Pro Pool Payroll in Perspective

C

ChrisSjoblom

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I just happened to run across the tournament money list on the AZB home page. In scanning over the money leaders so far in 2025 it hit me that what I have made so far this year working part-time in semi retirement would put me comfortably within the top 10 professionals. Yet it would not put me in the top 10 earners among the guys in my weekly pool league.

Yes, I realize that my earnings are not pool winnings, but I really enjoy what I do - to the point of considering it recreational much of the time. I would go as far as to say I probably enjoy it more than I would enjoy playing pool for a living. Especially true when you consider the mental and physical grind of spending most of your life away from home, not to mention the expenses of traveling all the time.

My point is not how good I have it, but rather how little monetary reward these pros get for their years of hard work, sacrifice and dedication. Given the level of commitment they demonstrate to reach and maintain performance at the highest level of pro pool, I think it's safe to say any of them could be making a lot more money in a straight job. I have to conclude that their passion for the game and the lifestyle is their main motivating force. I admire their skill and their drive, and I hope the intangible rewards that they garner are fulfilling enough for them.
 
ChrisSjoblom said:
I just happened to run across the tournament money list on the AZB home page. In scanning over the money leaders so far in 2025 it hit me that what I have made so far this year working part-time in semi retirement would put me comfortably within the top 10 professionals. Yet it would not put me in the top 10 earners among the guys in my weekly pool league.

Yes, I realize that my earnings are not pool winnings, but I really enjoy what I do - to the point of considering it recreational much of the time. I would go as far as to say I probably enjoy it more than I would enjoy playing pool for a living. Especially true when you consider the mental and physical grind of spending most of your life away from home, not to mention the expenses of traveling all the time.

My point is not how good I have it, but rather how little monetary reward these pros get for their years of hard work, sacrifice and dedication. Given the level of commitment they demonstrate to reach and maintain performance at the highest level of pro pool, I think it's safe to say any of them could be making a lot more money in a straight job. I have to conclude that their passion for the game and the lifestyle is their main motivating force. I admire their skill and their drive, and I hope the intangible rewards that they garner are fulfilling enough for them.
Click to expand...
You enjoy what you do so much that you are posting about it on AZB? That’s about as back handed a compliment as you could have given.
 
He's saying that there really is no incentive to chase being a 'pro' unless you already have the money to enjoy the lifestyle, and to accept the entry fee for the coin toss in the first place. I agree.
 
If you truly enjoy what you are doing--it is not proper to call it work.
I spent my 40 year career doing things I would have done even if they did not pay me to do it.
Excepting for life-guarding HS and College summer breaks, I have not worked a day in my life.
 
Flakeandrun said:
He's saying that there really is no incentive to chase being a 'pro' unless you already have the money to enjoy the lifestyle, and to accept the entry fee for the coin toss in the first place. I agree.
Click to expand...
Yeah I get it but I’m sure you wouldn’t find very many professional pool players that don’t have an extreme love for the game otherwise they’d work a 9-5. And if they were lucky they’d be one in five that loved that 9-5.
 
One thing to consider when reading pro players' winnings/earnings for a year, they do not pocket all that money. Expenses eats up proabaly close to a third, and then there's taxes. If they have a stakehorse or backer, that entity gets their cut.

If one remembers Shane Van Boening's interview with "60 Minutes," he stated not everybody on the tournament trail can make $100,000 per year.

And then there's benefits, retirement, and medical insurance.

Those people who do want to turn pro have passion for the sport of pool, a lot of passiob, so much so that it outweighs the desire for amenities that most non-pool pros have.

As an aside, the best time in my life of playing pool was on the leagues and weekly pool tournamaents. Professional pool, living out of a suitcase, is great for some, but it is most definitely not my cup of tea today. I click my heels three times every single day and say there's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home.
 
MitchAlsup said:
If you truly enjoy what you are doing--it is not proper to call it work.
I spent my 40 year career doing things I would have done even if they did not pay me to do it.
Excepting for life-guarding HS and College summer breaks, I have not worked a day in my life.
Click to expand...
I feel the same way. All my life I have been fortunate enough to be able to do things for my livelihood that I really liked.
 
ChrisSjoblom said:
I just happened to run across the tournament money list on the AZB home page. In scanning over the money leaders so far in 2025 it hit me that what I have made so far this year working part-time in semi retirement would put me comfortably within the top 10 professionals. Yet it would not put me in the top 10 earners among the guys in my weekly pool league.

Yes, I realize that my earnings are not pool winnings, but I really enjoy what I do - to the point of considering it recreational much of the time. I would go as far as to say I probably enjoy it more than I would enjoy playing pool for a living. Especially true when you consider the mental and physical grind of spending most of your life away from home, not to mention the expenses of traveling all the time.

My point is not how good I have it, but rather how little monetary reward these pros get for their years of hard work, sacrifice and dedication. Given the level of commitment they demonstrate to reach and maintain performance at the highest level of pro pool, I think it's safe to say any of them could be making a lot more money in a straight job. I have to conclude that their passion for the game and the lifestyle is their main motivating force. I admire their skill and their drive, and I hope the intangible rewards that they garner are fulfilling enough for them.
Click to expand...
Won money is twice as sweet as earned money....and less taxes.

I'd say at most there's 3 guys making a respectable living off only pool in the USA....and I don't see that changing because our 2nd and 3rd best cannot win on a world stage.

The more pool grows here, the more the top players in the world cone over to rob our events.
 
SBC said:
Won money is twice as sweet as earned money....and less taxes.

I'd say at most there's 3 guys making a respectable living off only pool in the USA....and I don't see that changing because our 2nd and 3rd best cannot win on a world stage.

The more pool grows here, the more the top players in the world cone over to rob our events.
Click to expand...
Actually, the money I was talking about (winnings on the AZB money list) is definitely taxable. If AZB knows about it, so does the IRS and the taxing authorities in whatever countries the winners reside.

Also, as the list is an international list it includes the top players in the world. Those international players may be robbing our big events, but they are not making a lot of money doing it.
 
SBC said:
Won money is twice as sweet as earned money....and less taxes.

I'd say at most there's 3 guys making a respectable living off only pool in the USA....and I don't see that changing because our 2nd and 3rd best cannot win on a world stage.

The more pool grows here, the more the top players in the world cone over to rob our events.
Click to expand...
I’m definitely not advocating for the difficult life of a “professional” pool player but I respect anyone that can make it happen. Anyone that can make a living at anything they love for that matter because most people don’t love how they make their living. In the 70s an NBA player was lucky to make $150,000. Magic Johnson signed a 25 year contract for $1 million a year in the 80s. Now the NBA league minimum is probably 1.2 million a year for the last man on the bench. TV changed the NBA. It’s difficult for that to happen in pool but but as boring a game as golf is to me it somehow works on TV. Streaming has recently made pool more popular… maybe it’s just a start. 🤞
 
Last edited:
The feel to me is, there's more good players, and there's allot more broke good players who are just gettin' by. And there's many more small events to pay for the hotels instead of drivin' a motorhome.
 
I recently saw where newly enlisted privates in the U.S. Army (E-1) make approximately $24,206.40 per year in basic pay.
Firemen, teachers, cops, emt's about the same. These professionals certainly don't do it for the money. I reckon the same can be said for pool pro's.
 
jokrswylde said:
I recently saw where newly enlisted privates in the U.S. Army (E-1) make approximately $24,206.40 per year in basic pay.
Firemen, teachers, cops, emt's about the same. These professionals certainly don't do it for the money. I reckon the same can be said for pool pro's.
Click to expand...
The wages you are quoting are entry level wages. The people getting into these fields know the pay goes up with time and performance. Entry level pro pool players are very lucky just to break even with expenses, and the probabilities of the pay going up in time are fairly slim. The average high school teacher (bachelor's degree) in my area is making about $64K for essentially 9 months of work. Getting a master's degree adds from $12K to $20K to this. A police sergeant around here makes better than $100K a year. These numbers are not from statistics, but rather from people I know in these jobs.

Many of the people going into the jobs you mentioned do enter their respective fields because they want to serve their country or their fellow man. However, plenty of others compare the potential money and benefits with their interests and what is required to do the job, and they make their decisions on that.
 
ChrisSjoblom said:
The wages you are quoting are entry level wages. The people getting into these fields know the pay goes up with time and performance. Entry level pro pool players are very lucky just to break even with expenses, and the probabilities of the pay going up in time are fairly slim. The average high school teacher (bachelor's degree) in my area is making about $64K for essentially 9 months of work. Getting a master's degree adds from $12K to $20K to this. A police sergeant around here makes better than $100K a year. These numbers are not from statistics, but rather from people I know in these jobs.

Many of the people going into the jobs you mentioned do enter their respective fields because they want to serve their country or their fellow man. However, plenty of others compare the potential money and benefits with their interests and what is required to do the job, and they make their decisions on that.
Click to expand...
yep. Just like any profession. Folks make choices.
 
Baby Huey said:
The money is coming. It won't be golf big but I see a million dollar year for someone within ten years. and several 500K runners-up along with more sponsorships not in the pool/snooker/carom world.
Click to expand...
I hope so. I know pool fans are a small group compared to some other sports, but the people who play at a high level do bring a lot of enjoyment to those of us who watch. I'm continually surprised and disappointed at how many of my shooting buddies and league members aren't even aware of the availability of great match videos on YouTube, let alone the live streaming opportunities.
 
ChrisSjoblom said:
Actually, the money I was talking about (winnings on the AZB money list) is definitely taxable. If AZB knows about it, so does the IRS and the taxing authorities in whatever countries the winners reside.

Also, as the list is an international list it includes the top players in the world. Those international players may be robbing our big events, but they are not making a lot of money doing it.
Click to expand...
Nobody is making alot except 4 or 5 guys.
Even with Matchroom that hasn't changed alot because even though...
There is always room at the top if you are good enough....there is only room for a handful of guys to make a living
 
Saw a sign on the Taco Bell drive through window today, $20 an hour for shift lead. That’s $41,600 a year for a 40 hour a week position. I am positive pro’s put in more time than that competing, practicing and traveling. And that puts Taco Bell 5th on the money list.

Pool is or had been (4” pockets) one of the most accessible games with one of the least barriers to entry of any game, and the only way, as has been suggested in many a thread, in my short time here on AZB, is to have it promoted in the main stream. It must become part of zeitgeist. Fedor is doing a nice job of the social media thing and so are others like the Terminator and Dr. Dave etc. But that is not going to cut the mustard.

Something like another movie that has pool as the main character (good movie) or a Netflix series to get the cultural juices flowing again or a celebrity event like a pro-am doubles on one of the 4 networks in prime time, that would give pool a jumpstart again.

Then there will be more cash.

The problem is, as history has proven, unless there is a compelling reason to keep the money flowing, pool will ebb again and Taco Bell wins.

“The only easy day was yesterday” as the SEAL’s say.

I love poking balls with sticks it just needs to be more accessible to the idea’s of the mainstream. We (the royal we) need to remember how much fun it is and show the fun!

Or maybe we are wishing in one hand and sh*tting in the other…

ETA: Proof point:
 
Last edited:
SBC said:
Nobody is making alot except 4 or 5 guys.
Even with Matchroom that hasn't changed alot because even though...
There is always room at the top if you are good enough....there is only room for a handful of guys to make a living
Click to expand...
The Nut is Brutal these days....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top