In 1966, the Kansas City Chiefs signed then-head coach Hank Stram to an extension that was believed to be worth at least $30,000 per year. Nearly 60 years later, current Chiefs coach Andy Reid is making over 600 times what Stram once earned with the team.
Much has changed over the decades in the NFL, and that includes salaries for both players and coaches. Here's a look at the current list of the top-five highest-paid coaches in the NFL.
Top 5 Highest-Paid Coaches in the NFL5. Los Angeles Rams' Sean McVay — $15 million per year
The Los Angeles Rams took a risk when they hired Sean McVay as the youngest coach in the modern era of the NFL, but that risk has paid off. The offensive genius turned the Rams around, and led them to a Super Bowl appearance in his second season. Three years later, he helped the Rams win the franchise's second Super Bowl, and Los Angeles remains a consistent threat under his tutelage. McVay is already the franchise leader in wins by a coach, and has spurned an impressive coaching tree.
McVay most recently signed a four-year extension with the Rams in 2022, which has him signed through the '26 season.
T-3. Los Angeles Chargers' Jim Harbaugh — $16 million per year
Jim Harbaugh returned to the NFL in 2024 and became one of the highest-paid coaches in the process when he signed a five-year contract with the Chargers. Harbaugh is the league's highest-paid coach that has not won a Super Bowl, but he did lead the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance in 2012–13 and has a College Football Playoff national championship to boast. He has now turned both the 49ers and Chargers into immediate playoff teams, and has made the postseason in four of five seasons as an NFL head coach.
T-3. Pittsburgh Steelers' Mike Tomlin — $16 million per year
Mike Tomlin is the currently the NFL's longest-tenured active coach, and will enter his 19th season with the Steelers this season. Tomlin most recently signed an extension with Pittsburgh last June, agreeing to a three-year deal that will keep him with the Steelers through at least the 2027 season.
Though the Steelers have been unable to win a playoff game since 2017, Tomlin remains one of the NFL's most successful coaches. He won a Super Bowl in his second season, regularly has his teams in the postseason and has never finished a season with a losing record.
2. Denver Broncos' Sean Payton — $18 million per year
Sean Payton came out of retirement from coaching in 2023 to become the head coach of the Denver Broncos. The Broncos had to trade a first-round and second-round pick to the New Orleans Saints to hire Payton, and signed a five-year deal with Denver that's worth about $18 million per year.
Payton's already delivered, leading the Broncos to the postseason in 2024, their first playoff appearance since 2015. Before joining the Broncos, Payton was also successful for the Saints, leading them to their first ever Super Bowl victory in 2009–10.
1. Kansas City Chiefs' Andy Reid — $20 million per year
There is no active head coach in the NFL that deserves to be the highest-paid more than Andy Reid. Reid is the NFL's most experienced active coach, with the most Super Bowl victories and appearances and the most wins overall. Reid is a surefire Hall of Famer, and ranks fourth on the prestigious all-time coaching wins list with a 273-146-1 record. He has combined for 301 regular season and postseason wins and is second all-time in career postseason wins, only trailing Bill Belichick.
Reid most recently signed a five-year, $100 million deal with the Chiefs in 2024, following his third Super Bowl win.
How Do NFL Coach Salaries Compare to Player Contracts?
The top NFL head coaches are paid in a similar range to the league's best safeties, linebackers, running backs and tight ends. Even Reid, the NFL's best head coach, makes well below the salary of the league's premier positions—quarterbacks, edge rushers and wide receivers.
Reid's annual salary is just below the NFL's highest-paid running back (Saquon Barkley, $20.6 million), safety (Antoine Winfield Jr., $21.5 million) and above the highest-paid tight end (George Kittle, $19.1 million).
How Coaching Salaries Have Changed Over Time
As is the case with all NFL salaries, head coaching salaries have certainly gotten much more lucrative over the years. Don Shula, a two-time Super Bowl champion and the NFL's all-time winningest coach, signed a contract with a reported salary of $70,000 per year back in 1970, per . Shula coached for over three decades and saw his salary rise almost exponentially to around $1.4 million annually in 1990, according to the .
By 2012, Bill Belichick became the highest-paid coach in the NFL with a salary of $7.5 million per year. Over a decade later, the league's highest-paid coach is making close to triple Belichick's salary from that period.
Which Coach Could Become the Next Highest-Paid?
It'd be surprising to see any coach top Andy Reid as the highest-paid in the near future. Reid is the NFL's most experienced coach, as well as it's most successful.
Both Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni and Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh received multi-year extensions this past offseason, but did not surpass Reid's salary. It would likely take Reid retiring or another active head coach winning multiple Super Bowls for someone to become the new highest-paid NFL head coach.
Highest-Paid NFL Assistants and Coordinators
Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is the highest-paid coordinator in the NFL, making $6 million per year. Kelly comes to the Raiders after helping Ohio State win the College Football Playoff national championship. He was previously an NFL head coach for the Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.
On the other side of the ball, the Eagles' Vic Fangio is the highest-paid defensive coordinator making $4.5 million per year, according to . He showed his defensive prowess once again with Philadelphia last season, leading them to a dominant Super Bowl victory over the Chiefs.
How NFL Coaching Salaries Compare to Other Sports
The highest-paid NFL coaches are making significantly more than the top-paid MLB managers and a little more than the highest-paid NBA coaches. Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is making $17.5 million annually, a mark that only Reid and Payton top. In MLB, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is earning $8.1 million per year, a figure that 14 NFL coaches currently top.
