How Much do Supercross Riders Make?

You may think that Supercross riders and Motocross riders make tons and tons of money; although that may stay true to the top riders, if you are not one of the top riders then making money from racing is extremely difficult. 

For an average rider they can make anywhere from 85 thousand to 100 thousand dollars a year, but there are a lot of factors that go into how much a rider makes. The main way they make money is from team sponsors. A manufacturer team will sponsor a rider if they see potential in them. They will provide you with an annual salary that comes in 12 pay checks monthly. The other main way they make their money is through the races. In the 2020 Anaheim the first place got 12,000 dollars, while second place got 2,000. The riders need to consistently place at the top to make a career out of it instead of a hobby. They can also earn money from endorsements, team racing, and other types of promotional events. 

Now, if you are a top racer in your class, you can make a stupid amount of money. In 2013 Valentino Rossi earned an astonishing amount of money in only one year. He made 22 million in one single year, and the average rider makes 85,000. But, Rossi earning the 22 million is a world record in the history of supercross. In 2014 the other top riders were making anywhere from 150,000 to 740,000. 

It really all depends on how good the rider is. If the rider can hold their own and consistently place in the top five, then there is a lot of money to be made. But if you are just average and can not hold your own, then money will not be so good.