John Cena’s net worth is $24.3 million. The John Cena net worth total comes mainly from his WWE salary, with endorsements making a strong showing too. In fact, analyzing all the John Cena net worth numbers is a bear of a task. That’s because Cena has so many different income streams, from pro wrestling to sponsorships to rapping, TV appearances, merchandise and investment income. For proof, see our complete data table at the bottom of this article.
Cena’s WWE salary was “leaked” as $2.75 million in 2016. His career earnings total $41 million, with taxes and expenses knocking that down to a John Cena net worth sum of $24.3 million.
John Cena Net Worth Facts
John Cena Net Worth Facts | |
|---|---|
| John Cena net worth vs The Rock net worth | 1/5th as big |
| John Cena net worth vs Hulk Hogan net worth | About the same |
| John Cena net worth vs Bear Grylls net worth | 4 times bigger |
| John Cena net worth vs Phil Robertson net worth | 62% bigger |
| John Cena net worth vs Vin Diesel net worth | 1/3 as big |
| John Cena net worth vs Dog the Bounty Hunter net worth | 4 times bigger |
| John Cena net worth vs Justin Bieber net worth | 1/9th as big |
| John Cena net worth vs Dale Earnhardt Jr. net worth | 1/12th as big |
| John Cena net worth vs Barack Obama net worth | 8 times bigger |
| John Cena net worth vs typical American family net worth | 357 times bigger |
The John Cena net worth number of $24,301,626 is about 1/5th the size of The Rock’s fortune of $120 million. Hulk Hogan’s net worth of $25 million is about the same as John Cena’s net worth. Cena has about four times more net worth than Bear Grylls’ $6 million and 62% more money than Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson’s $15 million. The Vin Diesel net worth pile of $75 million is three times bigger than the John Cena net worth stack. Dog the Bounty Hunter has $6 million. That’s about 1/4 of John Cena’s net worth. Justin Bieber is worth $209 million. That’s 9 times bigger than Cena’s net worth. Finally, who has more money, John Cena, a typical American or the President of the United States? The John Cena net worth number of $24.3 million is 8 times bigger than Barack Obama’s net worth of $3.2 million. It’s 357 times bigger than the median American family’s savings of just $68,000.
John Cena Net Worth Through Time
John Cena Net Worth by Year | |
|---|---|
| John Cena Net Worth 2002 | $84,980 |
| John Cena Net Worth 2003 | $216,120 |
| John Cena Net Worth 2004 | $511,484 |
| John Cena Net Worth 2005 | $1,859,029 |
| John Cena Net Worth 2006 | $2,711,632 |
| John Cena Net Worth 2007 | $3,479,214 |
| John Cena Net Worth 2008 | $4,656,392 |
| John Cena Net Worth 2009 | $6,256,122 |
| John Cena Net Worth 2010 | $8,070,066 |
| John Cena Net Worth 2011 | $10,211,197 |
| John Cena Net Worth 2012 | $12,419,843 |
| John Cena Net Worth 2013 | $14,808,700 |
| John Cena Net Worth 2014 | $17,296,729 |
| John Cena Net Worth 2015 | $21,321,783 |
| John Cena Net Worth 2016 | $24,301,626 |
The John Cena net worth story starts way back in 1999. That’s when Cena entered the world of pro wrestling. For the first four years, Cena most likely earned a living wage, making enough money to cover his cost of living and maybe save a small amount. It wasn’t until 2002 that Cena made it into the national level of the WWE. His net worth from WWE bouts and non-WWE TV appearances grew steadily from there. In 2005, Cena added music to his earnings sources with the Platinum album You Can’t See Me. Endorsement deals began to pile up for the wrestler. In 2006, Cena starred in the movie The Marine. From then on, acting became a regular contributor to the John Cena money mill. With that many income streams pumping dollars into Cena’s bank account, it’s not hard to see how the John Cena net worth total made it all the way to $24.3 million in 2016.
Also see: Ronda Rousey Net Worth
John Cena Net Worth Sources
Where does John Cena get his money? Mostly from his WWE salary, to the tune of a career total of $22.65 million. Estimated endorsement pay comes in second with $12.3 million added to the John Cena net worth math. Non-WWE acting chips in $3 million, with music adding $1.46 million. TV appearances add almost another million, and merchandise ponies up another $340,000.
All those income streams listed above add up to total earnings for the wrestler of nearly $41 million in his lifetime. That gives Cena an average salary of $3.3 million since he hit it big. Looking just at 2016 gives a John Cena salary of $4.4 million from all sources. A lifetime tax bill of $16 million cuts a healthy whack out of the superstar’s net worth. Expenses take another estimated $4 million, while investments add back nearly that amount.
John Cena Net Worth Sources | |
|---|---|
| WWE | $22,650,000 |
| Non-WWE Acting | $3,162,000 |
| TV Appearances | $945,000 |
| Music | $1,458,923 |
| Endorsements | $12,300,000 |
| Merchandise | $339,750 |
| Total John Cena Earnings Since 2002 | $40,855,673 |
| John Cena Salary (average) | $3,312,764 |
| John Cena Salary 2016 | $4,379,250 |
| Taxes (39.6%) | -$16,117,134 |
| Expenses (10%) | -$4,202,367 |
| Investments (6% of John Cena net worth/yr) | $3,765,455 |
| John Cena Net Worth | $24,301,626 |
John Cena Net Worth from WWE
The WWE is by far the biggest source of the John Cena net worth figure. Cena started in pro wrestling back in 1999, when he trained at California’s Ultimate Pro Wrestling “University.” He invented an in-ring character called “The Prototype,” then took that character into a developmental wrestling contract with the WWF. Under the contract, Cena wrestled for Ohio Valley Wrestling. He took the OVW Championship, then broke into the WWE nationally in 2002.
Cena doesn’t release his exact salary numbers publicly. Several online sources claim his “leaked” 2016 WWE salary is $2.75 million. It’s hard to say whether this leaked info is accurate. However, comparing that salary against what other TV stars earn makes it seem logical. For instance, judges on The Voice can earn as much as $12.5 million a year. Considering that Cena’s WWE deal probably rolls in TV and some promotional work for the network, $2.75 million for a headline gig seems like a bargain. The rest of the salary figures by year in the table below are based on a MoneyNation analysis of Cena’s growing role in the WWE.
John Cena Net Worth from WWE | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | John Cena Earnings from WWE | Notes |
| 1999-2000 | Living wage | Ultimate Pro Wrestling. John Cena probably earned a living wage. |
| 2000-2002 | Living wage | Tryouts and "developmental" work for WWE. Probably not significant John Cena net worth yet. |
| 2002 | $150,000 | John Cena Just Breaking into stardom. |
| 2003 | $250,000 | John Cena rises to stardom. |
| 2004 | $500,000 | Cena becomes fan favorite. |
| 2005 | $1,000,000 | John Cena WWE Champ |
| 2006 | $1,000,000 | Cena WWE World Champ. |
| 2007 | $1,000,000 | Cena defends title |
| 2008 | $1,500,000 | Cena defends title |
| 2009 | $1,750,000 | Cena defends title |
| 2010 | $1,750,000 | Cena feud with the Nexus. |
| 2011 | $2,000,000 | John Cena feud with the Nexus continues. |
| 2012 | $2,000,000 | John Cena record breaking WWE Champ. |
| 2013 | $2,250,000 | John Cena record breaking WWE Champ. |
| 2014 | $2,250,000 | World champion |
| 2015 | $2,500,000 | U.S. Champion |
| 2016 | $2,750,000 | This is John Cena's "leaked" current WWE salary. |
| Total John Cena Net Worth from WWE | $22,650,000 |
Related: How Much Money Does Jon Jones Make?
John Cena Net Worth from Acting
Cena not only figures as one of the most popular pro wrestlers in the world, he also has some decent acting chops. To figure out the acting contribution to the John Cena net worth figures, its necessary first to cull out all the WWE related acting jobs in Cena’s roster. For instance, Cena’s acting profile lists 456 episodes of WWE Raw, several WrestleMania movies, WWE Live events and dozens of other WWE roles. Those jobs are most likely all paid for under Cena’s WWE salary and contract. What’s left is 15 acting jobs that have nothing to do with the WWE. These include Cena’s first big movie role as the lead in The Marine. The table below shows estimates for each John Cena n0n-WWE acting role. The figures are based on a MoneyNation analysis. For instance, we know from the Screen Actor’s Guild rate sheet that actors make a base pay of around $900 a day when working on a movie or TV show. We know a standard low budget movie takes slightly more than 30 days of shooting. We also know that actors frequently get percentage deals. It’s likely therefore that Cena got $30,000 base pay for The Marine, plus 1/4 of a percent of any money the movie earned after it recouped its budget. That adds a total of $280,000 into the John Cena net worth till. The other figures in the table come from a similar analysis. The one standout in the list of Cena roles is 2015’s Trainwreck. Cena’s high earnings from the role come from his top-billing in the film plus the movie’s $140 million worldwide gross.
John Cena Net Worth from Non-WWE Acting | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | John Cena Acting Role | Role Type | John Cena Pay |
| 2006 | The Marine | Movie (John Cena's first big film role) | $280,000 |
| 2010 | Fred: The Movie | TV Movie | $25,000 |
| 2010 | Legendary | Movie | $30,000 |
| 2010 | Psych | TV Series | $5,000 |
| 2011 | Vengeance | TV Movie | $25,000 |
| 2011 | Fred 2: Night of the Living Fred | TV Movie | $25,000 |
| 2011 | Capitol Punishment | TV Movie | $25,000 |
| 2012 | Fred 3: Camp Fred | Movie | $30,000 |
| 2012 | No Way Out | TV Movie | $25,000 |
| 2014 | TLC: Tables, Ladders, Chairs and Stairs | TV Movie | $25,000 |
| 2015 | Daddy's Home | Movie (Huge financial success, small John Cena part.) | $75,000 |
| 2015 | Trainwreck | Movie (John Cena's biggest film exposure) | $2,560,000 |
| 2015 | Parks and Recreation | TV Series | $7,000 |
| 2016 | Avengers Academy | Video Game | $25,000 |
| 2017 | Surf's Up 2: WaveMania | Video | $30,000 |
| Total John Cena Net Worth from Acting | $3,192,000 |
Related: Peyton Manning Net Worth
TV appearances also figure into the John Cena net worth numbers. Cena has appeared approximately 270 times in non-WWE TV shows. He makes an estimated average of $3,500 per appearance. That gives him $945,000 in TV appearance pay since 2002.
John Cena Net Worth from Music
Is there anything John Cena can’t do, and can’t do extremely well? It’s almost shocking that the wrestling star’s one foray into the music world turned out to be an RIAA certified Platinum hit. The album has sold an estimated $1.5 million copies total since its release in 2005. With unit costs of $10.99 each, that leads to total revenue of $16.5 million. Recording stars generally get 6.6% of the income from songs they don’t write and 11.1% from songs they do. Cena co-wrote the album, which gives him 8.85% of the profits. That works out to almost $1.5 million from music added to the John Cena net worth sum.
Perhaps even more incredible is that, after having a huge hardcore rap hit, Cena didn’t return to the music world. Any other artist who hit it so big in that industry would follow up with a world tour and more albums. To date, Cena hasn’t done that.
John Cena Net Worth from Music | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| John Cena Album | Copies Sold | Revenue at $10.99 Each | John Cena Earnings at 8.85% |
| You Can't See Me (2005) | 1,500,000 | $16,485,000 | $1,458,923 |
Related: How Much Money Do NFL Players Make?
John Cena Net Worth from Endorsements and Merchandise
Cena is no stranger to the endorsement money game. Sponsor dollars add an estimated $12.3 million total to the John Cena net worth figures. Cena is a product endorsement favorite. He’s signed deals with Fruity Pebbles, Capri Sun, Gillette, Subway, Gold’s Gym and Footlocker. Some online sources put Cena’s endorsement pay at $5 million a year but that’s unlikely. Top NBA and NFL stars often get $10 million to $20 million a year in endorsement pay, but that usually comes with huge multi year deals and their own signature Nike sneakers. Cena is hugely popular, but he’s nowhere near that kind of popular. The table below of Cena endorsement estimates is based on a MoneyNation analysis of WWE ratings and deals signed by other athletes.
The video below the table shows an absolutely hilarious Gillette Proglide challenge commercial in which Cena terrifies a bunch of unsuspecting people in a men’s room.
John Cena Net Worth from Endorsements | |
|---|---|
| Year | John Cena Endorsement Earnings Estimate |
| 2005 | $100,000 |
| 2006 | $200,000 |
| 2007 | $250,000 |
| 2008 | $500,000 |
| 2009 | $1,000,000 |
| 2010 | $1,250,000 |
| 2011 | $1,500,000 |
| 2012 | $1,500,000 |
| 2013 | $1,500,000 |
| 2014 | $1,500,000 |
| 2015 | $1,500,000 |
| 2016 | $1,500,000 |
| Total John Cena Net Worth from Endorsements | $12,300,000 |
Related: Tom Brady Net Worth
John Cena Net Worth Calculations
The table below shows all the nitty gritty detail on our John Cena net worth calculations. Confirmed numbers for all income streams are used wherever possible. Best-guess estimates are used when necessary. Cena’s earnings are shown by year and then adjusted for taxes, expenses and investment income. Cena is either smart enough or lucky enough to live in tax free Florida. Whichever, he still must pay the nation’s top federal tax rate of 39.6%. Cena also likely has expenses coming to about 10% of his income from agent fees, trainers, cost of living and other costs. Investments add back a conservative 6% per year to his net worth.
John Cena Net Worth Calculations | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | John Cena WWE Salary | Non-WWE Acting | TV Appearances | Music | Endorsements | Merchandise | Total John Cena Earnings | Taxes (39.6%) | Expenses (10%) | Net | Investment Income (6% of net worth) | John Cena Net Worth |
| 2002 | $150,000 | $63,000 | $2,250 | $215,250 | $60,270 | $70,000 | $84,980 | $0 | $84,980 | |||
| 2003 | $250,000 | $63,000 | $3,750 | $316,750 | $88,690 | $100,000 | $128,060 | $3,080 | $216,120 | |||
| 2004 | $500,000 | $63,000 | $7,500 | $570,500 | $225,918 | $57,050 | $287,532 | $7,832 | $511,484 | |||
| 2005 | $1,000,000 | $63,000 | $1,458,923 | $100,000 | $15,000 | $2,636,923 | $1,044,221 | $263,692 | $1,329,009 | $18,536 | $1,859,029 | |
| 2006 | $1,000,000 | $280,000 | $63,000 | $200,000 | $15,000 | $1,558,000 | $616,968 | $155,800 | $785,232 | $67,371 | $2,711,632 | |
| 2007 | $1,000,000 | $63,000 | $250,000 | $15,000 | $1,328,000 | $525,888 | $132,800 | $669,312 | $98,270 | $3,479,214 | ||
| 2008 | $1,500,000 | $63,000 | $500,000 | $22,500 | $2,085,500 | $825,858 | $208,550 | $1,051,092 | $126,087 | $4,656,392 | ||
| 2009 | $1,750,000 | $63,000 | $1,000,000 | $26,250 | $2,839,250 | $1,124,343 | $283,925 | $1,430,982 | $168,748 | $6,256,122 | ||
| 2010 | $1,750,000 | $60,000 | $63,000 | $1,250,000 | $26,250 | $3,149,250 | $1,247,103 | $314,925 | $1,587,222 | $226,722 | $8,070,066 | |
| 2011 | $2,000,000 | $75,000 | $63,000 | $1,500,000 | $30,000 | $3,668,000 | $1,452,528 | $366,800 | $1,848,672 | $292,459 | $10,211,197 | |
| 2012 | $2,000,000 | $55,000 | $63,000 | $1,500,000 | $30,000 | $3,648,000 | $1,444,608 | $364,800 | $1,838,592 | $370,054 | $12,419,843 | |
| 2013 | $2,250,000 | $63,000 | $1,500,000 | $33,750 | $3,846,750 | $1,523,313 | $384,675 | $1,938,762 | $450,095 | $14,808,700 | ||
| 2014 | $2,250,000 | $25,000 | $63,000 | $1,500,000 | $33,750 | $3,871,750 | $1,533,213 | $387,175 | $1,951,362 | $536,667 | $17,296,729 | |
| 2015 | $2,500,000 | $2,642,000 | $63,000 | $1,500,000 | $37,500 | $6,742,500 | $2,670,030 | $674,250 | $3,398,220 | $626,833 | $21,321,783 | |
| 2016 | $2,750,000 | $25,000 | $63,000 | $1,500,000 | $41,250 | $4,379,250 | $1,734,183 | $437,925 | $2,207,142 | $772,701 | $24,301,626 | |
| John Cena Net Worth Totals | $22,650,000 | $3,162,000 | $945,000 | $1,458,923 | $12,300,000 | $339,750 | $40,855,673 | $16,117,134 | $4,202,367 | $20,536,171 | $3,765,455 |
Want to know more about how much money people make? Check out our article on how much money NBA players make. Also, see our post on how much money football players make in the NFL.