The Highest-Paid Athlete of the 1960s Made $250,000… And It Changed Sports Forever

In today’s world of billion-dollar contracts and massive endorsement deals, it’s easy to forget how different athlete pay once looked. In the 1960s, professional sports were still evolving into the global business they are today, and even the highest-paid athletes earned what would now seem modest salaries. But at the time, those numbers were groundbreaking.

One athlete stood above the rest, earning around $250,000 in a single year, a staggering figure for the era. This level of pay helped signal a major shift in how athletes were valued and compensated, laying the groundwork for the massive contracts seen today. Looking back, this moment represents one of the early turning points in the rise of modern sports economics.

• Salary: $80,000 per year

Hank Aaron will forever be baseball royalty as the man who broke Babe Ruth's career home run record. A 25-time All-Star, Hank Aaron was well compensated during the 1960s.

• Salary: $85,000 per year

A 14-time All-Star, Frank Robinson was one of the biggest names in baseball during the 1960s. He more than earned his salary by taking the Baltimore Orioles to their first two World Series titles.

• Salary: $100,000 per year

Before signing a million-dollar contract in 1972, Bobby Hull, aka "The Golden Jet," signed a $100,000 annual contract with the World Hockey Association before the Winnipeg Jets merged with the NHL.

• Salary: $100,000 per year

Oscar Robertson, who played in the NBA for 14 seasons, was the first player to average a triple-double for a whole season. While his true salary remains debatable, it's believed he earned six figures per season toward the end of the 1960s.

• Salary: $100,000 per year

One of the most storied quarterbacks in Green Bay Packer history, Bart Starr, helped the team win the first two Super Bowls. This success helped him command his first six-figure salary.

• Salary: $100,000 per year

Gordie Howe played 26 seasons as a central figure in NHL history. His salary was increased to six figures for the 1969-1970 season while playing with the Detroit Red Wings.

• Salary: $100,000 per year

The catcher who became a staple figure in New York Yankee history, Yogi Berra's salary was a reward for his contributions to the team with which he won 13 World Series.

• Salary: $100,000 per year

One of the biggest names in baseball history, Mickey Mantle, is a legend in every sense. A 20-time All-Star and 7-time World Series champion, Mantle earned his salary tenfold.

• Salary: $100,101

After Wilt Chamberlain signed his first $100,000 contract in 1965, Bill Russell demanded that he be the highest-paid star in the NBA, earning one dollar more than Chamberlain.

• Salary: $125,000

Sandy Koufax, the pitcher who helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win multiple World Series titles, deserved every cent of his historic baseball salary of $125,000 annually.

• Salary: $427,000 for three years

Joe Namath's record-breaking contract in 1965 made him the highest-paid player in NFL history. At the time, he quickly became the face of a growing league.

• Salary: ~$250,000 per year

One of the most dominant basketball players in history, Wilt Chamberlain was the first NBA player to command a salary of over $250,000 per year in 1967, making him the highest-paid athlete of the decade.