Despite reaching the pinnacle of their sports, some professional athletes still keep their day jobs. In the NFL, those in their first year earn a minimum of $420,000, while Major League Baseball and NBA rookies can expect at least $507,000. For a beginner in the National Hockey League, the starting salary is $525,000.
However, the story is different in Major League Lacrosse, where a rookie often earns only about $7,000, and most players earn between $10,000 and $20,000. Because of these low salaries, many athletes find it necessary to continue working in other jobs.
Take Brett Schmidt, for example. Now 26, Schmidt has been playing lacrosse since his third-grade days. He serves as a defender with the Charlotte Hounds, but lacrosse is his second job. He devotes his full time to being a financial advisor at BB&T Wealth. While he doesn’t disclose his earnings, government data suggests financial advisors earn about $75,000 per year on average.
Learn more about this fascinating story at CNN Money. (Photo courtesy of k9nut at SmartAsset.com)
