How Much Do Esports Players Earn?
A comprehensive guide on how much do esports players earn, including salaries, tournament winnings, sponsorship deals, and more.
The Big Picture
Professional esports is a rapidly growing industry with tournaments that offer multimillion-dollar prize pools. But how much do the players who compete in these events actually earn? The answer may surprise you.
How Much Do Esports Players Earn?
Most people think of videogames as a fun pastime, but for a growing number of professional gamers, it’s a serious business. Laptops and headsets replaced controllers and TV screens as the Mobile and PC games took the lead in the industry. The global Esports market is expected to grow from $1.1 billion in 2019 to $1.8 billion by 2022, according to marketing intelligence firm Newzoo. Here’s a look at how much money some of the top esports athletes are making.
The average salary for an esports player is $60,000-$65,000 per year, according to a report by online magazine Gazillion Voices. The median salary is $28,000 whilst the top 10% of earners take home more than $85,000 per year.
The majority of that income comes from prize money, with tournament winnings typically ranging from $10,000 to $100,000. The best-paid players can also earn money through sponsorship deals and streaming platforms like Twitch. For example, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins reportedly made more than $10 million in 2018 from playing Fortnite and streaming on Twitch.
How Much Do Esports Players Earn?
While there is no one answer to this question, top esports players can earn millions of dollars per year from tournament winnings, sponsorships, and endorsements. The best way to estimate how much an esports player earns is to look at the prize pools for major tournaments. For example, the prize pool for the 2018 Dota 2 International was over $25 million. The winning team took home over $10 million, and the runner-up team earned over $3 million.
Of course, not every esports player competes in Dota 2 or other popular games with multimillion-dollar prize pools. However, even players in less popular games can still earn a decent living from tournament winnings, sponsorships, and endorsements. For example, the 2017 Smite World Championship had a prize pool of just over $1 million. While this is a fraction of what some of the top Dota 2 teams earned that year, it still represented a significant amount of money for the winning team.
It’s important to remember that not all esports players are created equal. The best players in the world earn significantly more money than the average player. For example, the top 10% of Smite players earned an average of $10,128 per year from tournament winnings in 2017. This is nearly ten times more than what the bottom 50% of players earned that year ($1,083).
Of course, tournament winnings are just one way that esports players can earn money. Many players also earn income from sponsorships and endorsements. In some cases, these deals can be worth millions of dollars per year. For example, SKT T1 (a professional League of Legends team) is reportedly worth $100 million thanks to their many sponsorships and partnerships.
While it’s difficult to say exactly how much esports players earn on average, it’s clear that there is a lot of money to be made in competitive gaming. Top players can earn millions of dollars per year from tournaments alone, and many also receive significant incomes from sponsorships and endorsements.
The Top 10%
How Much Do Esports Players Earn?
A lot has been said about the potential for huge earnings in esports, and as the industry continues to grow, it seems likely that prize money and salaries will continue to increase. But just how much do professional gamers earn?
The answer, unfortunately, is not as simple as you might think. While some esports stars are earning millions of dollars a year, the vast majority of players are not nearly so fortunate. In fact, most professional gamers are only earning a few thousand dollars a year from their passion.
There are a number of factors that contribute to this wide range in earnings. The biggest factor is undoubtedly the game that the player is competing in. Games like Dota 2 and League of Legends have large prize pools and plenty of sponsorship money flowing into them, while smaller games simply don’t have the same level of income.
Another factor is the region that the player is from. Players from South Korea and China tend to earn more than players from other parts of the world simply because there is more money in those scenes. This is changing somewhat as western organizations are starting to invest more heavily in esports, but it’s still a big factor.
Finally, it’s important to remember that most professional gamers are still very young. The average age of a pro gamer is just 22 years old, which means that many are still living at home with their parents and relying on them for financial support. As they get older and more established in their careers, we can expect to see their earnings increase significantly.
So what does all this mean for aspiring professional gamers? Well, it’s important to set your expectations realistically. If you’re thinking you’re going to become an overnight millionaire by playing video games, you’re almost certainly going to be disappointed. But if you love gaming and are willing to work hard to improve your skills, there’s no reason you can’t make a comfortable living from it.
How Much Do Esports Players Earn?
The top 10% of professional gamers earn more than $60,000 a year, according to a new report.
The study, conducted by online gaming platform Operator, looked at the earnings of 1,090 active esports athletes from 15 countries across the globe.
The results showed that the median yearly salary for professional gamers is $9,000, with a majority (59%) of players earning less than $12,000 per year.
However, the top 10% of earners bring in more than $60,000 annually, with some even earning upwards of $1 million.
While the average salary for an esports player is relatively low when compared to other professional athletes, it is important to keep in mind that the industry is still in its infancy. As it continues to grow and attract more mainstream attention, it is likely that player salaries will increase as well.
The Middle 60%
Most pro gamers will never make it to the top tier of the competitive scene and earn the really big bucks. But that doesn’t mean they can’t still make a comfortable living playing their favorite games. In fact, the middle 60% of professional gamers actually earn a pretty decent wage.
How Much Do Esports Players Earn?
Much like traditional sports, there is a big range in earnings for professional esports players. The top tier of players can earn millions of dollars per year, while those in the middle 60% range from $60,000 to $250,000. The bottom tier of players still make a decent living, with salaries ranging from $12,000 to $60,000 per year. Prize money is not the only source of income for pro gamers; many also earn revenue through sponsorships and advertisements.
How Much Do Esports Players Earn?
The answer to this question largely depends on the game being played, the level of competition, and the player’s location. In general, most professional esports players earn a salary from their team or organization, with additional income coming from tournament winnings, sponsorship deals, and content creation.
According to a report by Esports earnings, the top 10% of earners in esports take home an average of $960,000 per year. The median earnings for all professional esports players is $69,000 per year, while the top 1% earn an average of $3.6 million per year. The middle 60% of earners make an average of $27,000 per year.
While these numbers give a good idea of how much professional esports players can earn, it’s important to keep in mind that there is a great deal of variance within the industry. For example, a player who competes in popular games such as League of Legends or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is likely to earn more than a player who competes in a less popular game. Likewise, a player who competes at the highest level of competition is likely to earn more than a player who competes at a lower level.
Finally, it’s worth noting that many professional esports players supplement their income with revenue from content creation and streams on platforms like Twitch and YouTube. The top Twitch streamers can earn millions of dollars per year from their streams, with the very highest earners making over $10 million annually.
The Bottom 30%
The income of an esports player largely depends on how successful they are. The bottom 30% of esports players earn less than $1,000 a month from gaming. This is before any income from sponsorships, advertisements, or prize money is accounted for. The median income for all esports players is $2,400 a month. The top 10% of players earn over $5,000 a month, with the very top earners taking home over $15,000 a month.
How Much Do Esports Players Earn?
The answer to this question largely depends on the game that is being played, as well as the region in which the player lives. In South Korea, for example, some of the best players in the world of competitive StarCraft II can earn up to $150,000 USD per year from prize money alone. In contrast, a player in North America who is ranked within the top 50 for Halo 5: Guardians may only earn around $12,000 USD in prize money for the entire year.
While there are some players who are able to make a very comfortable living off of playing video games, the vast majority of esports players are only able to earn a small fraction of that amount. The bottom 30% of players in any given esport usually earn less than $500 USD per month from prize money, sponsorships, and/or salaries (if they are lucky enough to be on a team that provides one).
How Much Do Esports Players Earn?
The current average salary for an esports player is $60,000, but that number is expected to grow in the coming years. The top tier of players can make well over $100,000 per year, and some even earn millions.
Esports salaries are largely determined by two factors: tournament winnings and sponsorships. The more successful a player or team is, the more money they will earn from these sources. Additionally, players who are able to stream their gameplay on platforms like Twitch can also generate income through viewer donations and subscriptions.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that the majority of esports players do not earn a salary that would enable them to live comfortably. In fact, the bottom 30% of players only make an average of $10,000 per year. This is why most professional gamers also have day jobs or are supported by family members.
