Read on to find out everything you need to know about how much pro volleyball players make.
Volleyball has quickly become one of the most popular sports to play and watch, and it’s now enjoyed on almost every continent. As the sport booms in popularity, so do the salaries of the players that play the game professionally.
If you have never asked the question, or you’re an aspiring player looking to see where the money is, here is everything you need to know about volleyball player salaries.
Salary factors
Much like every sport, several factors will impact what salary you can potentially earn as a pro player, namely, what league you play in, your experience, skill level, position, and your team’s foreign player quota.
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Leagues
While pro leagues can be found everywhere, if you have done any volleyball betting, you will know that the big-money leagues are mostly in Europe and Asia. The best and biggest players can be found in the Russian, South Korean, Italian, and Japanese leagues.
While you will earn money if you play as a pro in any league, salaries in these top leagues can range from $100,000 per year to over $1 million.
Experience
Your experience level also plays a role in your salary. Many younger players who have barely any pro experience will often have to work in a regular job until they fully break into their pro team.
Foreign player quota
Foreign quotas in volleyball are a fairly unique aspect of the sport and one that can have a huge impact on the money you will earn. A foreign quota is simply how many foreign players a team can have contracts with. In Russia, the quota is 2; in Japan, it’s 1; and in Germany, there is no quota.
However, the lower the foreign quota, the higher the salary cap usually is. Therefore, if you are the one foreign player on a Japanese team, you will make far more money than a foreign player on a German team.
Skill level
Skill level is obviously another factor when it comes to what players get paid. Much like soccer, volleyball leagues and teams are generally split into tiers, from most skilled to least skilled; in Europe, Russia and Italy are at the top, with England, Netherlands, and a few more at the bottom.
Your skill level will determine which teams are interested in signing you and eventually decide which league you spend time in.
Position
In volleyball, there is a clear distinction in salary depending on your position. Outside and opposite hitters earn the big bucks, as they are the points scorers. Many European players in these positions get signed to Asian teams, as they often tower over the opposition.
Liberos are often the least-paid players as they don’t have to possess any unique skill or body type. They don’t have to have the power to score, and they don’t need the height to defend and spike at the net. Most teams also fill this position quite easily and will usually use their foreign quota or bigger players, meaning liberos typically don’t get the bonus foreign quota salary either.
Salaries in Asia
In Asia, the two countries that offer the biggest and best salaries are Japan and South Korea. In Japan, top players can often earn close to or over $1 million a year thanks to tournament winnings, salaries, bonuses, and sponsorships.
While top players can earn a lot of money in Japan, South Korea is even more lucrative for a larger group of pros. A recent study showed that the average South Korean pro volleyball player could take home over $140,000 a year.
Salaries in Europe
As mentioned already, Russia and Italy are the two countries that offer the best salaries in Europe. The top players often earn as much, or more, as the top players in Asia, with the average salary being over $100,000.
Interestingly, Italy is widely regarded as the mecca of indoor volleyball and the place to see the best players go up against each other. Because of this, the top players can often earn enormous bonuses and sponsorship deals in Italy.
Volleyball in the USA
Surprisingly to some, the pro volleyball scene in the US is almost non-existent. Except for a five-week-long women’s tournament, most American players, such as Matt Anderson, play overseas. This is due to volleyball simply not being able to compete with other sports, such as baseball, American football, ice hockey, golf, and so on.
Women’s volleyball in Turkey
When it comes to women’s volleyball specifically, there is nowhere better to play than in Turkey. Unlike many sports where female athletes are often severely underappreciated and underpaid, the Turkish league is famous for handing out lucrative contracts to female players that often exceed $1 million annually.
While the average is unclear, many women in the pro league in Turkey can expect to make more than enough money each year to live very comfortably and not need any other source of income.
