Salary
Average Salary: $60,000
Expected Lifetime Earnings: $300,000
League of Legends team captain, Carlos "Ocelote" Rodriguez, makes close to a million a year. And he's not alone. According to esportsearnings.com, there are five gaming millionaires, 176 players earning in the six figures, and 324 gamers who make between $38,000 and $99,000 a year (the average being around $60,000) (source).
"Sweet," you say.
Well, let's look at it this way. About 500 people from all over the world can make a living at this, and only forty in the United States (source). What about the five-million-plus others who can't make a dime?
You're good at math. What percentage success rate is that?
What's that? You have no idea? You can't figure it out? That's probably because you should've spent your time going to school and paying attention in math class instead of playing video games. Har Har.
But seriously, say you're willing to take that gamble. You know for sure that you're the best StarCraft, League of Legends, Dota, Streetfigher, Hearthstone, Call of Duty, or Counter Strike gamer that there ever was or will be. Then how exactly will you make your money?
Aside from winning big at tournaments, you could hook up a live stream to your computer and set up a PayPal account for donations, or form a partnership with Twitch.tv, or join a popular team and collect a salary and a paycheck, or amass heavy-duty popular sponsors.
You could also roam the streets wearing a sign that says "Pro Gamer, Will Play for Food" and shout "Show Me the Money!" to passersby, who will clutch their iPad-addicted children close and point you out as a cautionary tale.
Yeah maybe don't try that last one.