How Much Does a Jockey Earn per Race?
Riding race horses for a living is one of the world’s most dangerous occupations. Falls and injuries are occupational hazards, but the older claim that more than 90% suffer a serious injury needs a defined population and reliable study before it can be used as a statistic. With the risk being so high, you would think jockeys earn a lot of money. The available pay varies widely, and the earnings of jockeys depend on their opportunities, results and expenses. A reliable income comparison needs a defined season and population. Here is a breakdown of how jockeys get paid and how much they earn per race.
The Jock Mount
Every rider that participates in a race is guaranteed to make a sum of money for their efforts regardless of whether they win or lose. This token sum is referred to as a jock mount, and it is one of the lowest wages paid to a professional athlete.
Unless a rider finishes first, second, or third, the fee they receive for riding depends on the applicable fee schedule or agreement. Older examples put this near $50 at some circuits; check current rules for the meeting. A jockey is literally risking their life and limb for less than what it costs to fill up many vehicles with gas.
In order for a jockey to make a living, they must deal in volume. This means they must ride as many horses as possible in a day to make a respectable living. It is not uncommon for a jockey to ride eight or nine races in a single day on a small racing circuit. A hypothetical rider winning 20% of starts loses the other 80%; that is an example, not a ceiling on leading jockeys’ results. The number of mounts and the fees earned on losing rides still affect the season’s gross income.
How Much A Jockey Makes for A Win
When a jockey wins a race, his or her earnings go up substantially. A common example is a winning jockey receiving ten percent of the owner’s share of the purse, but the applicable agreement and local rules should be checked.
Let’s say that the purse for a race is $50,000. The owner of the winning horse receives 60% of this purse for a total of $30,000. The jockey then receives 10%, or $3,000 of the winner’s purse. Not bad for a single race.
On smaller circuits, though, a $50,000 purse is uncommon. Purses for a claiming race can often be $10,000 or less. Under the illustrated split, the gross winning fee would be below $1,000. Compare that amount with the actual losing-mount fee, which need not be the older $50 example.
Jockey Earnings for Second and Third Place
The percentage payable for second and third place is not universally 10%. In an illustrative purse split, an owner might receive 20% for second and 10% for third, but the jockey’s percentage must be taken from the relevant agreement or rules. Do not apply the winning percentage automatically to every placing.
Second and third place finishes on a small circuit will usually pay the jockey just a little bit more than a jock mount. As you can imagine, jockeys are trying their best to get a horse to finish “in the money” when they race. An in the money finish is one that earns the jockey additional pay.
Millionaire Racing Jockeys
According to an article in Forbes magazine, only a few jockeys earn millions each year. The top five riders in 2015 earned from $1.3 million to $2.25 million. Most of them had to ride well over 1,000 races during the year in order to break the million dollar mark. And this only represents the top five jockeys rather than every rider in the United States.
Jockeys that earn millions also ride in the biggest races the country has to offer. These are races like the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup events. Only the best riders in the country are given horses to ride in these races.
The original guide used the following historical comparison. These league figures are not current minimums, and a per-mount calculation is not a guaranteed annual salary:
- Illustrative gross fees: 1,000 mounts × an assumed $50 fee = $50,000
- Historical NFL salary figure: $465,000
- Historical MLB salary figure: $507,500
- Historical NBA salary figure: $562,493
- Historical NHL salary figure $525,000
A comparison needs matching years and employment terms. A league salary, a jockey’s gross fees and a horse’s purse earnings measure different things. The older list does not establish current pay or a quantified comparison of injury risk between sports.
The Cost of Being a Jockey
Something else that must be considered when it comes to how much a jockey earns is the expenses that they have. The first and largest of these is the pay a jockey must give their agent.
The jockey agent is responsible for finding the horses that a jockey will ride in a race. An illustrative agent commission is 10% of a jockey’s gross riding earnings; the actual rate depends on the agreement. So, if a jockey makes $50,000 per year, the agent will make $5,000.
The best jockeys, though, have the best agents and must pay more. Some agents charge as much as 25%. This can put a serious dent in a jockey’s paycheck from week to week.
Next on the list of expenses is the jockey’s valet. A valet is the person who washes the jockey’s riding clothes between races, shines their boots, and cleans their tack. This person can make between 5 and 10% of a jockey’s total income for the year.
Can Jockeys Make Money From Endorsements?
Endorsement rules depend on the jurisdiction and racing authority. California’s Rule 1691 allows advertising on jockey attire, owner silks and saddlecloths subject to its requirements, including steward review and limits on placement. That is more precise than saying jockeys generally cannot have endorsements or describing a decades-old exception as recent.
Off-track promotional work is a separate issue from logos worn during a race. A rider’s public profile can affect commercial opportunities, but it is inaccurate to claim that no marketing company hires jockeys. Check the specific arrangement and applicable rules before treating endorsement income as part of a pay estimate.
Can Jockeys Bet on the Races?
Jockey wagering rules depend on the racing jurisdiction. Do not assume that a rider can bet on races merely because they are not participating in that particular event. The authority’s published rules determine what is permitted, rather than a general article about pay.
Having an agent, friend or relative place a wager does not provide a general exemption. This guide should not recommend proxy betting as a way around a restriction. For understanding jockey income, keep riding fees and permitted commercial work separate from betting returns. Our racebook guide compares consumer products; it does not authorize licensed participants to wager.
How Much Does a Jockey Earn?
The older $40,000 annual figure should not be treated as a verified current US average. An average requires a defined year, rider population and distinction between gross fees and net income. A part-time rider, a busy regional rider and a leading stakes rider may have very different numbers of mounts, winning fees and expenses. Calculate those components before estimating take-home pay.
Do you think you would like to be a jockey based on the amount of pay you could receive? Probably not. Especially when you must ride a moving animal that weighs more than 1,000 pounds and travels at 45 miles-per-hour.
Hopefully, jockeys will someday be given the respect they deserve and their pay increased. These men and women of steel bring us much entertainment. They should be well-compensated for their efforts, even if that means raising the jock mount sum at minor racing circuits. Check our Bovada racebook review, Twinspires review or even our Betamerica review. All great choice if you are in the US. online racebook comparison for folks anywhere!
More topics:
- How Much Money Do Horse Racers Make?
- Is Horse Racing Profitable?
- French Jockey Savaged By Rival Horse During Race
A Current Fee Schedule Example: California in 2026
| Gross race purse | Losing-mount fee | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $10,000 | $158.42 | California schedule |
| $10,000–$14,999 | $168.97 | California schedule |
| $15,000–$24,999 | $179.51 | California schedule |
| $25,000–$49,999 | $200.66 | California schedule |
| $50,000–$99,999 | $232.34 | California schedule |
| $100,000 and up | $285.16 | California schedule |
The CHRB’s explanation of the 2026 change provides these amounts. They show why an older $50 example should not be described as a nationwide current rate. Consult the applicable authority’s schedule for a different jurisdiction or year.
Work the Purse Share in Two Steps
Assume a $50,000 purse, a 60% winner’s share and a jockey agreement paying 10% of that share. What is the gross winning fee?
Reveal the worked answer
$50,000 × 60% = $30,000 for the owner’s winning share. $30,000 × 10% = $3,000 for the jockey. This hypothetical calculation does not establish the second-place fee, whether a mount fee is additional, or take-home income after expenses.
On this page 10 sections
- The Jock Mount
- How Much A Jockey Makes for A Win
- Jockey Earnings for Second and Third Place
- Millionaire Racing Jockeys
- The Cost of Being a Jockey
- Can Jockeys Make Money From Endorsements?
- Can Jockeys Bet on the Races?
- How Much Does a Jockey Earn?
- A Current Fee Schedule Example: California in 2026
- Work the Purse Share in Two Steps
Advertising on racing attire is also governed by local rules: CHRB’s rulebook lists Rule 1691 for advertising, Rule 1632 for riding fees and Rule 1971 for jockey wagering. Each addresses a different question; an allowed sponsor logo does not establish permission to place a bet.
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