Can You Make Money Playing Table Tennis? (5 Ways To Earn)

When it comes to table tennis, most people play it for fun or win tournaments with no money prices. However, there are people among us that take ping pong really seriously and want to make it their job. If that is the case, how much high do you need to rise, and how much money can you expect at the middle or even at the top?

In this article, I will teach you whether you can make money playing ping pong, the chances of making any, the average salary of professional table tennis players, and even how to become one. But, before moving into these subjects, can you make money playing table tennis?

In short, you definitely can make money playing table tennis. However, the amount of money you are likely to make isn’t high if you aren’t an international professional player. For international players, the average salary per season is between $3000 and $35,000. For TOP 10 players, it’s millions.

As we can see, it is definitely possible to make money in table tennis. However, reaching that position of the +300 million active players worldwide is another thing. Therefore, before diving more into becoming a table tennis player who can make money or even make it a profession, we first need to understand how table tennis players make money.

Read also: Full Table Tennis Equipment List: All You Will Ever Need

How do professional table tennis players make money

When thinking about professional table tennis players or athletes generally, the income pours in from more than one stream. So let’s take a closer look at what those might be.

1. Tournament Victories

When most people think about table tennis players’ salaries, they automatically think about some huge tournament prize money. When this can be the truth, there are more than that behind the scenes. Even so, tournaments can pay athletes money for precipitation or victories only. Usually, the top 3 players meaning bronze, silver, and gold medalists, receive tournament prize money if they compete in such levels.

2. Sponsors

Sponsors are a vital part of a professional athlete’s income. Thanks to sponsors, the athletes usually gain access to higher tournaments with higher prize money to take home. Also, sponsors commonly pay for entry fees, the latest equipment, training, and more which can be a considerable amount of money. The best part is that they might pay the athlete, so they don’t need to work elsewhere; therefore, they can focus only on the training.

There are other benefits than money as well, even tho the benefits usually lead to more money. For example, your stress about many everyday things will get reduced because you have a sponsor taking care of you. This means that they make sure that your things are well so you can concentrate on training. Best medical care, massage therapy, psychotherapy, the latest training facilities, and more are provided by sponsors.

3. Club’s Administration

Table tennis athletes’ clubs can also assist with money and will pay for victories in many cases. This can be a big portion of the player’s income, and they will also do much in their power to see the athlete from their club succeed. This will give more recognition and fame to the club, which is of course compensated.

Also, a table tennis club can provide the athlete with table tennis equipment, private training sessions and more.

4. Government

In international tournaments and the Olympics is where the big bucks come in. If you were to win an international tournament of some sort or even bring a medal back from the Olympics, you are generously compensated.

When it comes to international tournaments such as Asian, European, or Oceanian Championships, the prize money can range from a couple of thousands of dollars to tens of thousands. This price money is usually paid by the Tournament Host or International Table Tennis Federation.

However, the athlete’s country determines the price money when it comes to the Olympics, which can vary drastically. For example, Canada pays its Gold medalist only $15,000, whereas Singapore pays $1,000,000. That might seem unfair because, well… It is.

Nonetheless, you can earn considerable amounts from the Government if you bring fame and glory to your country.

5. Social Media Income & Personal Brand

Personally, I’m surprised that many professional athletes don’t take full advantage of the opportunities that social media and other means offer. In the modern world, where a regular person can earn a full income from the internet, professional athletes who already possess a fanbase have a great advantage. In many cases, the athlete itself doesn’t manage its media profiles such as Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube. There are other opportunities as well, such as a Blog, Podcast, or Email Newsletter.

With so many platforms and media distributing systems available and the potential fanbase, you could build a personal brand to take the earnings to another level. Also, if you are simply skilled in table tennis, you can make instructional videos that will eventually bring in the views needed for a heavy payment.

As we can see, there is more than one way to earn as a professional athlete. However, you need to be really good to make it your full-time income, especially in table tennis. Unfortunately, table tennis players earn so little compared to other sports such as Golf, Tennis, Basketball, Ice Hockey, or Football. This is mainly because table tennis is extremely popular in China and other Asian countries, unlike others.

I have a step-by-step article about how to start a sports website that can make money so if you are interested, I highly recommend that you take a look.

What are the chances to make money playing table tennis

If you have been training since childhood and devoted most of your time to table tennis, the chances are unlikely because you still need to be the best of the best to become a pro in table tennis. On the other hand, if you started table tennis in your adult age, the chances are low, yet anything is possible.

The thing is, there aren’t dozens of teams with dozens of players in each and millions of people cheering for each team in table tennis. Each country has a handful of pro players, so the chances aren’t good even if you are a good player. However, if your goal isn’t to make a full-time income, yet some extra money, then your chances are far better and if that is your dream, go for it. Failure isn’t nearly as bad as not trying.

Read also: Best 11 Table Tennis Brands (The Kings Of Table Tennis)

How do you become a professional table tennis player

In short, becoming a professional table tennis player is simple. Lose never or just rarely and rise in the rankings. But, of course, this is easier said and done because there are millions of table tennis players worldwide, so you need to become the best of the best to go pro.

One thing that can greatly determine how easy it is to become one is where you live. For example, if you live in China, your chances are rather good if you are skilled because there are so many leagues, and it is taken so seriously. Therefore, there are far more open pro positions.

On the other hand, if you live in the United Kingdom, United States, or a European country, there are probably a dozen if even that pro-slots are available in table tennis; therefore, you need to be top of the country to turn pro. In the end, these spots will be filled by someone, so if you want to be one of those, you need to master the sport of table tennis.

The main thing to do is to train the essential skills to master your game so that you can actually come closer to your goal each day.

Do ping pong players make a lot of money

Generally, table tennis players don’t make a lot of money by any means. In fact, when compared to other sports, only the TOP 10 worldwide players can earn considerable sums that can be even compared to earnings from other sports. In fact, it’s tough to even make a full-time income from table tennis.

If you want to further understand how can table tennis players make money and 5 ways to earn it, I highly encourage you to check out my article about it.

Who is the highest paid table tennis player

Ma Long is the richest and most famous table tennis player of all time, with an incredible net worth of 20 million. In addition, Ma Long has three Olympic gold medals.

Which sport has highest salary

Basketball players have far the highest salaries in all sports. Many NBA players earn tens of millions of dollars annually just from NBA. In addition, players also earn from various sponsorships and endorsement deals to add tens of millions of dollars more to the yearly salary.

Conclusion

You definitely can make money from table tennis, but rising to such heights that you can make it as your full-time profession isn’t likely, but it is possible. If you want to make money playing table tennis, I highly recommend that you follow your dreams and think outside the box. Tournament prize money isn’t the only method to make money from table tennis, and if you love the sport, that shouldn’t be all you would be satisfied with.