A quick look at how much esports pro players earn
Are you curious how lucrative being an esports player is as a career? Here’s a quick gander at the average salary and what factors into it.
A quick look at how much esports pro players earn
Esports players are paid the same way and rate as sports athletes with salary based on contract agreement rather than a standard employee rate. Thus, it’s easier to trace their annual pay than their monthly salary. The average salary of esports player is €55,210 according to statistics in 2023 but this includes individuals with million-euro contracts.
If tracking only esports gamers at non-major events, the average annual pay is roughly between €11,000 and €20,000. Pro players get higher pay by taking more valuable contracts which only happens if they are scouted by a well-funded team.
That’s why the competition in the esports industry is fierce because the best of every division aims to climb the ranks as high as possible. The goal is not just to win tournaments but also to be recognised by scouts from the top-tier leagues in their respective esports.
The factors that contribute to how much a player can earn
The answer to the question ‘how much do pro esports players make?’ greatly depends on a few elements in professional gaming. Here are three of the most impactful ones and what they can mean for the player.
Success of the video game
Every competitive video game is designed to one day become a successful esport but only a handful make it to mainstream media or bookmakers like Gamdom. If a new title is released with that intent, they’d have to compete with the giants in the industry like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) or League of Legends.
A good comparison would be between Overwatch and Paladins. The former popularised the hero shooter genre and the latter followed the same formula. However, Overwatch’s popularity was too strong, resulting in a more competitive and profitable esports landscape than Paladins.
Popularity of esport games
Esports also get its own spotlight independent from the game. This is how tournaments get broadcasting revenue and how teams get sponsors. Hence, the total esports player earnings can come from a wide variety of sources namely their team employers, brands they endorse, and revenue cut from multimedia platforms. Most esports pro players also stream their games on platforms like Twitch and YouTube where they can get donations from subscribers.
Level of competition in major leagues
Every esports player salary revolves around the agreement between them and their employers. Naturally, it is up to them whether they wish to stay in the same team or move on and that decision is greatly influenced by offers. If a player’s contract is expiring, rival teams are likely to contact them and bid for their participation.
The highest bidder wins unless there are other factors that they need to consider like which league they’re playing in or which team they’re representing. Some players from Australia would prefer offers from North America than their own home region, for example, if it has better exposure and environment.
Top earners in every esports
Gamdom offers betting markets on all the top esports today. These are the games with some of the highest-earning pro esports players in the world. Their total earnings are a mix of having top bids in drafting as well as the revenue from sponsorship deals that they are a part of. Here are some of the top earners for each game and how much they are paid exactly:
Dota 2
Johan ‘N0tail’ Sundstein is the top earner in Dota 2 with €6,602,000 earnings followed by Jesse ‘JerAx’ Vainikka with €5,962,000. Anathan ’ana’ Pham comes in third place with €5,515,000.
Win real cash playing Gamdom Roulette
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO)
There’s a huge gap in earnings between Dota 2 and CS:GO but it is still within millions. Peter ‘dupreeh’ Rasmussen is the top earner in the game with €1,872,922. He is closely followed by Andreas ‘Xyp9x’ Højsleth at €1,830,648 and then by Nicola ‘dev1ce’ Reedtz at €1,776,427.
League of Legends
League of Legends is one of the most popular games in the world but it only has one professional esports player to make it among the top 100 top earners. That honour goes to Lee ‘Faker’ Sang Hyeok who earns €1,319,000 annually. Following him is Lee ‘Duke’ Ho Seong with €877,300 then followed by Bae ‘Bang’ Jun Sik with €841,800.
StarCraft II
StarCraft II is generally seen as a niche title compared to the others but its esports is still as competitive as ever. The highest earner is Joona ‘Serral’ Sotala with €1,117,000 followed by Cho ‘Maru’ Sung Choo with €1,026,000. Third place goes to Lee ‘Rogue’ Byung Ryul with an earnings of €986,000.
VALORANT
VALORANT is currently the hottest trend in esports but its competitive scene is still new. That’s why none of its top players has even reached half a million yet. The current top earnings in the game is held by Austin ‘crashies’ Roberts who currently has €146,000. 2nd placer in VALORANT earnings is Victor ‘Victor’ Wong who has €145,000 and in 3rd place is Pujan ‘FNS’ Mehta with €143,000.
Bet on esports games at Gamdom
Use your knowledge of the esports economy when betting on matches. The nature of bidding and prize distribution in esports makes player earnings a great indicator of how highly valued they are in their respective video game. If you are a new gambler at Gamdom with no familiarity with any esport, then you can base your bets on which team has the more valued player.
Gamdom covers all the major league tournaments of the most popular esports in the world. Any of its teams can swap their rosters at any season. Always tune in for news updates on recruits and roster changes to see how well a particular team will fare that season.
Play the best Bitcoin casino games at Gamdom
Words: Clarence Clarke
