How Much Money Do WWE Performance Center/NXT Wrestlers Earn?
Developmental wrestlers have enjoyed a signifiant pay rise in recent years.
WWE talent salaries remain closely-guarded, as while the occasional paycheque does make it to the internet every now and then, most reported numbers are either products of speculation and conjecture or complete fabrications.
It's therefore hard to tell how much money the promotion's wrestlers are actually making. Despite this, a new WWE feature in the Sports Business Journal has shed new light on developmental wrestler compensation.
Per the write-up, the average NXT or Performance Center salary sits at around $80,000 per annum, with most contracts sitting something between $50,000 and $150,000. They also note that some wrestlers' salaries can push towards seven figures depending on whether or not they make it to the top of Raw or SmackDown.
Triple H is quoted as saying that once signed, wrestlers are trained timing, technique, camera awareness, presence, and injury avoidance. He says that WWE is "more akin to 'Rocky' the movie than boxing, from the shooting and production of it," and that the product is all about "emotional storytelling."
On top of all this, SBJ note that WWE shoot and produce more than 1,500 hours of content every year - an average of more than 4 hours per day.