The 10 Highest Paid Surfers In The World

If you asked a random person to name the coolest sport on Earth, there's a good chance they'd say surfing. There's just something mythic about it: the rhythm of the ocean, the freedom, the sunburned calm of someone who spends their life chasing waves. Most surfers would do it for free. Many do—trading boards, sleeping in vans, and taking payment in the form of a few cold beers and a beachside taco. But for a rare handful of the world's best, surfing isn't just a passion or a lifestyle. It's a multi-million-dollar career.

Imagine getting paid millions of dollars a year to spend your life in the water. No cubicle, no commute, no dress code—just you, a board, and the ocean. That's the reality for surfing's elite: athletes who have turned wave-riding into a full-blown global business. Between endorsement deals, apparel lines, energy drink contracts, surfboard royalties, and YouTube empires, professional surfers today can earn just as much as top athletes in more traditional sports.

From World Surf League (WSL) champions like Kelly Slater and Gabriel Medina to big-wave legends like Laird Hamilton and Kai Lenny, surfing's top earners have transformed their beach-bum roots into vast personal brands. Their incomes come from a patchwork of sponsorships, prize winnings, and entrepreneurial ventures that reach far beyond the water. Here are the 10 highest-paid surfers in the world.

#10. Jamie O'Brien – $500,000 to $800,000 per year

Jamie O'Brien is living proof that you don't need to compete on the WSL Championship Tour to make serious money from surfing. A former Pipeline champion, O'Brien reinvented himself as one of the sport's first full-time content creators. His YouTube channel "Who is JOB" has racked up millions of views with wild stunts, travel vlogs, and wave-riding tutorials. Between ad revenue, Red Bull sponsorships, a surf school in Hawaii, and merchandise sales, O'Brien earns well into the six figures annually—making him one of the most successful free surfers of all time.

#9. Kai Lenny – $750,000 to $1 million per year

Hawaii's Kai Lenny is one of the most versatile watermen on Earth. He surfs, foils, kitesurfs, windsurfs, and races paddleboards—all at a world-class level. Though he's not a regular on the WSL tour, Lenny earns close to a million dollars a year through sponsorships with Red Bull, Hurley, GoPro, and Tag Heuer. His extreme big-wave sessions at Jaws and Pe'ahi have made him a global icon, and his social media presence draws major brand deals and documentary features.

#8. Carissa Moore – $1 million per year

Carissa Moore is one of the most decorated surfers in history, with five world titles and an Olympic gold medal. Beyond her dominance in the water, Moore has built a major commercial profile, earning around $1 million annually from partnerships with Hurley, Red Bull, Dior, and other global brands. She's also become a leading voice in women's surfing, helping drive the WSL's equal pay movement and inspiring a new generation of female athletes.

#7. John John Florence – $1 million per year

Born and raised on the North Shore of Oahu, John John Florence has been a phenom since childhood. A two-time world champion known for his near-perfect style and powerful barrel riding, Florence once had one of the richest contracts in surf history—an eight-year, $30 million deal with Hurley. After that deal ended, he launched his own apparel company, Florence Marine X, giving him greater control over his income and image. Today, between his brand, film projects, and sponsorships with Yeti and Nixon, he remains one of surfing's top earners.

#6. Kanoa Igarashi – $1.7 million per year

Kanoa Igarashi has become one of the most marketable athletes in surfing. Representing Japan on the world stage, he won an Olympic silver medal and became a global ambassador for brands like Quiksilver, Red Bull, Oakley, G-Shock, and Shiseido. His fluent bilingual persona and polished image have made him especially valuable to sponsors in both Japan and the U.S. Igarashi reportedly earns around $1.7 million a year, much of it from non-surf luxury brands that view him as a crossover star.

#5. Filipe Toledo – $1.75 million per year

Brazil's Filipe Toledo is one of the most explosive surfers on the planet, famous for his aerials and high-energy performances. A two-time world champion, Toledo combines prize money from WSL events with endorsements from Hurley, Monster Energy, Oi Telecom, and other major sponsors. His consistency at the top of the rankings has cemented him as one of Brazil's biggest sports stars, earning roughly $1.75 million per year.

#4. Mick Fanning – $1.8 million per year

Australian legend Mick Fanning might be retired from full-time competition, but his income hasn't slowed down. The three-time world champion continues to earn an estimated $1.8 million a year from long-term sponsorships with Rip Curl and Red Bull, along with business ventures and public appearances. Fanning famously co-founded Balter Beer, a craft brewery that was acquired by a major beverage company in 2019—giving him one of the biggest financial wins in surf history.

#3. Gabriel Medina – $2.2 million per year

A national hero in Brazil, Gabriel Medina has won three world titles and helped ignite the country's modern surfing boom. Known for his precision, athleticism, and competitive mindset, Medina earns about $2.2 million annually through sponsorships with Rip Curl, Corona, Audi, and several Brazilian brands. His endorsement portfolio easily eclipses his prize winnings, and his global profile continues to grow as one of the most recognized faces in the sport.

#2. Laird Hamilton – $3 million per year

Though he hasn't competed seriously in decades, Laird Hamilton remains one of surfing's most influential—and highest-paid—figures. A pioneer of tow-in and big-wave surfing, Hamilton built a global brand around fitness, wellness, and performance. He earns an estimated $3 million a year through his stake in Laird Superfood, endorsement deals, book royalties, and appearances in documentaries and films. He's more than an athlete at this point—he's a lifestyle industry unto himself.

Kelly Slater (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

#1. Kelly Slater – $3 million per year

No surprise here. Kelly Slater is not only the greatest competitive surfer in history—with 11 world titles and over three decades on tour—but also the sport's wealthiest and most business-savvy figure. His estimated $3 million annual income comes from a combination of sponsorships, ownership stakes in his sustainable clothing brand Outerknown, his Slater Designs surfboard line, and his revolutionary Surf Ranch wave pool company. Even in his 50s, Slater continues to compete at the highest level while earning like a mogul.

The Bottom Line

For most surfers, the reward is the ride itself—a fleeting moment of perfection that can't be bought or sold. But for these ten, the ocean also happens to be a multimillion-dollar office. Whether it's through championship trophies, brand deals, or business ventures, they've proven that catching waves can be more than a dream—it can be a fortune.