- Athletes salaries have soared over the course of the decade.
- With the help of Spotrac, we added up the total cash earnings from contracts of the top athletes in North American sports to see who has made the most since 2010.
- NFL, MLB, and NBA players make up the entire list, with 13 players making over $200 million on the field this decade.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
It’s never been more lucrative to be a professional athlete.
Over the course of this decade, athlete salaries have soared, thanks to growing revenues in many sports.
With the help of Spotrac, we went through the highest-earning athletes in each North American sport, based on total cash from their contracts from 2010 to now. Three leagues owned the list – MLB, NBA, and NFL. While NHL players, golfers, and tennis players are all highly paid, their salaries have not caught quite up with pro baseball, basketball, and football.
Check out which athletes earned the most on the field over the last decade.
16. Carmelo Anthony: $190.5 million
League: NBA
Age: 35
Biggest contract this decade: Five years, $124 million in 2014
15. Dwight Howard: $191.5 million
League: NBA
Age: 34
Biggest contract this decade: Four years, $88 million in 2012
14. Russell Westbrook: $198.1 million
League: NBA
Age: 31
Biggest contract this decade: Five years, $206 million in 2017
13. Matthew Stafford: $200.6 million
League: NFL
Age: 31
Biggest contract this decade: Five years, $135 million in 2017
12. Matt Ryan: $201.5 million
League: NFL
Age: 34
Biggest contract this decade: Five year, $150 million contract in 2018
11. Aaron Rodgers: $205.5 million
League: NFL
Age: 36
Biggest contract this decade: Four years, $134 million in 2018
10. C.C. Sabathia: $207.7 million
League: MLB
Age: 39
Biggest contract this decade: Five years, $122 million in 2011
9. Zack Greinke: $208.2 million
League: MLB
Age: 36
Biggest contract this decade: Six years, $206 million in 2016
8. Kevin Durant: $211.9 million
League: NBA
Age: 31
Biggest contract this decade: Four years, $164 million in 2019
7. Felix Hernandez: $215.4 million
League: MLB
Age: 33
Biggest contract this decade: Seven years, $175 million in 2013.
6. Albert Pujols: $216.3 million
League: MLB
Age: 39
Biggest contract this decade: Ten years, $240 million in 2012
5. Justin Verlander: $220.3 million
League: MLB
Age: 36
Biggest contract this decade: Five years, $180 million in 2013
4. Clayton Kershaw: $220.9 million
League: MLB
Age: 31
Biggest contract this decade: Seven years, $215 million in 2014
3. Miguel Cabrera: $222.9 million
League: MLB
Age: 36
Biggest contract this decade: Eight years, $248 million in 2014
2. Chris Paul: $231.1 million
League: NBA
Age: 34
Biggest contract this decade: Four years, $159 million in 2018
1. LeBron James: $244.8 million
League: NBA
Age: 35
Biggest contract this decade: Four years, $154 million in 2018