FAQ: How much money does a caddie make?
By The Caddie Network Staff · December 19, 2019
Through our readers and social media followers here at The Caddie Network, we often receive questions related to the caddie profession. We’ve collected the most frequently asked questions from our readers and followers and tasked actual PGA Tour caddies to serve up the answers based on their experiences. Here are the answers — from PGA Tour caddies — to the questions we most often receive from you.
One particularly popular question that caddies get is also one that can be quite awkward — as in it’s not likely something you would ask a person in any other profession: How much money does a caddie make? Of course, there are a lot of factors involved, but we took a look at how the base salary and performance bonus typically works each week on the PGA Tour.
How much money does a caddie make — base salary and performance bonus — each week?
Base salaries start at around $1,500 weekly and go up to between $3,500- $4,000. I’ve heard of at least one guy getting $4,000 per week. The average is around $2,000 now.
That’s the base salary for the week before you factor in player performance in that week’s tournament.
After that, a caddie’s pay is like any pro sports contracts with two exceptions: 1. It’s never guaranteed; and 2. It’s never announced to the public. The structure for the bonus based on player performance work like this in most cases… the old standard was 5 percent for making the cut, 7 percent for a top 10 and 10 percent for winning. These days, it has become more of a two percentages format: make cut or win. And the actual percentages are close to 7 percent and 10 percent, plus or minus a percentage point or two.
Do you have more caddie questions? We have more caddie answers. From “What do caddies keep in the player’s bag for themselves?” to “Which are the most caddie-friendly tournaments on the PGA Tour?,” our pros have you covered with over 20 FAQs – just click here.
When I looked at a private club near Dallas, Tx, the average pay was $150 per round. The caddies that were there day in and day out (full time) that had also been there for six months or more averaged $180 per loop, and the only negative was that it was unheard of for anyone to do 30 loops in a month.
I knew guys that worked Symetra Tour and Web (KF Tour) every time their player was in the field and looped at the club when they weren’t, and those guys were making about the same.
To every young Golfer that wants to get a lot better than you would expect- Caddie for 3 months. You’re going to see the game from a perspective that you have to see to understand.
To every Golfer, Thank You. Without you, we don’t have jobs.
To every Golfer that has taken a Caddy, we appreciate you long after you are gone, and we look forward to seeing you again. You’re the top of the pack, and we’re the foot soldiers. Together, we are making sure that the game still stands on the foundation it was built on.
I am a 78 years old GOLF NUT! If I didn’t have 2 bad hips I would give it a try! I played in a few Sr. Monday qualifiers back in the ’90’s, and there were some great caddies!!
Would be cool to see how the real earnings of the top 150 players translates into Caddie earnings.
My son caddies for a top 50 player in the world. Roughly figure they get about 6.50 percent of the players tour earnings. Not giving you his or his players name.
I assume they are responsible for all their living expenses. What about travel? Do they get free rides on private jets with the pro? I know some do.
What about international travel and expenses?
Given the nature and history I assume it is “at will” employment.
Do any of the elite caddies have contracts?
The article really tells us nothing except the income side. What about the expense side ? What does average caddy have to pay for out of his check? There are a lot of million/billion $$ companies that lose money. Revenue means nothing if expenses are greater.
Back in 80/90s officiated HS bball. Had to be there 2 hours b4 game – 2 hour game – an hour to get dressed and an hour home. $75/80. 6 hours – $10 for food/gas. Worked for about $10/hr. As I started to have family just wasn’t worth it. But still people would say – wow – you get $80 for calling a game – what great $$$. After a while just smiled – yep – rolling in it.