
