6. Luke Wilkshire
Soccer

$5.0 million

A surprising inclusion as the best paid soccer player and evidence of the sport’s generational change. Contracted to play with Russian club Dynamo Moscow until 2014, the 30 year old is an important member of the Socceroos team.

8. Tim Cahill
Soccer

$4.5 million

Cahill recently halted his long career in the English Premier League to become one of the highest-paid soccer players in the United States. He plays with the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and has endorsement deals with adidas and Weet-Bix, among others.

13. Mark Schwarzer
$3.5 million

Soccer

The veteran goalkeeper is one of the first selected in the Socceroos and plans to continue playing until after the 2014 World Cup. He plays club football for Fulham in the English Premier League.

14. Brett Holman
$3.5 million

Soccer

Holman’s pay got a boost when he transferred from Dutch club AZ Alkmaar to the UK’s Aston Villa this year. He was named Australian footballer of the year.

24. Mark Bresciano
$2.2 million

Soccer

Moved from one Middle East club to another this year and now finds himself in Qatar playing for Al-Gharafa. Top scorer at Al-Nasr last year.

29. Scott McDonald
$2.0 million

Soccer

He is believed to have turned down a chance to triple his salary by moving to Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal. He has been in good form at Middlesborough.

41. Lucas Neill
$1.5 million

Soccer

Left Al-Jazira to join another United Arab Emirates club Al-Wasl in August. Benefits from the country’s tax-free status.

44. Adam Federici
$1.3 million

Soccer

Agreed to three more years at Reading in August. Has been at the English club since 2004 and has benefited from its promotion to the Premier League.

ALMOST THERE

Missing the Top 50 Sports Earners list doesn’t mean you have had a bad year. BRW estimates that there are at least another 20 sportspeople who have made at least $1 million from their involvement in professional sport in 2012. Here they are.

Brett Emerton (Soccer)

Chris Herd (Soccer)

Rhys Williams (Soccer)

Brad Jones (Soccer)

Saša Ognenovski (Soccer)

It's great that Australian kids can grow up and aspire to play the great Australian game professionally, and make a very good living out of it.

900 professional contracts, and an average annual salary of $300k, with 18 year olds starting at between $80k and $100k per annum, and where the top quartile will earn between $500k and $1.2m per annum.

It's a good news story for Australian sport.

We should all be proud.