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Most NFL coach salaries aren’t officially disclosed. However, there are sources that report approximate contracts when at all possible.  Normally this is the hometown newspapers, but I’ve also found data on Twitter, Forbes, Pro Football Talk, and Spotrac.

Using the information that is available, we came up with the approximate salaries below.

What is one thing that stands out?  The higher the pay the better the Super Bowl odds their team typically has.

The Patriots’ Bill Belichick is reportedly the highest-paid coach in the NFL, though no official details about his compensation or the current term of his contract have been made public. The same goes for several other coaches on the list, but these are the best estimates currently available. Jon Gruden made headlines with his publicly announced 10-year, $100 million contract in 2018, but most insiders agree that he is likely not the most well-compensated coach per year. The most shocking part of that contract is the 10-year term, unprecedented in the modern NFL.

Also included are each coach’s contract end date (where available) and the estimated total compensation of their current contract. Note that many contracts are extensions of existing deals.  For example, Pete Carroll signed a 3-year extension in 2018 at an estimated $11 million per season. His original contract was 5 years for $35 million ($7 million per year), but was renegotiated for the extension. Since data is limited on past contracts, as well as extensions, the contract totals below only represent the current term/extension of the contract, not their total compensation since they first signed with the team.

Most names at the top of the list have incentives and other perks built into their compensation. So while the salaries vary, the top guys typically make around the same amount.

Unfortunately, teams are getting more stingy with releasing the details of coaching contracts. Almost no information has leaked about the newest contracts, including the lengths of the deals, but we will update these numbers if the information becomes available.

Updated for 2024. We're still researching the current yearly contracts for most of these coaches and will update them soon.

List of NFL Head Coach Salaries – How Much Money They Make Per Year

TeamHead CoachEstimated Salary (Approx.)
Arizona CardinalsJonathan GannonNot available
Atlanta FalconsRaheem MorrisNot available
Baltimore RavensJohn Harbaugh$9 million*
Buffalo BillsSean McDermott$8 million*
Carolina PanthersDave CanalesNot available
Chicago BearsMatt EberflusNot available
Cincinnati BengalsZac TaylorNot available
Cleveland BrownsKevin StefanskiNot available
Dallas CowboysMike McCarthy$6 million*
Denver BroncosSean Payton$15 million*
Detroit LionsDan CampbellNot available
Green Bay PackersMatt LaFleurNot available
Houston TexansDeMeco RyansNot available
Indianapolis ColtsShane SteichenNot available
Jacksonville JaguarsDoug PedersonNot available
Kansas City ChiefsAndy Reid$10 million*
Las Vegas RaidersAntonio PierceNot available
Los Angeles ChargersJim HarbaughNot available
Los Angeles RamsSean McVay$14 million*
Miami DolphinsMike McDanielNot available
Minnesota VikingsKevin O’ConnellNot available
New England PatriotsJerod MayoNot available
New Orleans SaintsDennis AllenNot available
New York GiantsBrian DabollNot available
New York JetsRobert SalehNot available
Philadelphia EaglesNick SirianniNot available
Pittsburgh SteelersMike Tomlin$8 million*
San Francisco 49ersKyle Shanahan$9.5 million*
Seattle SeahawksMike MacdonaldNot available
Tampa Bay BuccaneersTodd BowlesNot available
Tennessee TitansBrian CallahanNot available
Washington CommandersDan QuinnNot available

*Estimations are based on reports and analyses from sports news sources and may not reflect the exact current salary.

Why Are NFL Coaches Paid So Much in Salary?

Obviously, this isn’t a bad gig if you can get it.  However, there aren’t many positions available with only 32 teams, and only a few spots come up each year.  If you are a minority, there are even fewer opportunities, a big reason why the NFL has implanted a Rooney Rule to help make sure under-represented groups get granted an interview.  Now that rule has been expanded to assistant coaches as well.  Rumor has it that they want to expand the rule to include women as well.

As you can see, once hired you are going to be making in excess of $4 million per year.  Why so much?  Probably because of the 20+ hour workdays, stress, and pressure of running a multi-billion dollar operation.  You have players who are always running into off-the-field problems.

In the past, we’ve seen health issues experienced by head coaches like Gary Kubiak and John Fox, but it’s easy to see why they continue to roam the sidelines despite the health problems.  They are making enough money to set their families up for generations to come.

If you win a Super Bowl you are almost guaranteed to get a big, fat bump in your next paycheck.  It’s not wonder with the success that the New England Patriots have had why Bill Belichick makes so much.  Sean Payton turned the New Orleans Saints from a cellar dweller to a league champion.  There is also Pete Carroll, who finally turned Seattle’s Seahawks into a mini-dynasty.

Coaching a bad team?  Expect to be on the low end of the totem pole, but there is plenty of incentive to turn your team around.  More than just job security, but millions of dollars extra on top of your next contract.

Check out how much coaches in other sports make:

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