Are you considering earning a living as a pro body builder and are wondering what they make? Do they bring in enough to earn a decent income, or should you think of it as more of a side job, one in which you are able to make some extra cash, but you’re going to have to do something else if you want to make ends meet?
The answer is: It depends on what type of body builder you are.
Types of Professional Body Builders
Just as all major sports have different ways to make money, body building is similar in that there are many avenues you could take to earn some cash. One option is competition body building. Depending on which one you enter, you can earn quite a bit, or not much at all.
For instance, if you are crowned Mr. Olympia, you’ll win a cool $250,000. The bad thing about competitions though is that usually it is only first place that brings in those kinds of dollars. Win second or third place and you’re probably closer to a few hundred bucks, which is not much considering the fee you paid to enter and all of the money required to build your body to super-standard levels.
You can also earn money as a professional body builder by gaining sponsorships with major corporations. For instance, if Gold’s Gym or BodyBuilding.com want you to be the face of their company, they may offer you a pretty package. Each one is different based on how big the company is and what they want you to do for them in return.
A third option for pro body builders is to earn money by modeling for magazines. This can easily bring in anywhere from $500 to $2,000 per day, which is good money if you get a lot of gigs.
A fourth money-making option is to offer personal training. You can charge a couple hundred dollars per hour to help someone build their physique like yours, while building up your savings at the same time.
Do you make money as a professional body builder? If so, what have you found to be the most lucrative avenue?