How Much Does Rey Mysterio Get Paid?

Rey Mysterio is one of the most popular and iconic luchadores to ever grace a WWE ring. Thanks to his high-flying style and colorful masks, Mysterio has captured the imaginations of wrestling fans across generations. But how much does this legendary fighter actually earn?

According to reports, Rey Mysterio‘s current annual WWE salary is approximately $174,000. His net worth is estimated to be around $10 million total. Like most wrestlers though, the bulk of Rey Rey‘s income comes from performance bonuses, merchandise sales royalties, and other business ventures outside the ring.

Let‘s break down the various sources contributing to Rey Mysterio‘s impressive career earnings and growing wealth.

Rey Mysterio‘s Current WWE Contract and Salary

Rey Mysterio re-signed with WWE in 2018 on a two year deal worth around $174,000 per year downside. This makes him one of the higher paid wrestlers on the active roster in terms of base salary.

While $174,000 is excellent money for an undercard wrestler, it‘s far below the multimillion deals given to part-timers like Brock Lesnar, Bill Goldberg and John Cena. Still, locking down a higher base salary gives Mysterio financial stability between pay-per-view events and merchandise checks.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, here‘s how Rey Mysterio‘s WWE salary compares to other star attractions:

With his smaller stature and history of injuries, it made sense for Rey to lock in a generous WWE contract when he still had leverage. The security allows him to cement his legacy without risking losing it all to serious injury.

Estimating Rey Mysterio‘s Net Worth

According to CelebrityNetWorth.com, Rey Mysterio‘s current net worth sits around $10 million. This includes all his assets like luxury cars and California home, lifetime wrestling earnings, and other business investments.

Based on his decades in wrestling earning pay-per-view and merchandise royalties, Rey‘s road to a $10 million net worth seems feasible. Unlike rivals who squandered their money, the prudent Mysterio has saved and invested wisely.

He also married into the famed Guerrero wrestling family, increasing his net worth via property investments. Rey clearly took to heart lessons about protecting your earnings – a mantra of his late tag partner Eddie Guerrero.

Key Accomplishments That Grew Rey‘s Bank Account

To better understand Rey Mysterio‘s earning power, let‘s examine key career accomplishments that boosted his bank account over the decades:

• Debuted in Mexico at age 14, quickly becoming a popular high-flying attraction

• Had memorable ECW and WCW tenures competing against legends like Eddie Guerrero and Dean Malenko

• Signed with WWE in 2002, winning Cruiserweight title in debut match on SmackDown

• Won 2006 Royal Rumble match, going on to headline WrestleMania 22 against Kurt Angle and Randy Orton

• Has held WWE‘s Cruiserweight, Tag Team, Intercontinental and World Heavyweight titles

• Moved merchandise and sparked Lucha Libre wrestling craze among American fans

• Sold millions in merchandise like t-shirts, masks, video games, and Halloween costumes

• Transitioned into veteran role, mentoring younger stars while still performing at a high level

Despite career threatening injuries and setbacks, including major knee operations, Rey has overcome adversity time and time again. His ability to bounce back and adapt his dazzling offense for longevity has allowed his career, and income, to thrive over decades.

Cashing in Through Merchandise and Royalties

One major source of income for WWE stars comes from taking a cut of merchandise bearing their name or likeness. This includes everything from t-shirts and action figures to video games and coloring books.

According to Wrestlenomics, wrestlers typically earn about 25% of the wholesale price of any merchandise that moves. For big sellers like Mysterio, that can mean collecting millions over a career.

Rey Mysterio has been one of WWE‘s most heavily merchandised Superstars thanks to his colorful mask designs and dynamic looks. Everything from Halloween costumes to lunch boxes allows fans to emulate Mysterio‘s signature fashion. He also benefits from logo royalties on WWE 2K video games year after year.

While WWE keeps their superstar merchandise sales figures private, we can reasonably assume Rey has generated high seven figures over his career from his merchandise cut. His masks, in particular, lend themselves to frequent design refreshes and new limited edition collector‘s items.

In fact, Rey Mysterio merchandise is so lucrative that he almost chose to leave WWE in 2015 in part due to disputes over his cut and ownership. This hints at just how valuable his brand is.

Special Attraction Paydays Outside WWE

Like legends before him, Rey Mysterio can also command huge payouts for one-off special attraction matches outside WWE.

For example, in 2018 Mysterio returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling, competing in the prestigious G1 Climax tournament. According to the Wrestling Observer‘s Dave Meltzer, Mysterio earned around $100,000 for the one featured NJPW match.

Rey earned big money for rare NJPW match. (via YouTube)

Those single night payoffs dwarf what early career Rey made on the indie wrestling scene. They demonstrate his value as a spectacle attraction.

Over the years, Mysterio has worked events for ECW, WCW, AAA, Impact Wrestling, the NWA, Northeast Wrestling, and other independent promotions. His rate likely ranges from $25,000 to $150,000 depending on the match and draw power of the opponent.

We can safely assume special attraction matches outside WWE contribute at least a few million more to Rey‘s career earnings. And as injuries add up, these high dollar bookings allow Rey to get a big payday for limited dates.

Income from Speaking, Signings and Appearances

Between wrestling paydays, athletes like Rey Mysterio can pad their income through outside promotional events like speaking bookings, autograph signings, trade show meet and greets, and other personal appearances.

While rates vary, here are typical payouts according to TheRichest.com:

• Speaking engagements – $10,000 to $50,000
• Autograph signings – $10,000 – $100,000
• Wrestling conventions – $20,000 – $100,000 for a weekend
• ComicCon appearances – $20,000 – $100,000 per day
• Car dealer events – $5,000 – $15,000
• Club/bar appearances – $2,000 – $10,000

At the height of his popularity, Rey Mysterio likely booked near the top of these rate ranges thanks to his iconic mask and flashy style. Today he earns a bit less but still hefty fees due to his legendary status.

Add this income up over a 30+ year career and it contributes substantially to Rey‘s wealth. He will continue earning big money doing signings and appearances well into retirement.

YouTube Earnings and Podcast Potential

Today‘s wrestlers have new income streams unavailable to legends of the past, like YouTube monetization. While WWE controls Rey‘s in-ring footage, Mysterio personally owns content filmed outside WWE properties.

His official YouTube channel has 1.4 million subscribers, allowing Rey to earn $3-5 per 1000 views from AdSense. Wrestling YouTuber expert Tom Blixa estimates this could bring $300,000 to $500,000 per year from YouTube ads alone.

Additionally, podcasting continues to grow in popularity as a way for wrestlers to connect with fans. Top wrestling personalities can get six figure contracts from podcast platforms to exclusively host their own show. Mysterio has yet to launch a podcast but he‘d have huge potential to earn a lucrative deal.

Between YouTube and possible podcast income down the road, Mysterio has barely tapped the potential of developing his social media brand beyond the ring.

The Value of the Mysterio Brand and Legacy

While Mysterio‘s title reigns and accomplishments are staggering, his biggest contribution to pro wrestling is mainstreaming the Lucha Libre style. By infusing high risk aerial moves and masked mystique into WWE, Mysterio paved the way for future wrestlers.

Stars like Kalisto, Caristico and Gran Metalik all owe a debt to Mysterio for proving smaller, international talents can thrive in WWE. He also served as an inspiration for today‘s superstars like Ricochet and AJ Styles implementing high flying into their movesets.

Despite standing only 5‘4", Rey has racked up giant victories over Kurt Angle, Randy Orton, Kevin Owens, and other elite opponents. His gravity defying offense electrifies arenas and fuels merchandise sales.

The novelty and mass appeal of his mask mean Mysterio can remain popular and add new artistic elements well into the twilight of his career. Expect Rey‘s income to keep growing as sports entertainment embraces more culture and styles. The days of big muscle men dominating seem to be fading.

While net worth is negligible compared to the memories Rey Mysterio gave fans, the money he earned and legacy he built are still staggering. Rey proved that with passion and perseverance, any athlete can overcome obstacles and find success.

Paydays will come and go but Mysterio‘s revolutionary impact on the sport is priceless. His daring style forever changed wrestling‘s trajectory by incorporating diverse influences. Thanks Rey Rey! Otra vez lo hiciste!