The NFL has had its share of prominent power couples over the years, but it’s hard to argue that many have been higher profile than Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift.

Kelce has long been one of the best tight ends in the NFL and is considered by many to be the greatest receiving tight end in league history. He has won two Super Bowls with the Chiefs and has long been the favorite target of Patrick Mahomes, the best quarterback in the NFL today, so his name is one with which most sports fans will be familiar.

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As for Swift, she’s even better known than Kelce. The global country and pop star broke into the music industry at age 15 and has spent the last two decades as one of its most notable performers. She has earned countless accolades during her career and has become one of the richest performers in the world.

But just how rich are Kelce and Swift? There isn’t really an age gap between the two, but there is a gap in the respective earnings of each star. Here’s what to know about each’s net worth, salary and more as their relationship continues to be in the spotlight.

Travis Kelce net worth

According to Yahoo Finance, Kelce has a net worth of roughly $30 million. That’s not bad for a player who converted from quarterback to tight end at Cincinnati and ended up becoming a third-round pick after playing at a non-Power 5 school.

Most of Kelce’s net worth stems from the money that he has made on the football field. However, he has made far more in endorsements in recent years. In 2023 alone, he has starred in commercials for DirecTV, State Farm and Pfizer, to name a few, and has seen the popularity of his “New Heights” podcast — which he cohosts with his brother, Jason — skyrocket.

As Kelce, 33, continues to star in the NFL, he should only see his net worth increase. But before that happens, he may need to see the value of his deal with the Chiefs rise as well.

Getty Images / Travis Kelce contract

Kelce is currently in the second year of a four-year, $57.25 million extension he signed with the Chiefs in August of 2020.

When Kelce first inked that deal, it made him the NFL’s highest-paid tight end, as he was set to earn just over $14.3 million in average annual value (AAV) yearly. Now, that figure ranks fourth among tight ends; and his total guarantee of $22.75 million ranks 12th among players at the position.

Rank
Player
Team
AAV

1
Darren Waller
Giants
$17 million

2
T.J. Hockenson
Vikings
$16.5 million

3
George Kittle
49ers
$15 million

4
Travis Kelce
Chiefs
$14.31 million

5
Dallas Goedert
Eagles
$14.25 million

6
Mark Andrews
Ravens
$14 million

7
Evan Engram
Jaguars
$13.75 million

8
David Njoku
Browns
$13.69 million

9
Dawson Knox
Bills
$13 million

10
Jonnu Smith
Falcons
$12.5 million

So, it would certainly seem that Kelce is underpaid, and the tight end is aware of that assertion.

“My managers and agents love to tell me how underpaid I am,” Kelce told Vanity Fair. “Any time I talk about wanting more money, they’re just like, ‘Why don’t you go to the Chiefs and ask them?”

Kelce has a pretty compelling reason for not asking the Chiefs for a raise. He doesn’t want to leave Kansas City to get paid, which is something that a few of his teammates have done in recent seasons.

“When I saw Tyreek [Hill] go and get 30 [million] a year, in the back of my head, I was like, man, that’s two to three times what I’m making right now,” Kelce explained. “I’m like, the free market looks like fun until you go somewhere and you don’t win. I love winning. I love the situation I’m in.”

And Kelce’s love of his situation in Kansas City is part of what has allowed him to stomach the thought of passing on a massive pay raise.

“You see how much more money you could be making and, yeah, it hits you in the gut a little bit. It makes you think you’re being taken advantage of,” he added. “I don’t know if I really pressed the gas if I would get what I’m quote-unquote worth… But I know I enjoy coming to that building every single day.”

Travis Kelce career earnings

Kelce’s contract is valued higher than his net worth, and so too are his career earnings. According to Spotrac.com, Kelce has earned just over $77 million during his NFL career.

Kelce has earned at least $8 million in all but one season dating back to 2016. He has played 11 seasons in total with the Chiefs, meaning that he has earned an average of about $7 million per season during his time in Kansas City.

Below is a year-by-year breakdown of Kelce’s earnings.

Year
Earnings

2013
$1,108,304

2014
$531,000

2015
$678,000

2016
$10,646,000

2017
$3,418,750

2018
$8,050,000

2019
$8,750,000

2020
$9,294,294

2021
$11,805,872

2022
$10,500,000

2023
$12,250,000

Total
$77,032,220

Again, that certainly isn’t a bad payday for a guy who was a third-round pick. That is especially true considering that he earned less than $3 million combined in his first three seasons.

Kelce will bump his career earnings over $100 million if he plays out the remainder of his current contract, which runs through 2025. But even if he retires before that point, his impressive longevity certainly helped him to become one of the richest tight ends in league history.

Getty Images / Taylor Swift net worth

While Kelce has amassed an impressive net worth and solid career earnings, Swift has him beaten. And it isn’t particularly close.

Swift has an estimated net worth of $1.1 billion, per Forbes. It has increased considerably following the success of the first leg of her “Eras Tour,” which resulted in $190 million in profit for her after taxes.

Swift’s wealth has come mostly from her career as a country and pop star. She has sold over 100 million records worldwide and is the most-streamed female artist in the history of Spotify. She has won 12 Grammy Awards and has picked up numerous other accolades during her nearly two-decade-long run in the music industry.

Tickets for Swift’s stadium tours and her merchandise alike sell like hotcakes, so that has been another source of her wealth. Considering that she is just 34 and remains at the height of her popularity, she should only continue to climb the ranks of female billionaires as her career continues.

As it stands, the value of Swift’s music catalog is about $500 million. It should only rise as she continues to re-record her old albums to acquire their masters and as she releases new music.

Taylor Swift salary, career earnings

Swift doesn’t have an official salary, and her earnings from year to year will change based on whether she is releasing an album, touring or doing something else.

That said, Celebrity Net Worth estimates Swift makes about $150 million per year. That is likely more than what Kelce will make during the entirety of his career with the Chiefs.

However, Forbes estimates that Swift’s earnings for 2022 were about $92 million. So, there is a greater variance in what Swift makes year-to-year than what Kelce makes.

But either way, it is clear-cut that she is the higher earner of the NFL’s newest power couple. And it isn’t particularly close.