How Much Money Does a NASCAR Crew Chief Make?

Published 12/14/2021, 4:28 PM EST

Motorsport is a pretty high-paying business, and NASCAR is no exception. Obviously, the drivers are paid handsomely, and even the rest of the team members earn a decent slice of the pie. This also applies to the various crew chiefs. Since the crew chiefs are the ones in charge, they are paid a lot more than the rest of the crew members.

According to some estimates, crew chiefs earn between $250,000 to $1 million per year. However, all of this is based on the respective team’s performance during the season. As per reports, the base salary is around $500,000. In all honesty, the crew chiefs are paid this much because they are almost always communicating with the driver during the race.

How Much do NASCAR Crew Chiefs Earn in an Entire Season?

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It is worth mentioning that their salaries are kept confidential, though they may be revealed because of external circumstances. As it turned out, a lawsuit in 2009 revealed that a crew chief had a base salary of approximately $110,000. Though, some other estimates suggest that many of them earn a hefty base salary of $500,000 a year.

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Apparently, their contracts include a variety of bonuses and incentives. Some of them are for winning pole positions or a race, and it can result in a base salary increase. Additionally, the teams can allot bonus money to the crew chief, as long as expectations are met.

Of course, there are crew chiefs like Chad Knaus, Alan Gustafson, Cliff Daniels, and more, who are the best in the business. Their net worth is said to be in the millions because they have been so successful. For example, Knaus is reportedly worth $5 million, and he is the man who guided Jimmie Johnson to 7 Cup Series titles. Even the likes of Alan Gustafson is worth a lot of money, probably in the millions, as well.

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With a fair number of new teams bringing in sponsors, revenues are likely to increase. In turn, it is also highly likely that salaries will also begin to skyrocket.

What Does a Crew Chief do in NASCAR? How Can They Make All the Difference?

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Dhruv George is a senior Motorsports author for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.