Highest paid NFL kickers
$700,093,084 paid to 33 kickers, $21,214,942 a career, led by Justin Tucker on $59,473,599.
Kicker is the 7th best paid of the 18 positions the league has enough careers to rank, $21.2m a career against $23.0m for the average NFL career on this site, so it is one of the positions the league pays least. More of a kicker's money is the weekly paycheque than the league average: 63.1% against 52.9%. That is the mark of a position a club can walk away from in March.
The twenty richest kickers
Money paid across a whole career
Justin Tucker has been paid $2.1m more than any other kicker the site holds, and the twenty here account for 91.0% of everything the position has earned.
Every kicker ranked by career earnings
Money paid, and what is still contracted
| # | Player | Franchise | Seasons | Signing | Contracted | Career earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | Justin Tucker Texas | Baltimore Ravens | 16 | $19.5m | $5.1m | $59,473,599$59.5m |
| 002 | Graham Gano Florida State | New York Giants | 18 | $17.4m | $57,338,439$57.3m | |
| 003 | Matt Prater Central Florida | Arizona Cardinals | 18 | $11.7m | $44,999,786$45.0m | |
| 004 | Chris Boswell Rice | Pittsburgh Steelers | 13 | $14.0m | $41,315,398$41.3m | |
| 005 | Jason Myers Marist | Seattle Seahawks | 12 | $11.5m | $38,432,056$38.4m | |
| 006 | Ka'imi Fairbairn California-Los Angeles | Houston Texans | 11 | $7.3m | $38,096,164$38.1m | |
| 007 | Harrison Butker Georgia Tech | Kansas City Chiefs | 12 | $11.3m | $11.7m | $36,019,115$36.0m |
| 008 | Jake Elliott Memphis | Philadelphia Eagles | 12 | $5.8m | $12.0m | $33,747,201$33.7m |
| 009 | Dustin Hopkins Florida State | Cleveland Browns | 15 | $8.0m | $5.4m | $32,321,676$32.3m |
| 010 | Wil Lutz Georgia State | Denver Broncos | 10 | $8.6m | $28,328,389$28.3m | |
| 011 | Matt Gay Utah | Indianapolis Colts | 9 | $8.6m | $27,386,340$27.4m | |
| 012 | Younghoe Koo Georgia Southern | Atlanta Falcons | 9 | $6.3m | $26,499,890$26.5m | |
| 013 | Nick Folk Arizona | Tennessee Titans | 17 | $4.2m | $25,992,955$26.0m | |
| 014 | Greg Zuerlein Missouri Western State | New York Jets | 13 | $5.9m | $25,349,379$25.3m | |
| 015 | Jason Sanders New Mexico | Miami Dolphins | 9 | $2.1m | $24,912,430$24.9m | |
| 016 | Cairo Santos Tulane | Chicago Bears | 14 | $8.0m | $24,740,935$24.7m | |
| 017 | Daniel Carlson Auburn | Las Vegas Raiders | 8 | $4.2m | $23,519,159$23.5m | |
| 018 | Tyler Bass Georgia Southern | Buffalo Bills | 8 | $5.3m | $4.3m | $19,705,800$19.7m |
| 019 | Chase McLaughlin Illinois | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8 | $465k | $14,697,789$14.7m | |
| 020 | Evan McPherson Florida | Cincinnati Bengals | 7 | $5.3m | $3.6m | $14,223,712$14.2m |
| 021 | Cameron Dicker Texas | Los Angeles Chargers | 7 | $3.0m | $10.0m | $14,129,169$14.1m |
| 022 | Eddy Pineiro Florida | Carolina Panthers | 9 | $1.8m | $8,247,681$8.2m | |
| 023 | Joey Slye Virginia Tech | New England Patriots | 9 | $1.1m | $7,796,328$7.8m | |
| 024 | Jake Moody Michigan | San Francisco 49ers | 4 | $858k | $5,304,082$5.3m | |
| 025 | Michael Badgley Miami (FL) | Detroit Lions | 7 | $676k | $4,585,797$4.6m | |
| 026 | Austin Seibert Oklahoma | Washington Commanders | 9 | $365k | $3,789,919$3.8m | |
| 027 | Will Reichard Alabama | Minnesota Vikings | 4 | $171k | $1.2m | $3,000,620$3.0m |
| 028 | Cam Little Arkansas | Jacksonville Jaguars | 4 | $138k | $1.2m | $2,968,388$3.0m |
| 029 | Joshua Karty Stanford | Los Angeles Rams | 4 | $138k | $1.2m | $2,968,388$3.0m |
| 030 | Brayden Narveson North Carolina State | Green Bay Packers | 3 | $5k | $2,830,000$2.8m | |
| 031 | Blake Grupe Notre Dame | New Orleans Saints | 3 | $2k | $2,697,500$2.7m | |
| 032 | Brandon Aubrey Notre Dame | Dallas Cowboys | 3 | $0 | $2,695,000$2.7m | |
| 033 | Jake Bates Arkansas | Detroit Lions | 2 | $100k | $1,980,000$2.0m |
The table holds every one of the 33 careers at the position. The contracted column is money written into a deal for a season that has not been played, so it is not in the career figure beside it. The whole league's contracted money is ranked here.
How a kicker's money is paid
The seven parts of a contract, for this position and for the league
- Base salary 63.1%
- Signing bonus 23.0%
- Restructured money 4.4%
- Roster bonus 5.1%
- Option bonus 3.6%
- Workout bonus 0.6%
- Incentives 0.3%
| Part of the contract | What it is | This position | The league | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base salary | the weekly paycheque, and the part that stops the day a player is cut | 63.1% | 52.9% | $476,302,281$476.3m |
| Signing bonus | paid up front and guaranteed the moment the contract is signed | 23.0% | 27.6% | $173,819,500$173.8m |
| Restructured money | base salary converted to signing money so a deal fits under the cap | 4.4% | 6.3% | $32,953,101$33.0m |
| Roster bonus | paid for being on the roster on a named day of the year | 5.1% | 6.6% | $38,394,450$38.4m |
| Option bonus | paid to take up a season already written into the deal | 3.6% | 5.3% | $27,481,200$27.5m |
| Workout bonus | paid for turning up to the offseason programme | 0.6% | 0.7% | $4,221,072$4.2m |
| Incentives | paid for hitting a number | 0.3% | 0.5% | $2,045,255$2.0m |
More of a kicker's money is the weekly paycheque than the league average: 63.1% against 52.9%. That is the mark of a position a club can walk away from in March. Base salary and signing bonus money are each ranked across the whole league on their own pages.
What the league pays kickers each season
Every kicker on a payroll that year, added together
2024 is the biggest year for kicker pay on record at $108,545,756 across 34 players, which is $3.2m each. The whole 2024 payroll is here.
Kicker money by franchise
What the kickers on each roster have earned in their careers
| # | Franchise | Players | Per player | Career earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Baltimore Ravens | 1 | $59.5m | $59,473,599$59.5m |
| 02 | New York Giants | 1 | $57.3m | $57,338,439$57.3m |
| 03 | Arizona Cardinals | 1 | $45.0m | $44,999,786$45.0m |
| 04 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1 | $41.3m | $41,315,398$41.3m |
| 05 | Seattle Seahawks | 1 | $38.4m | $38,432,056$38.4m |
| 06 | Houston Texans | 1 | $38.1m | $38,096,164$38.1m |
| 07 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1 | $36.0m | $36,019,115$36.0m |
| 08 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1 | $33.7m | $33,747,201$33.7m |
| 09 | Cleveland Browns | 1 | $32.3m | $32,321,676$32.3m |
| 10 | Denver Broncos | 1 | $28.3m | $28,328,389$28.3m |
| 11 | Indianapolis Colts | 1 | $27.4m | $27,386,340$27.4m |
| 12 | Atlanta Falcons | 1 | $26.5m | $26,499,890$26.5m |
| 13 | Tennessee Titans | 1 | $26.0m | $25,992,955$26.0m |
| 14 | New York Jets | 1 | $25.3m | $25,349,379$25.3m |
| 15 | Miami Dolphins | 1 | $24.9m | $24,912,430$24.9m |
| 16 | Chicago Bears | 1 | $24.7m | $24,740,935$24.7m |
| 17 | Las Vegas Raiders | 1 | $23.5m | $23,519,159$23.5m |
| 18 | Buffalo Bills | 1 | $19.7m | $19,705,800$19.7m |
| 19 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1 | $14.7m | $14,697,789$14.7m |
| 20 | Cincinnati Bengals | 1 | $14.2m | $14,223,712$14.2m |
| 21 | Los Angeles Chargers | 1 | $14.1m | $14,129,169$14.1m |
| 22 | Carolina Panthers | 1 | $8.2m | $8,247,681$8.2m |
| 23 | New England Patriots | 1 | $7.8m | $7,796,328$7.8m |
| 24 | Detroit Lions | 2 | $3.3m | $6,565,797$6.6m |
| 25 | San Francisco 49ers | 1 | $5.3m | $5,304,082$5.3m |
| 26 | Washington Commanders | 1 | $3.8m | $3,789,919$3.8m |
| 27 | Minnesota Vikings | 1 | $3.0m | $3,000,620$3.0m |
| 28 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 1 | $3.0m | $2,968,388$3.0m |
| 29 | Los Angeles Rams | 1 | $3.0m | $2,968,388$3.0m |
| 30 | Green Bay Packers | 1 | $2.8m | $2,830,000$2.8m |
| 31 | New Orleans Saints | 1 | $2.7m | $2,697,500$2.7m |
| 32 | Dallas Cowboys | 1 | $2.7m | $2,695,000$2.7m |
A career total lands on the franchise a player is at now, so this is a ranking of which rosters hold the expensive kickers rather than of which clubs wrote the cheques. Every franchise is ranked here.
Where a kicker is drafted
Career earnings by the round a player was taken in
The rounds on record here run from 3 to 7. The whole draft is ranked here.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the highest paid NFL kicker of all time?
Justin Tucker, $59,473,599. Graham Gano is second on $57,338,439.
How much does an NFL kicker earn over a career?
$21,214,942 on average across the 33 careers here, and 7th of 18 positions on money per career. The figure is money actually paid rather than the headline value of a contract.
Is a kicker's money guaranteed?
23.0% of it arrives as a signing bonus, which is the part that cannot be taken back, against 27.6% across the league. The other 63.1% is base salary and it stops the day a player is released.
Which franchise has paid the most at kicker?
Baltimore Ravens, $59,473,599 across the one player on its books, counted as everything those careers have earned anywhere.
How many NFL kickers are still playing?
20 of the 33 here were on a roster in 2026, with $55,719,000 written into contracts for seasons not yet played.
Where to next
The positions either side of this one, and the rest of the money
Quarterback · Inside Linebacker · Tight End · Running Back · Center · Punter · Long Snapper · Fullback · Every position · NFL career earnings
The fifty richest kickers
- Justin Tucker
- Graham Gano
- Matt Prater
- Chris Boswell
- Jason Myers
- Ka'imi Fairbairn
- Harrison Butker
- Jake Elliott
- Dustin Hopkins
- Wil Lutz
- Matt Gay
- Younghoe Koo
- Nick Folk
- Greg Zuerlein
- Jason Sanders
- Cairo Santos
- Daniel Carlson
- Tyler Bass
- Chase McLaughlin
- Evan McPherson
- Cameron Dicker
- Eddy Pineiro
- Joey Slye
- Jake Moody
- Michael Badgley
- Austin Seibert
- Will Reichard
- Cam Little
- Joshua Karty
- Brayden Narveson
- Blake Grupe
- Brandon Aubrey
- Jake Bates
Every position
- Quarterback earnings
- Wide Receiver earnings
- Defensive End earnings
- Defensive Tackle earnings
- Cornerback earnings
- Outside Linebacker earnings
- Safety earnings
- Guard earnings
- Left Tackle earnings
- Right Tackle earnings
- Inside Linebacker earnings
- Tight End earnings
- Running Back earnings
- Center earnings
- Kicker earnings
- Punter earnings
- Long Snapper earnings
- Fullback earnings
By season
- The 2026 NFL payroll
- The 2025 NFL payroll
- The 2024 NFL payroll
- The 2023 NFL payroll
- The 2022 NFL payroll
- The 2021 NFL payroll
- The 2020 NFL payroll
- The 2019 NFL payroll
- The 2018 NFL payroll
- The 2017 NFL payroll
- The 2016 NFL payroll
- The 2015 NFL payroll
- The 2014 NFL payroll
- The 2013 NFL payroll
- The 2012 NFL payroll