It is a well-known fact that international athletes such as soccer players Cristiano RonaldoLionel Messi, Neymar, as well as Conor McGregor, Roger Federer, Lewis Hamilton continue to top the list of highest-paid athletes, but there are plenty of wealthy athletes who come from the United States.

Many NFL and NBA superstars have made Forbes' list of the 25 highest paid US sportsmen, with some of the most well-known personalities in the industry earning multi-million dollar endorsement agreements in addition to their salary. As a result, options, buyouts, bonuses, and endorsement deals have also been included in these calculations.

Meanwhile, individual athletes in sports like golf, tennis, table tennis, boxing, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts (MMA) are not paid by a team and rely on event victories to supplement their income. Every personality on the list earned at least $38.5 million in 2021, as per Forbes' figures. Take a look at the top 25 highest American earners in sports.

25. Jimmy Butler - $38.5 million

Jimmy Butler, who was born on September 14, 1989, in Houston, Texas, is an NBA basketball player for the Miami Heat. His total earnings in 2021, according to Forbes are $38.5 million, $27.5m of which he got from basketball, while the remaining $11 million were off-field earnings. The 32-year-old small forward has also featured for Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Philadelphia 76ers in his career.

24. Leonard Williams - $39 million

Leonard Williams, a football player of the New York Giants of the NFL, was born on June 20, 1994. Williams, who was previously also part of the New York Jets for four years from 2015 to 2019, has earned $39 million last year. His off-field earnings were very low, at $500,000 while he received an incredible sum of $38.5 million just from playing.

23. DeAndre Hopkins - $38 million

DeAndre Hopkins, who was born June 6, 1992, is an Arizona Cardinals wide receiver in the NFL. Just like Leonard Williams, in 2021, the 29-year-old football player earned $39 million. He grossed $38 million from featuring for the National Football League side, while he collected $1 million in other off-the-field efforts such as endorsement deals and other business ventures.

22. Chris Paul - $40 million

Born on May 6, 1985, Chris Paul is a professional basketball player in the NBA who currently plays for the Phoenix Suns. His CV consists of previous National Basketball Association experience at New Orleans Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, and Oklahoma City Thunder. The 36-year-old point guard veteran earned a total of $40 million the previous year, with $7 million of them obtained off-court.

21. Damian Lillard - $40.5 million

Basketball player Damian Lillard represents the NBA team Portland Trail Blazers, where he has spent his entire professional career since 2012. Throughout 2021, Lillard, who was born on July 15, 1990, pocketed a sum of $25.5 million on the field, and an additional $15 million off the field, reaching an overall amount of $40.5 million in earnings.

20. Phil Mickelson - $41 million

Phil Mickelson, sometimes known as "Lefty", is a well-known golfer. Born on June 16, 1970, Mickelson became a professional golfer in 1992 and has since become one of the sport's wealthiest players in the United States. What is interesting is that the 51-year-old veteran obtained only $1 million by playing in 2021, while the remaining $40 million came via lucrative endorsements.

19. Serena Williams - $41.5 million

Born on September 26, 1981, Serena Williams is a tennis player who is widely regarded as one of the best female tennis players of all time. In spite of missing half of the 2021 season, she did earn $1.5 million. However, thanks to her off-the-field earnings worth $40 million, the 40-year-old has entered the top 20 highest-paid American sportsmen as the only female athlete.

18. Myles Garrett - $43 million

Myles Garrett is a defensive end who plays for the Cleveland Browns in the NFL. The US football player has been a member of the Ohio-based team since 2017. For the previous 2021 year, the 26-year-old has banked $43 million, with only $500,000 coming from off-field activities. 

17. Trent Williams - $43.5 million

Trent Williams plays offensive lineman for the NFL's San Francisco 49ers, which he joined in 2020. With the signing of his 49ers' contract extension in March 2021, he became the highest-paid player in his position of all time. Williams, who spent nine seasons playing for Washington Redskins/Commanders, bagged $42.5 million last year, in addition to another $1 million from sponsorship deals.

16. Jalen Ramsey - $43.5 million

Jalen Ramsey is a cornerback player associated with the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL. It took the 27-year-old football player three seasons at the Rams to become the 2022 Super Bowl champion in February. He had previously featured for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2016 to 2019. He can boast of making $43.5 million in 2021, with only $1.5 million obtained in off-the-field earnings.

15. Kyrie Irving - $44 million

Kyrie Irving is an NBA basketball player who currently plays for the Brooklyn Nets. The 29-year-old point guard, is one of the league's greatest stars, with a slew of lucrative sponsorships to go along with his huge contract. As a result, he bagged $44 million last year, in spite of not being allowed to feature in the NBA for a great part of the previous season. His total earnings have been split with $27 million on-the-field payment, and $17 million coming off-field.

14. Joey Bosa - $44 million

Joey Bosa is a football player who acts as an outside linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers in the NFL. He has been representing the Chargers since 2016, as they were called the San Diego Chargers at the time. In 2021, he managed to make a total of $44 million. Like many other football players, he gained just $1 million from endorsement deals, while the other $43 million had come from his on-field activities.

13. Klay Thompson - $44.5 million

Klay Thompson is a professional basketball player from the United States who is best known for his time with the NBA's Golden State Warriors. The 32-year-old has been playing for the Warriors since 2011. Despite missing the previous two seasons due to injuries, his base club pay has grown during his absence. After Steph Curry, Thompson is the Warriors' second-highest-paid player and the NBA's sixth-highest paid shooting guard. As a result, he raked in $28.5 million from basketball, while another $16 million came in 2021 from off-field activities.

12. Dustin Johnson - $44.5 million

Dustin Johnson is a well-known American golfer and a professional golfer who sits on the top level of the golf business. He now competes on the PGA Tour. Starting in 2017, he was the world's number one golfer. For any golfer who is currently in the first place, this is one of the longest streaks they have ever had. The next year, as well as in 2019, 2020, and 2021, he returned at the top, and he has spent more than 130 weeks there. Thereby, the 37-year-old has seen his net worth go up by $44.5 million last year, with $20.5 million in on-the-field earnings.

11. Ronnie Stanley - $47.5 million

Ronnie Stanley is recognized as one of the best professional football players in the National Football League. The 27-year-old has been a member of the Baltimore Ravens as an offensive tackle for six years now, since 2016. He managed to bring in a total of $47.5 million in earnings last year. Forbes estimated his on-field earnings at $47 million, while his off-field ones were standing at $500,000.

10. David Bakhtiari - $48.5 million

David Bakhtiari is an American football player for the Green Bay Packers, who is of Iranian and Icelandic origin. He has been defending the Packers' colors since 2013. Last year, he brought in $48.5 million overall, with the majority of it originating from his on-field activity, collecting only $500,000 in an estimate of sponsorship deals, appearance fees, and licensing income.

9. James Harden - $51 million

James Harden is a professional basketball player from the United States who is now affiliated with the Philadelphia 76ers. Prior to his move to the 76ers in 2022, he was a member of the Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets, and Oklahoma City Thunder. The 32-year-old shooting guard bagged a total of $51 million in 2021, with $18 million being off-the-field earnings.

8. Patrick Mahomes - $54.5 million

Patrick Mahomes, the 2019-20 NFL season's MVP and best offensive player, is a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He has been defending the Chiefs' colors since 2017. During the last year, he netted an overall sum of $54.5 million, as $32.5 million were on-the-field earnings and the remaining $22 million were off-the-field earnings.

7. Russell Westbrook - $59 million

Russell Westbrook, an NBA player with the Los Angeles Lakers, is a renowned American basketball player. The 33-year-old has been featuring for the Lakers since 2021, and he has past experience at Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets, and Oklahoma City Thunder. As per Forbes' records, he got $33 million in club salary last year, and $26 million from other figures that are an estimate of various sponsorship deals, totaling $59 million.

6. Tiger Woods - $60 million

Tiger Woods, who is a professional golfer that represents the United States, is one of the all-time great professional golfers. Woods is also one of the most successful golfers of all time. The 46-year-old has done a great deal in his remarkable golf career thus far, and he continues to challenge his peers. He is now ranked second in men's major championships and tied for No.1 on the PGA Tour. Last year, he managed to make around $60 million. What is interesting is that only $200,000 came from playing golf, while he got the remaining sum from off-the-field sponsorship deals.

5. Stephen Curry - $74.5 million

Stephen Curry is a well-known professional basketball player from the United States. He is now signed by the NBA's Golden State Warriors. The 33-year-old plays as a point guard and is widely recognized as one of the best shooters in NBA history. During the past season, he was paid $74.5 million. More than a half, or $40 million, he received off the field, while he earned $34.5 million from basketball.

4. Kevin Durant - $75 million

Kevin Durant is an NBA basketball player who represents the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA. He has previously played for the Golden State Warriors and the Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder. The 33-year-old obtained $75 million in 2021. Out of the complete quantity, he took home on-the-field earnings of $31 million, in addition to the $44 million in off-the-field activities.

3. Tom Brady - $76 million

Tom Brady is a retired football player who last played for the New England Patriots of the NFL. He is most remembered for his time as a quarterback with the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2019-2021). The 44-year-old veteran has risen to high heights in the game and is regarded as one of the best quarterbacks of all time. From 2001 to 2019, he spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots, where he was a key part of the team's success. During the final year of his career, he raked in $76 million in earnings. To the $45m from playing, he added another $31m from sponsorship deals.

2. LeBron James - $96.5 million

LeBron James is a basketball player with the Los Angeles Lakers, who plays as a small forward. He is generally recognized as one of the most commercialized, as well as one of the finest in the world and, by some, the greatest player of all time. He has won four NBA championships with three different teams (Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat), making him the first player in NBA history to do so. In each of the championships, he was also named MVP. For the previous 2021 year, he made a total of $96.5 million. He earned $31.5 million via his club, while his off-the-field ventures brought him an incredible sum of $65 million.

1. Dak Prescott - $107.5 million

Dak Prescott is a well-known American football player who is most recognized for his remarkable performance with the 'Dallas Cowboys' of the National Football League. Since 2016, he has been a part of the Cowboys' lineup. The 28-year-old quarterback was the top US earner in 2021, amassing total earnings of $107.5 million. He can boast of taking home $97.5 million from playing football in the NFL, while the remaining $10 million were off-the-field earnings.