In any team sport, there are always positions that get appreciated more than others; not necessarily because they have the most positive impact on the team, but mostly because it offers better entertainment for the fans than others …
Volleyball is no exception to that! And obviously this does reflect on the amount of money these kinds of positions get.
In this article I breakdown volleyball positions that get rewarded financially the most and why this is the case!
Volleyball position that gets paid the most …
The pay of volleyball players depend on thing like:
- Country they play in
- Position
- Processed skills
There can be instances when an outside hitter earns a lot more than the setter of the team just because he is more talented.
On average a volleyball player earns $64,000 per year.
Libero being one of the most important and hardest positions in volleyball earns generally the most.
On average, the libero of the team earns around $141,000 per year …
The reason for this high salary is the scarcity of this position. Every team aims to get in the finest player at this position …
Libero is the backbone of the defense of the team. He needs to jump at every offense and dive at every defense.
This is what makes liberoes worth the salary they receive. But again, this is not always the case. There can be some instances where the setter earns much more than the libero because of the skill set he possesses.
Important Side Note: Many amateurs are mostly interested in playing as a Libero, that’s why they keep asking all sorts of questions about this position. One of the most common questions is whether the recommended shoes for Libero are different from other positions because of the heavy tasks he/she has. Indeed Yes … Libero shoes should have a much more reliable grip than other position shoes because he is the one that changes positions the most which could lead to slippery if the grip is not good enough. For example these quality volleyball shoes are very suitable to the Libero position and is also recommended for other positions as well.
How much do other volleyball positions get paid?
1. Setter
The setter is a very important position that plays the role of setting the ball perfectly for the hitters. He receives, defends, and even sets the ball.
The Setter of the team is the perfect all-rounder. On average the setter earns almost equal or a little less than the libero. The salary of a setter ranges from $100,000 to $120,000.
2. Receivers
This is the position that holds the line for the team. They receive the offense of the other team and further pass the ball to the setter.
They do help the defense and prepare the team for offense as well. On average the salary of receivers is around $80,000 to $90,000.
3. Opposites
This is the position that makes sure that the ball doesn’t touch the ground. Their role is very dynamic and requires utmost attention.
People playing at this position need to be attentive and ready to jump and dive throughout the game. Their salary range is similar to theta of the receivers, which is around $80,000-$90,000.
4. Middle blockers
The people who take the offense to the other team. Defense is indeed as important as the offense. No matter how many points you score, if you can’t defend, your loss is certain up to some extent.
Players with a lot of agility must take up this position. The salary of players occupying this position is around $70,000 to $100,000.
It is worth mentioning that when it comes to position rotations in volleyball, Middle Blockers play a critical role!
Volleyball position that gets the most sponsorship opportunities
Salary is just a part of the player’s income. The majority share of the income comes from sponsorships …
Sponsorship income is the money received by players from renowned brands for promoting them. These can be given to the whole team, for instance, the brand name on the team’s shirt. Or maybe given to an individual player outside of the team and court.
The team sponsorships are provided after looking at the team’s reputation and its records. But this is not the case in individual sponsorships.
In volleyball, the libero and setter are the positions that get the most sponsorship opportunities. This is because of the popularity of these positions amongst viewers.
The libero of the team outshines because of his different color jersey and hence is easily noticeable to the viewers.
On the other hand, the setter is of course popular because of the crucial role he plays. Many aspiring players get motivated by seeing the setter only.
Hence these two positions are the ones that are prone to get the maximum sponsorship opportunities.
Volleyball position that deserves the highest pay
Every player in volleyball needs to put his whole strength out while performing for the team. While every player gives his best, some positions need to be more attentive throughout.
These are the positions that form the backbone of the team. Hence, of course, the players playing in these positions get higher pay when compared to others.
As mentioned earlier, the libero is the one who earns the highest salary. It is just because the player at that position deserves to be paid the highest.
He forms the backbone of the team and manages both offense and defense. No other position of the player is given this much burden or responsibility for that matter.
Hence the pay given to the libero is justified and he deserves to be paid the most.
Do volleyball players who can play at multiple positions earn more?
Indeed, such players are a great asset to the team. In case of any injuries or unavailability of one player, such players can very well fill in the shoes of that particular layer.
At such times, they take the charge and make sure that the team doesn’t suffer due to unavailability.
Since such players are that big of an asset, they earn (10 to 50%) more (or even more) as compared to players who play at a single position.
Countries where volleyball players earn the most
The salary which players receive varies drastically from country to country. There are chances that in one country a setter earns $80,000 whereas in another country he may earn just $30,000…
If the team of the nation is performing consistently in tournaments, then the country will invest more in the team and thereby giving them more financially.
According to statistics available, Brazil, Russia, and the USA are the countries which pay the post to their volleyball team …
- Brazil being the world champions spends a lot on their volleyball team to maintain their apex position.
- The US is one of the most powerful economies in the world and hence is able to give good pay to their team.
- Russia is the best of both. Having a strong economy, a good team, and an immense craze for this game, they ensure good pay to their team.
Who is the highest-paid male volleyball player?
Talking about the highest-earning male volleyball player is Wilfredo Leon. He currently earns nearly about $1 million pay annually and is also among the richest volleyball players ever.
This Cuban-polish individual plays for the team of Sir safety Perugia as an outside hitter. With all his international and national achievements he is considered one of the most accomplished volleyball players ever.
Who is the highest-paid female volleyball player?
Female sportsmanship is still not so popular in many parts of the world. Some females have registered their names in the record books in golden letters …
Zhu Ting is one of them. As of today, she is the highest-paid volleyball player in the whole world. She earns an annual play of around $1.6 million!
She plays for China’s national team and has given consistent performance throughout. She plays as an outside hitter for her team and is also the captain of China’s national team. Many newcomers look up to her and dream to be in a position where she is.
Final Thoughts …
The goal of this article was not just to give you an idea about who gets paid the most in volleyball. Instead my main goal was to inspire you about what’s possible financially in the sport …
Indeed, many amateurs prefer to stay so just because they don’t see a future financially in the sport which is obviously not accurate.
With the right position choices, hard work and smart business choices you can do great businesswise!
Finally, I highly invite you to check this important guide on choosing the right volleyball position! You will find it very useful …