You might be dreaming of a career in Formula 1 and are pondering what sort of salary to expect... Or like the majority of us, you might just be a bit intrigued to see how F1 weighs-up against other sports when it comes to earning the big bucks. From Formula 1 to football, this infographic runs through the average salaries for each sport, as well as picking out how much the highest earning stars make.
When it comes to individuals, Floyd Mayweather Jr. was Forbes' highest earner in 2014, earning a whopping £66.8 million in just one year. That's about 2,500 x the average UK salary. And enough to buy almost 30 Bugatti Veyrons. But hey, I don't begrudge him a penny, it's been hard won, and with a right-hook like that who'd dare!
Floyd's earnings though stand out against boxing's average salary of just £48,000 a year. A trend that you see often repeated in this infographic. To earn the real big, big bucks in individual sports such as boxing, golf or tennis it looks like you need to be at the top of your game to attract either endorsements, or in Floyd's case those big ticket fights.
That being said, there is some disparity between team sports. The average American Football player earns £924K a year, a figure that is significantly lower than the £2.6 million salary of an NBA basketball player.
With an average salary of £4.9 million though, Formula 1 comes out on top with the highest average salary. Of course this figure is slightly skewed by the fact that there were only 24 drivers in the standings last year, but still, if you're considering a career in F1 and think you can make it to the top, then money-wise it looks like you're made.
In stark contrast, a career in Athletics looks a lot more uncertain. Competing as both individuals and teams, Olympic athletes don't get paid a penny for competing in, or even winning, the Olympics (although some countries do sometimes offer a medal-bonus). They instead make their money from sponsors and meetings. Even household name and prolific winner Usain Bolt only made £127,000 from his winnings last year - and although I would never complain about a six figure salary myself - when you compare it to the other salaries highlighted, athletes do look a little hard done by.
But lets not forget, professional sports isn't just about the money. It's about being able to take part in the sport you love, competing against other pros and pushing yourself to perform at the highest level... oh, and did I mention the winning? There's nothing better than winning in front of an adoring crowd!