The Steiner Brothers Explain How WWE Wrestlers Were Paid Based on Attendance

WWE Superstars now work under contracts that provide an agreed level of pay, but the system experienced by Rick and Scott Steiner was far less predictable. During their era, the number of people who purchased tickets could directly affect how much money wrestlers received for working a show.

Before the guaranteed contracts and television deals seen today, wrestlers depended heavily on live events. A crowded building usually meant a better payday, while weak attendance could leave performers with far less money than expected. That uncertainty followed them from smaller wrestling territories into WWE.

During a conversation with Bron Breakker uploaded to WWE Vault, WWE’s YouTube channel, Rick and Scott Steiner discussed how wrestlers travelled together to reduce expenses. Four performers would often share one car, divide the fuel cost and drive hundreds of miles between shows. Rick recalled that wrestlers were paid according to the business generated by each event. Unlike today’s WWE stars, performers could not assume they would receive the same amount regardless of ticket sales.

“When ya hit the road, ya know, it builds character, it makes ya appreciate stuff. You form friendships with your guys in the business. You put four to a car so you can save money and gas, and you go to the towns. Vince paid ya on the shows. The same thing they did in these little territories. Ya know, it wasn’t big like it is now, and all the money, so you wanted the shows and you wanted all those people because that’s how ya got paid.”

Under that system, attendance was connected to a wrestler’s payoff. If the promotion drew a good crowd, more money was available for the performers. When ticket sales fell, their pay could fall with them. Rick told Breakker that this was difficult for wrestlers who had families and household expenses waiting at home. They still had to travel, wrestle and cover costs without knowing exactly how much money the night would produce.

“Now, I don’t think you really realize down at ‘NXT’ or like ‘WrestleMania’ or all that, ya know. ‘Well, I’m at WrestleMania and I’m gonna get paid X.’ Well, back in the day, you went off how many people were there. And if there was nobody there or the attendance was down, your payment was down. Ya know, and you got to raise your family, you gotta pay bills. So it just gives you a better perspective and I think it helps you appreciate the business.”

The Steiners’ early experiences showed how little security wrestlers sometimes had. Rick remembered regularly travelling for seven or eight hours while making around $40 or $50. One payment he received for wrestling in Evansville, Indiana, was only $10.

Scott experienced the territorial system as well. He began in the AWA before wrestling in Montreal and Mid-South. The nightly drives could cover 150 or 200 miles, even when the money was low. His financial situation changed after he received his first contract with Jim Crockett Promotions.

“Then when Bill sold to Crockett’s, then Sting and I went to NWA. Ya know, and they gave me a contract. That’s when the Road Warriors, Lex, Four Horsemen, all those guys were there. And I got my first contract, $50,000. I said, ‘God, I made it. This is great.’”

How WWE wrestlers are paid today

Today’s WWE pay system is built around individual contracts rather than handing wrestlers a payoff determined only by that night’s attendance. The precise terms are private and can differ from one performer to another, so there is no single payment formula covering everyone.

Public reporting and previously filed WWE talent agreements show that contracted wrestlers generally receive guaranteed compensation. This has often been called a “downside guarantee”—the minimum amount a performer is due during the contract year. More recent reports have described some WWE deals as fixed salaries with higher guaranteed amounts. Fightful’s explanation of WWE contracts notes that payment terms can include guaranteed money, royalties and negotiated bonuses.

Not every WWE contract contains identical bonuses or royalty percentages. Top stars may negotiate terms that are different from those offered to newer wrestlers, while NXT contracts can also differ from main-roster agreements. Since WWE does not publish each performer’s contract, reported salary figures should not automatically be treated as confirmed.

Live-event attendance still matters to WWE because ticket sales generate revenue, but a wrestler’s entire paycheck is no longer decided by the crowd inside one building. WWE’s financial filings list live events, media rights, sponsorships, licensing and merchandise among its sources of revenue. WWE’s corporate filing also shows how touring and ticket sales form only part of the company’s wider business.