Aotearoa have raised many outstanding athletes over the years, but which one comes out on top for the highest earning sporting Kiwi?
These earnings are based on what each athlete makes from their respective sport and does not include other revenue including marketing or sponsorships.
So let’s take a dive in and see which Kiwi Athlete is earning the most.
Erin Routliffe – Tennis
Estimated Earnings: $2.2 Million
First up, we have Erin Routliffe who is tennis doubles star alongside her teammate Gabby Dabrowski who has most recently won the women’s doubles tournament in the WTA finals in Riyad.
Although she is of technically of Canadian descent, Routliffe was born In Aotearoa and switched to Kiwi allegiance back in 2017.
Trent Boult – Cricket
Estimated Earnings: $2.5 Million
Trenty, arguably one of the greatest cricketers ever to don a Blackcaps Jersey, Boult was the most expensive Kiwi for the 2025 IPL season, with Mumbai dishing out 125m Rupees ($2.5 mil) for the pace bowler.
Scott Dixon – Indycar
Estimated Earnings: $2.6 Million
Even at his ripe age of 44 Scott Dixon is still at the top of his game raking in more than 2.5 million dollars in 2024, just piping his fellow Kiwi Scott Mclaughlin.
Ryan Fox – Golf
Estimated Earnings: $3.1 Million
The first of four golfers on this list Fox has had a quite a few lucrative years in the golf game he had three DP World Tour wins, five runners-up placings, two thirds and three top-10 finishes.
Steven Alker – Golf
Estimated Earnings: $4.1 Million
Alker took out the 2024 Charles Schwab cup for the second time in three years earning him just over 4 million dollars.
Danny Lee – Golf
Estimated Earnings: $5.1 Million
The third Kiwi Golfer in a row on this list, according to Golf Monthly, Lee earned just over 5 million dollars placing him 34th overall in terms of earnings.
Joseph Parker – Boxing
Estimated Earnings: $5.3 Million
He had to be on here at some point, although we cannot be too sure with his exact earnings, Parker received 5.3 million dollars for his fight against Zhileli Zhang, which we won despite suffering a broken nose and two knockdowns during the bout.
Lydia Ko – Golf
Estimated Earnings: $6.3 Million
Arguably one of the greatest female athletes NZ has seen, Ko enjoyed a stellar 2024 winning multiple LPGA tour events and even earning herself a gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
Chris Wood – Footballer
Estimated Earnings: $8.9 Million
Enjoying an absolutely stellar run in the English Premier League, the 33-year-old striker for Nottingham Forrest has cemented himself as one of the top scorers for the 24-25 season notching 17 goals and 2 assists in 24 matches.
It is estimated that Aotearoa’s best footballer at this current time is earning close to $9 million dollars.
Steven Adams – Basketball
Estimated Earnings: $21.3 Million
With really no surprises here Steven Adams affectionately known as “Aquaman” takes the crown for highest paid Kiwi athlete for another year, earning roughly around $21 million dollars.
Currently it is rumoured that he may be on the move soon after spending the last season or so at the Houston Rockets, some reports suggest he could be joining King James and Luka Doncic at the Lakers, but only time will tell.
Main Image Credit: RNZ
