The 2026 Winter Olympics are coming up very soon, which means there will be a new group of athletes that will compete, win medals and be paid.
However, Olympians aren’t usually paid in a traditional way such as a salaried or hourly worker is paid.
Some Olympic athletes are paid for their accomplishments at the games, depending on the country they represent.
Here is how much Olympians earn depending on what nation they represent.
How much do Olympic athletes get paid?
Olympic athletes are not paid by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), but are instead paid by their respective countries.
The IOC, instead, redistributes its funding to the development of sporting activity around the world, according to CNN.
However, as recently as 2024, the governing body of Track and Field announced it would pay individual gold medalists at the Paris Olympics $50,000.
Relay teams would receive the same $50,000 prize but shared among team members.
The governing body for Track and Field also stated that it would expand its payment initiative to bronze and silver medalists, according to Sports Illustrated.
But with the exception of governing bodies for sports and sponsorships, most olympic athletes are paid varying amounts depending on the home country of the athlete.
While official pay for the 2026 Winter Olympics is not yet available, there are figures that are publicly available from previous games.
Here is a breakdown of what athletes earned at the 2024 Paris Olympics based on their home country and medal, according to CNBC:
| Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | $13,000 | $10,000 | $7,000 |
| France | $87,000 | $43,000 | $22,000 |
| Germany | $22,000 | $16,000 | $11,000 |
| Hong Kong | $768,000 | $384,000 | $192,000 |
| Indonesia | $300,000 | $150,000 | $60,000 |
| Israel | $271,000 | $216,000 | $135,000 |
| Japan | $32,000 | $13,000 | $6,000 |
| Kazakhstan, Republic of | $250,000 | $150,000 | $75,000 |
| Malaysia | $216,000 | $65,000 | $22,000 |
| Poland | $25,000 | $19,000 | $14,000 |
| Singapore | $745,000 | $373,000 | $186,000 |
| South Korea | $45,000 | $25,000 | $18,000 |
| Spain | $102,000 | $52,000 | $33,000 |
| United States | $38,000 | $23,000 | $15,000 |
While a medalist for Singapore would make more than a medalist from the U.S., Singapore sent far fewer athletes to the games than the U.S. did.
According to CBS News, the U.S. sent 593 athletes to the Paris Olympics while Singapore only sent 23.
Are Olympic athletes compensated in ways other than money?
It depends on the country.
The Republic of Kazakhstan, for example, offers athletes furnished apartments as well as money, according to CNBC.
South Korea offers some athletes pension funds in addition to cash compensation.
Team USA offers a slate of benefits for its athletes that include continuing education assistance, professional development, legal aid, financial and tax consulting whether or not an athlete medals, according to Team USA’s website.
The 2026 Winter Olympics’ first event starts on Feb. 6, 2026, with the opening ceremony.
