WWE Superstars' 2019 salaries revealed: How much do The Undertaker, John Cena & Brock Lesnar reportedly earn?

WWE fans are given a good idea about the value of a Superstar to the company based on how many matches they win or how often they appear in meaningful pay-per-view storylines.

For example, Roman Reigns is constantly involved in rivalries and he main-evented WrestleMania four years in a row between 2015 and 2018, so it is inevitable that he is going to have a more lucrative contract than many of his fellow Superstars.

In contrast, all three Riott Squad members – Liv Morgan, Ruby Riott and Sarah Logan – only became part of WWE’s main roster in November 2017, which means they are unlikely to earn as much as more established female talents such as Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair.

Using information compiled by Express Sport, let’s take a look at a selection of Superstars to find out how much money they are reportedly guaranteed to earn in WWE as part of their annual base salary.

Disclaimer: Only 65 Superstars' salaries are listed in this article. If a name is missing, their reported salary has not been revealed.

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#15 Annual base salary: Under $250,000

Interestingly, the majority of Superstars who feature in this category are female, with Curt Hawkins being the only exception.

Hawkins, who originally joined WWE in 2006, returned to the company in 2016 after a two-year absence. He reunited with real-life best friend Zack Ryder earlier in 2019, leading to the former Edgeheads winning the Raw Tag Team titles at WrestleMania 35 from The Revival.

Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville join Hawkins and the aforementioned Riott Squad in this group, which is no surprise given that their move from NXT to Raw also took place in November 2017.

• Liv Morgan $80,000
• Mandy Rose $80,000
• Ruby Riott $80,000
• Sarah Logan $80,000
• Tamina $80,000
• Nia Jax $100,000
• Sonya Deville $100,000
• Carmella $120,000
• Naomi $180,000
• Bayley $200,000
• Curt Hawkins $200,000
• Dana Brooke $200,000
• Lana $200,000

#14 Annual base salary: $250,000-$350,000

Once again, this category is made up of a lot of female Superstars, including Alexa Bliss, Asuka and The Bella Twins.

The biggest surprise here is that one of WWE’s biggest names right now, Becky Lynch, earns the same base salary per year as the likes of Apollo Crews and Bo Dallas.

One year ago, this would hardly have been a talking point. However, now that she has become one of WWE’s most marketable Superstars, it is safe to assume that “The Man” will soon sky-rocket up this list and be among the company’s top earners in the next few years.

Another standout name in this category is Braun Strowman. The two-time Raw Tag Team Champion revealed in July 2019 that he signed a new contract which will keep him with WWE until 2023.

Judging by the amount of television time that his “Monster Among Men” character receives, one imagines that this $300,000 figure may have increased in Strowman's latest deal.

• Asuka $250,000
• Becky Lynch $250,000
• Curtis Axel $250,000
• Jey Uso $250,000
• Jimmy Uso $250,000
• Luke Gallows $250,000
• Scott Dawson $250,000
• Apollo Crews $300,000
• Bo Dallas $300,000
• Braun Strowman $300,000
• Brie Bella $300,000
• Mickie James $300,000
• Natalya $300,000
• Titus O’Neil $300,000
• Alexa Bliss $350,000
• Kalisto $350,000
• Nikki Bella $350,000

#13 Annual base salary: $400,000-$550,000

This is the first category where career longevity seems to play a part in annual salaries, with Superstars including Fandango and Heath Slater earning as much as a high-profile name like Shinsuke Nakamura.

From a storyline perspective, Fandango and Slater have had sporadic spells of success over the last decade, but they have not featured anywhere near as much as Nakamura since the 2018 Royal Rumble winner debuted on WWE’s main roster in 2017.

Further down the list, Charlotte Flair is WWE’s highest-paid full-time female Superstar on $550,000, while all three members of The New Day earn a reported $500,000 each per year.

Just to reiterate, these salaries are only guaranteed amounts that Superstars are said to earn on an annual basis. Kofi Kingston, for example, will almost certainly earn more than Big E and Xavier Woods in 2019 due to his success as WWE Champion, and all three will receive extra income due to their merchandise sales.

• Fandango $400,000
• Heath Slater $400,000
• Shinsuke Nakamura $400,000
• Big E $500,000
• Cesaro $500,000
• Kofi Kingston $500,000
• Sami Zayn $500,000
• Xavier Woods $500,000
• Charlotte Flair $550,000
• Erick Rowan $550,000
• Luke Harper $550,000
• R-Truth $550,000

#12 Annual base salary: $650,000-$900,000

Like the previous category, two long-serving Superstars who have not featured much on television in the last year – Matt Hardy and Sin Cara – reportedly earn a higher amount than many of their co-workers.

Big Show and Kane have been two of WWE’s most featured Superstars over the last two decades. Despite their lack of in-ring action in recent years, it is no surprise that their loyalty is rewarded with a large annual base salary.

Elsewhere, some people might be surprised to see Rusev and Samoa Joe in this category. Both men have had plenty of success in WWE, but it is somewhat surprising that they feature so much higher than Superstars including Charlotte Flair and Shinsuke Nakamura.

Of course, the standout name near the top of these high-earners is Jinder Mahal. The former 3MB member, who held the WWE Championship for over five months in 2017, signed a new contract in 2019, so expect to see him on your screens for many years to come.

• Matt Hardy $650,000
• Sin Cara $700,000
• Rusev $800,000
• Samoa Joe $800,000
• Big Show $850,000
• Jinder Mahal $900,000
• Kane $900,000

To put these figures into context, two senior members of behind-the-scenes staff in WWE – George Barrios (Financial and Strategic Officer) and Kevin Dunn (Producer) – are reported to earn $800,000 each per year.

#11 Annual base salary: $1 million-$2 million

The highest-earning female Superstar in WWE is Ronda Rousey, whose three-year deal from 2018 to 2021 is reportedly worth $1.5 million per year.

Despite the UFC Hall of Famer featuring on the upcoming season of Total Divas, she was recently removed from WWE’s ‘Current Superstars’ section on the company’s website and added to the ‘Alumni’ section, and it is not known whether she will ever compete again.

As for the male Superstars in this category, Dolph Ziggler and Sheamus are both former World Champions who have been with the company for over a decade, while Jeff Hardy’s association with WWE goes all the way back to 1994.

Bray Wyatt and Finn Balor have been prominent Superstars on WWE programming since their respective debuts on the main roster in 2013 and 2016, so it is hardly surprising that they are both guaranteed a reported $1million on an annual basis.

Kevin Owens, meanwhile, signed a new five-year contract with WWE in 2018, which explains why he is said to earn twice as much as the likes of Wyatt and Balor.

• Bray Wyatt $1 million
• Finn Balor $1 million
• Jeff Hardy $1 million
• Sheamus $1 million
• Dolph Ziggler $1.5 million
• Ronda Rousey $1.5 million
• Kevin Owens $2 million

#10 Vince McMahon - $2.4 million

Technically, Vince McMahon is not a WWE Superstar. His last official match came in October 2012 against CM Punk on Raw and his physical altercations with the likes of AJ Styles and Roman Reigns in recent years happened in Raw and SmackDown segments, as opposed to matches.

That being said, it would be remiss of us to provide a list of WWE’s highest earners without including the company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

The mastermind behind everything that fans witness on WWE programming gives himself a reported salary of $2.4 million per year, which is more than the majority of his Superstars but not as much as nine of the top names on his roster.

Ranked at #691 in Forbes’ list of Billionaires in 2019, McMahon was also named in the Forbes 400 on their list of the richest Americans in 2018.

The 74-year-old’s love of money has even been used in WWE’s storylines in the past, most recently in September 2019 when Bray Wyatt stuffed dollars into the mouth of a Mr. McMahon puppet on an episode of Firefly Fun House.

Joint #8 The Miz - $2.5 million

The Miz has cemented his status as a future WWE Hall of Famer during his 15-year association with the company.

An eight-time Intercontinental Champion, 'The A-Lister' overcame doubters early on in his career and went on to defeat John Cena in the main event of WrestleMania XXVII in 2011.

Since then, he has been involved in several meaningful storylines with high-profile names including Cena, Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler, while he is now just one Intercontinental Championship victory away from tying Chris Jericho’s all-time record.

Away from WWE, The Miz has become the main character in The Marine movie franchise over the last few years, and he has also delved back into the world of reality television alongside his wife, Maryse, as the stars of USA Network show Miz & Mrs.

Given his career longevity in WWE and his professionalism outside of the ring, it is to be expected that the former WWE Champion is now among the company’s top earners.

Joint #8 The Undertaker - $2.5 million

The Undertaker will go down in history as one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time.

After debuting in 1990, The Deadman remained undefeated at WrestleMania in 21 appearances before finally losing at WWE’s biggest show of the year against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30 in 2014.

During his first two decades in WWE, the former Brother of Destruction won almost every title there is to win, including the WWE Championship (x4) and World Heavyweight Championship (x3), and he went on to claim WWE’s Match of the Year Award in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2015.

The Undertaker has also been credited for staying loyal to WWE in the 1990s at a time when many Superstars were choosing to leave the company for WCW.

Speaking in a 2015 interview with Muscle & Fitness, Vince McMahon even revealed that the WWE icon is his favourite Superstar.

"That would be Undertaker because of his loyalty, his longevity, and his extraordinary commitment to his character. We have lots of fun creating fun… He is such a professional and an extraordinary human being behind the character. He’s committed to his craft and has worked through injuries."

#7 Triple H - $2.75 million

Like The Undertaker, Triple H has remained loyal to WWE for over two decades and will forever be remembered as one of the company’s biggest names throughout the Attitude Era, Ruthless Aggression Era and beyond.

Nowadays, “The Game” competes in a WWE ring on rare occasions, usually at WrestleMania and at Saudi Arabia events, but the majority of his time is taken up by his role as the Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative.

This is reflected in his annual base salary, which sees him earn $1.1 million for his behind-the-scenes role and another $1.65 million as part of his talent contract.

Moving forward, it is unclear how much longer the 14-time World Champion plans to compete as an in-ring performer, especially as he now has the extra responsibility of overseeing two-hour live episodes of NXT on a weekly basis.

The man himself has ruled out competing in any NXT matches, though, telling talkSPORT in August 2019 that the brand is about the future and not about nostalgia.

#6 Seth Rollins - $3 million

Seth Rollins burst onto the WWE scene in November 2012 alongside Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose as part of The Shield, and all three men quickly established themselves as the future of the company for the next few years.

In 2014, 'The Architect' broke away from his fellow faction members and became part of The Authority alongside Triple H, Stephanie McMahon and Randy Orton.

On-screen, the storyline revolved around WWE’s higher-ups selecting Rollins as the main man who was going to help the company be a success for years to come. Off-screen, meanwhile, exactly the same thing was happening, as the former Shield member became one of WWE’s most marketable Superstars.

The WWE 2K18 cover star reportedly earns a guaranteed $3 million per year as part of his WWE contract, which should come as little surprise when you consider how often he features in meaningful storylines.

#5 AJ Styles - $3.5million

After earning a reputation for himself as one of the best wrestlers in the world, AJ Styles finally made his way to WWE in 2016 and debuted as a participant in that year’s Royal Rumble.

Within a few weeks, it was obvious that WWE had a major star on their hands with “The Phenomenal One”, and it did not take long before he was involved in major storylines with Chris Jericho, Roman Reigns, John Cena and Dean Ambrose.

Having first won the WWE Championship in September 2016, Styles claimed the title again in November 2017 and went on to hold it for the next 371 days, becoming the longest-reigning WWE Champion in SmackDown history in the process.

Given that he has not even been part of the WWE roster for four years yet, some might not expect to see Styles this high up in a list of the company’s top earners. However, when you take into account that he is constantly in key storylines and that he signed a new deal in early 2019, the veteran is definitely worthy of his financial success.

#4 Randy Orton - $4.5million

A 13-time World Champion, Randy Orton was destined to feature in one of the top positions in this list.

In 2004, the former Evolution member became the youngest holder of a World Championship in WWE history, and he has since gone on to cement his legacy as a future Hall of Famer and one of the best in-ring talents of his generation.

Although he no longer competes at every live event, the veteran still takes part in more matches on an annual basis than most of his fellow Superstars, hence why he is a top-earner on a reported base salary of $4.5million per year.

At the age of 39, there is still plenty of time for Orton to rack up another four World Championship reigns to beat the record of 16 that is jointly held by John Cena and Ric Flair. If he manages to do that, do not be shocked if this salary increases even more.

#3 Roman Reigns - $5million

Roman Reigns has been an integral part of WWE programming ever since he made his debut at Survivor Series 2012 as a Shield member with Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose.

Since then, he has won four World Championships, main-evented WrestleMania four years in a row and become the ninth Grand Slam Champion in recent WWE history.

Following The Shield’s initial split in 2014, it was clear that WWE’s decision-makers saw “The Big Dog” as their next top Superstar once John Cena slowed down his full-time in-ring career and began concentrating on his acting commitments.

This is presumably why, at a time when Cena spent more time away from WWE, Reigns picked up statement-making victories over three legends in 2016-17 – Triple H, The Undertaker and Cena – to establish himself as the company’s main Superstar.

With a reported salary of $5million per year, no other full-time performer earns as much as Reigns.

#2 John Cena - $8.5million

Despite transitioning from the squared circle to the silver screen in recent years, John Cena is still one of WWE’s highest-paid Superstars.

The 16-time World Champion remained a full-time member of the WWE roster following the 2016 Draft, where he became part of the SmackDown Live brand, but it did not take long before his appearances became more and more sporadic.

As part of his WWE character, Cena now responds to being called a “part-timer” by referring to himself as an “all-timer”, which is ironic given that the whole build-up to Cena vs. The Rock in 2012 revolved around “Big Match John” questioning his rival’s loyalties to WWE as a part-timer.

Outside of the ring, the five-time WrestleMania main-eventer is always full of praise for WWE in media interviews when he is promoting movies, so it is safe to assume that the good relationship between Cena and the company will lead to his return as an in-ring competitor one day.

#1 Brock Lesnar - $12million

Brock Lesnar’s love of money and lack of respect for the wrestling business has been an ongoing story on WWE television in recent years.

In 2018, for example, many people expected Roman Reigns to defeat a departing Lesnar in the main event of WrestleMania 34. However, “The Beast” reportedly signed a lucrative new deal with WWE on the day of the show, which allowed him to retain his Universal Championship later in the night.

Speaking in an interview on SportsCenter in March 2016, Lesnar opened up about his mindset with regards to accomplishments inside and outside of the wrestling business, making it clear that he only cares about how much money he makes.

"I'm not much for legacy. I guess people have their way of remembering what I did. I'm not about accomplishments. I don't have a trophy room. I don't have any symbolic things. I'm not a sentimental guy. I couldn't even tell you where my UFC titles are or my WWE championships or my NCAA plaque, my heavyweight plaque. I don't even know where that is right now. But I do know one thing – how much money's in my bank account."

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