How Much Do WWE Divas Make?

Find out how much WWE Divas make in a year. Also, learn about their contracts and what they are required to do.

WWE Divas’ Salaries

The salary of a WWE Diva can vary depending on experience, seniority, and title reigns. WWE Divas who are just starting out can expect to make around $50,000 per year. However, if a WWE Diva is a champion or has held a title for a significant amount of time, she can make upwards of $250,000 per year.

Main Eventers

Main eventers in WWE are the top stars in the company and are the ones who sell the most tickets and merchandise. As a result, they are also the highest-paid wrestlers in WWE. The top main eventers can make upwards of $1 million per year, while lower-level main eventers make significantly less. The current WWE women’s champion, Charlotte Flair, is reportedly one of the top earners in WWE, making more than $550,000 per year.

Mid-Carders

In general, the women on the main WWE roster (i.e. not NXT or the Mae Young Classic) can be divided into three categories: main eventers, mid-carders, and jobbers. The main eventers are the women who are in the title picture and/or regularly headline shows; the mid-carders are the women who regularly appear on TV but are not in the title picture; and the jobbers are the women who lose almost all of their matches. The Mae Young Classic is a tournament for up-and-coming wrestlers that takes place annually, while NXT is WWE’s developmental brand where wrestlers hone their skills before being called up to the main roster.

The salaries of WWE Divas vary widely depending on their position in WWE’s hierarchy. The highest-paid Divas are usually main eventers or former main eventers who have remained popular with fans, while mid-carders and jobbers typically earn much less. This is similar to the salaries of male wrestlers in WWE, which also vary depending on one’s position in WWE’s hierarchy.

Main eventers:
As of 2019, the highest-paid WWE Diva is Ronda Rousey, who earns $1 million per year. This puts her on par with some of WWE’s top male superstars, such as Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins. Other top-earning Divas include Charlotte Flair ($550,000), Becky Lynch ($350,000), and Alexa Bliss ($300,000).

Mid-carders:
While main eventers typically earn more than mid-carders, there is still a significant pay gap between these two groups of Divas. Mid-carder salaries range from $80,000 to $200,000 per year, with most falling somewhere in the middle of that range. Notable mid-carder earners include Carmella ($180,000), Naomi ($140,000), Natalya ($120,000), and Ruby Riott ($100,000).

Jobbers:
At the bottom of the totem pole are jobbers or enhancement talents, as they are sometimes called. These are wrestlers whose primary purpose is to lose to more established or popular wrestlers in order to make them look strong. Jobber salaries can vary widely depending on factors such as frequency of appearances and length of matches; however, most jobbers earn considerably less than even mid-card wrestlers

Lower Carders

The salaries of WWE Divas vary based on their rank in the company. The top stars can make upwards of $1 million per year, while the lower carders make significantly less. The WWE does not release the salaries of its employees, so the following figures are only estimates.

Lower carders: $50,000-$100,000 per year
These are the Divas who are not featured prominently on television and are mostly used as enhancement talent. They typically work a full-time schedule and make a base salary plus any incentives they earn for appearing on television or Pay-Per-View.

Midcarders: $250,000-$500,000 per year
The Divas in this category are featured more prominently on television and have a biggerrole in the company’s storylines. They usually work a part-time schedule and make a base salary plus any incentives they earn for appearing on television or Pay-Per-View.

Main Eventers: $500,000-$1 million per year
These are the top stars in the WWE and they are featured heavily on television and in the company’s marketing campaigns. They usually work a part-time schedule and make a base salary plus any incentives they earn for appearing on television or Pay-Per-View.

Bonuses and Incentives

WWE offers their female wrestlers unique bonuses and incentives to promote gender equality within the company. While the average WWE Diva salary is $55,000, this number does not include the plethora of bonuses and incentives that these women make. Incentives include, but are not limited to, merchandise sales, public relations, and live event appearance fees.

PPV Bonuses

While the average WWE wrestler makes a decent salary, the real money is in bonuses and incentives. The more successful a wrestler is, the more they are likely to receive in terms of bonuses. The biggest bonus structure is based on Pay-Per-View (PPV) outcomes. For example, a wrestler who main events a PPV and wins their match is likely to receive a $500,000 bonus. This bonus is generally given to the top 3 or 4 wrestlers on each card.

Merchandise Sales Bonuses

WWE divas receive a percentage of merchandise sales that feature their likeness. According to Forbes, Paige made $400,000 in merchandise sales in 2015, while The Bella Twins each raked in $290,000. This was likely a result of Paige’s popularity with the adult male demographic and The Bella Twins’ popularity with young girls.

Other Income Streams

While WWE Divas make a great living as professional wrestlers, they are also able to make money through other avenues. Many WWE Divas have endorsement deals with various brands, and some have their own clothing and merchandise lines. Others appear in movies and television shows, or release books and music albums. There are many ways for WWE Divas to make money, and they often take advantage of as many opportunities as possible.

Sponsorships

Besides what the WWE pays them, the women also get a percentage of their merchandise sales. The top earners can make upwards of $100,000 from this alone. And then there are sponsorships. Many of the WWE Divas have outside deals with nutrition and workout companies, among others. The Bella Twins have done commercials for Nissan, among other brands. Other Divas have been featured in ads for Reebok and Covergirl.

Independent Bookings

In addition to what they make from WWE, many of the women also make money from independent bookings. Many of them have appearances outside of wrestling, such as hosting nightclub events, doing promotional work, or attending conventions. They can also make quite a bit of money just by signing autographs and taking pictures with fans. Some of the more popular Divas can easily command $200-$300 per appearance. This is in addition to their salary from WWE.

Acting and Reality TV

In addition to income from wrestling, many WWE Divas supplement their earnings by appearing on reality TV shows or in movies. The most famous example is probably Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, who appeared on the popular MTV reality show Jersey Shore while also wrestling for WWE. Other WWE Divas who have found success on reality TV include Christy Hemme, who appeared on Country Music Television’s Gone Country, and Maria Kanellis, who was a contestant on NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice.

Some WWE Divas make money by appearing in movies. The most notable example is probably Ronda Rousey, who appeared in several mainstream action movies such as The Expendables 3 and Fast & Furious 7. Other WWE Divas who have appeared in movies include Torrie Wilson, who appeared in s romantic comedy filmconfiguration The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption, and Stacy Keibler, who had a small role in the 2005 comedy film Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous.