Comparing How Much NFL Personnel Make to Patrick Mahomes

How Much Do NFL Personnel Make Compared To Patrick Mahomes?

Patrick Mahomes’ eye-watering 10-year, $450 million contract from 2020 remains the largest deal ever inked in the NFL. With bonuses and incentives, the star quarterback can make over half a billion dollars during his tenure in Kansas City.

In March, Mahomes and the Chiefs restructured his contract to save the organization $21.6 million in cap relief. The three-time Super Bowl champ will earn more money up-front while allowing the Chiefs to pay other players.

This equates to Mahomes earning roughly $45 million for the 2024-25 season — tied for the 11th-highest annual salary in the NFL. What does Mahomes’ money translate to in terms of every minute, hour, and day? How do NFL personnel’s salaries stack up against Mahomes? Find out below!

Patrick Mahomes’ Salary Per Timeframe

Mahomes became only the sixth player to receive a contract of 10 years or more in the NFL.

The Green Bay Packers were the first team to award a 10-year contract in the NFL. A year later, the Philadelphia Eagles awarded QB Donovan McNabb a record-length 12-year contract, which still stands as the longest deal in NFL history.

10+ Year NFL Contracts

Brett Favre (2001): 10-year, $100 million
Drew Bledsoe (2001): 10-year, $103 million
Donovan McNabb (2002): 12-year, $115 million
Daunte Culpepper (2003): 10-year, $102 million
Michael Vick (2004): 10-year, $130 million
Patrick Mahomes (2020): 10-year, $450 million

After several NFL contracts worth 10 or more deals from 2021 to 2024, it took 16 years for the next. Daunte Culpepper and Michael Vick’s contracts aged horribly, prompting teams to reconsider locking up such lengthy agreements.

It wasn’t until a generational talent in Mahomes came along for the Chiefs to offer their star QB a 10-year, $450 contract to break the milestone again. The $45 million annual salary can be broken down to the minute, hour, day, week, and month!

Salary per Minute: $85.85
Salary per Hour: $5,151.10
Salary per Day: $173,076.92
Salary per Week: $865,384.62
Salary per Month: $3,750,000

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for Q4 of 2023 was $59,384. In review, Mahomes makes roughly three times per day than the average American worker does in a year.

Nevertheless, with three Super Bowls, millions of workers have reaped the benefits of backing Mahomes at the top NFL betting sites!

Patrick Mahomes’ Salary Compared To NFL Personnel

The comparison between Mahomes’ pay and the income of general NFL personnel is staggering. While many NFL employees are paid quite handsomely, team personnel can only dream of the $450 million that Mahomes commands.

Let’s delve into how Mahomes compares to personnel around the NFL:

How Much Do Head Coaches Make in the NFL?

- Average Annual Salary: $7 million

NFL head coaches are among the highest-paid employees in the NFL. This past April, Chiefs’ head coach Andy Reid joined Mahomes as a record-breaker in terms of pay. Reid signed a contract extension reportedly worth over $15 million per season to make him the highest-paid coach in the NFL.

Note that details of head coach salaries are not publicly disclosed. In 2023, the average salary for an NFL was estimated to be $6.6 million. With Reid’s new contract and Jim Harbaugh inking a $16 million contract, we can estimate that roughly $7 million is the average head coach salary now.

Although this eclipses the average NFL salary, it doesn’t compete with Mahomes’ $45 million. In fact, it would take an average of 6.43 head coaches on $7 million deals to equal the KC QB’s paycheck.

Still, Mahomes is far off the wealthiest NFL owners in net worth!

NFL Assistant Coach Salary (Offensive and Defensive Coordinator)

- Average Annual Salary: $1 million

NFL teams employ multiple coaching assistants to work under the head coach. For instance, there are position coaches, often with their own assistants. There are also strength and conditioning coaches, special teams coaches, quality control coaches, and more.

The assistant coaches immediately underneath the head coach are the offensive and defensive coordinators. They are also the highest-paid assistants, with an average salary of $1 million per year, according to NBC Sports.

For the purposes of this analysis, we are using the average pay for offensive and defensive coordinators. Establishing the pay rate for other assistants can be difficult to quantify in the absence of reliable statistics. Salaries can vary greatly between roles and teams.

Regardless, there isn’t an NFL assistant that compares to Mahomes’ salary. An average of 45 offensive/defensive coordinators at $1 million per year are required to match Mahomes’ $45 million.

NFL Referee Salary

- Average Annual Salary: $205,000

During the 2012 NFL referee lockout, inexperienced officials called games for the first month of the season. The ensuing chaos resulted in NFL referees having the upper hand in negotiations.

At the crux of the issue was increased pay for officials. Today, according to Money Digest, they are paid an average of $205,000 per year, before bonuses, as part-time employees.

Head referees and officials with more seniority are paid higher salaries, so the pay can eclipse well over $205,000 for some employees. At an average of $205,000, though, it would take 220 referees to equal Mahomes’ annual salary!

How Much Do NFL Cheerleaders Make?

- Average Annual Salary: $22,500

Over the last five years, poor treatment toward NFL cheerleaders from their employers, including wage theft, harassment, and unsafe working conditions have been widely discussed in the media. As of 2020, 10 NFL teams had lawsuits filed against them.

How does the pay for NFL cheerleaders look in 2024? It largely depends on which team they work for. High-profile cheerleading squads, such as the Dallas Cowboys, can make an average of $75,000 per year.

However, the average NFL cheerleader’s salary is roughly $150 per game, plus pay for public appearances and practices. This equals $22,500 per year on average for NFL cheerleading.

If you want to compare the Cowboys’ cheerleader’s pay to Mahomes, then 600 of them add up to his contract. However, on average, you’ll need to find 2,000 cheerleaders to meet Mahomes’ lucrative deal!

How Much Do NFL Mascots Make?

- Average Annual Salary: $60,000

In addition to cheerleaders, NFL mascots are gameday personnel designed to entertain the crowd in attendance. Like cheerleaders, the pay for NFL mascots varies based on their team.

For the 2023-24 season, the Cowboys’ Rowdy and Patriots’ Pat Patriot earned the most in the league at $50 an hour and $65,000 per season. The lower-earning mascots made about $50,000 for their services.

On average, NFL mascots make roughly $60,000 in yearly salary. In other words, we would have to stuff 750 mascots in a room to match what the Chiefs are paying Mahomes!

NFL Waterboy Salary

- Average Annual Salary: $53,000

Waterboys and girls play an integral role in attending to the needs of players on game days and practices. They are there during the dog days of summer to keep players hydrated during training camp.

Additionally, the waterboys have other responsibilities on the team, including taping player’s ankles and assisting with other treatment plans. According to former NFL player Jake Thieneman, many waterboys have athletic training degrees and have more responsibilities than distributing water bottles.

Thieneman also notes that waterboys rake in roughly $53,000 per year. The job is often used as a springboard to advance in their careers. On average, waterboys collected $53,000 per year, which means that 849 of them would equal Mahomes’ $45 million annual salary.

NFL Photographer Salary

- Average Annual Salary: $42,345

For passionate football fans who enjoy photography, being an NFL photographer is likely considered a dream job. Is it a lucrative job, though? How does an NFL photographer’s salary look against Mahomes’ insane payday?

According to ZipRecruiter, the national annual salary for a career as an NFL photographer is $42,345 in 2024. Photographers in California earn the most, with salaries reaching roughly $53,000 per year. This translates to $20 to $25 an hour for NFL photographers.

At $42,345 per year, a whopping 1,063 photographers are needed to match Mahomes’ $45 million salary!

How Much Do NFL Scouts Make?

- Average Annual Salary: $45,658

Scouts work diligently to find the next superstars in the NFL. They are responsible for attending games, watching game tapes, and writing reports on football prospects.

How much are NFL scouts paid for their time? Per Salary.com, they are paid an average salary of $45,658. On the low end, scouts can be paid in the $20,000s, while senior NFL scouts can make over $90,000.

Scouting directors earn well over $100,000, but management is not included in this calculation. NFL scouts are required to work up the ladder and make a name for themselves to earn big bucks!

With Mahomes making $45 million a season, a total of 986 NFL scouts match No. 15’s incredible pay.