:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63613195/pg_20_WWE_Triple_H.0.jpg)
Unlike other sports or even in Hollywood, salary information for WWE’s roster is not readily discussed.
In the NFL or NBA if you want to know the contract length and salary figures for your favorite players, it’s an easy number to access. When it comes to pro wrestling, WWE in particular, talks regarding money are much harder to come by.
Sprinkled into a fantastic story on the WWE Performance Center by Sports Business Journal, is a brief peek into some salary numbers for wrestlers just starting out with the company.
The report would briefly touch on how much new NXT wrestlers make on their first contract.
“Those signed to developmental contracts are paid on average $50,000 to $150,000 a year. The overall average for those in development is about $80,000. If they reach the top of the WWE, salaries can climb into the seven figures.”
Senior director of talent development, Canyon Ceman reveals the ideal number of rookies WWE shoots to sign in a given year.
“Each tryout has about 40 prospects, meaning 300 to 400 people get a tryout each year. Of those, Ceman said, the WWE will hire 30 to 40. The next Performance Center tryout is set for April 25-27. The next international tryout will be held in Shanghai July 15-18.”
A hot button issue in the pro wrestling world over the past few years is WWE stacking their roster versus the company hoarding too much talent.
With nothing to really compare it to, what aspiring pro wrestlers sign as their first contract may give supporters and critics a clue into what WWE is thinking in terms of building their roster.