How much do caddies earn?
Daniel Moore
Published Jan 18, 2026
A caddie on the PGA Tour receives a base salary — usually around $1,000 to $2,000 — to cover travel expenses. He will earn 5% of the winnings if his golfer finishes outside of the top 10 and 7% of the winnings for a top-10 finish. The caddie earns 10% of winnings when his golfer wins a tournament.
How much does Tiger Woods caddy make?
Just ask Joe LaCava, Woods' caddie. Woods earned $5.4 million on the tour in 2018, so estimating LaCava's take based on the going rate is fairly straightforward. The caddie likely earned somewhere between $272,192 and $544,384 for the year, on top of the money he earned from weekly salaries.
How much do pro golfer caddies get paid?
While every player/caddie agreement is different, generally speaking, most PGA Tour caddies make a base of between $1,500 and $3,000 per week. Based on a player's finish, a typical caddie rate is around 5% of the winnings for any finish outside the top 10.
How much does a caddy make UK?
The average pay for a Golf Caddie is £22,029 a year and £11 an hour in London, United Kingdom. The average salary range for a Golf Caddie is between £19,759 and £25,616.
Is caddying a real job?
Caddying is a part time job on weekends and fits within a busy high school student schedule. Caddies often earn free golf at the course they caddy. As a caddie you build relationships with your teammates, course staff, and business leaders. There are not many barriers to starting a job as a caddy.
38 related questions foundIs caddying a full time job?
On the bright side, each round is only about three hours, so caddying for a golfer is hardly a full day's work. You can be done in a few short hours if you want to, or continue to get paid for hanging out in the sun while enjoying a few light jogs from chasing balls. Then there's the tip.
How much does a 14 year old caddy make?
Golf Caddy
Especially since junior caddies can start as young as 14, carrying one bag and learning the skill. On average, a teenage golf caddy can earn $100 to $120 carrying two bags for 18 holes, referred to as a “loop.” Assuming a “loop” takes around 4 hours, the hourly pay breaks down to $20-$30 per hour.
Do caddies get paid if player misses cut?
"If the player misses the cut, the caddie still has to get a paycheck because the caddie pays for all of his own expenses — airfare, hotel, car, food, all of it." "If the guy makes the cut, the standard is 10-7-5 — 10% for a win, 7% for a top 10, 5% for everything else," Collins said.
How old do you have to be to be a caddy?
While minors under the age of 14 typically may not work in the United States, Illinois law permits caddies to work at age 13. In Wisconsin, 12-year-olds may be caddies but may not drive motorized golf carts.
Do caddies make good money?
But when there's work the pay is good, and in cash. Caddies usually make more than $100 for each 18-hole round, or ''loop. '' Most clubs set a flat caddying fee per round, but the real pay comes from tips. Most caddies say they earn an average of about $120 for carrying two bags 18 holes.
Do caddies pay their own expenses?
How does the business arrangement typically work? Professionals' caddies, just like the golfers for whom they work, are self-employed, independent contractors responsible for paying their own expenses.
What does a caddie make at the Masters?
This is the most amount of prize money ever at the tournament. With this in mind, the winning caddy will receive $207,000 for their efforts in addition to the weekly salary they agreed upon with their golfer. As a result, a caddy can make around $210,000 during the Masters.
How much does winning caddy get at Masters?
The average caddy earns $1,000 to $2,500 per week. The pay is largely dependent on how well the golfer they are carrying for does and whether or not they make the cut. If a golfer misses the cut, his or her caddy will still earn about half of what he or she would have made if the golfer had made the cut.
Does a caddy drive the golf cart?
First of all, the PGA does allow the carts in some situations. On the Champions Tour – the old guys — the golfer may ride in the cart while the caddie walks or the caddie may ride while the golfer walks but they can't both ride at the same time.
How do you become a caddie?
Instructions
- Study the game of golf. Read as much as you can on the rules and how to play. ...
- Frequent your local country club. ...
- Work as a caddy at your local country club. ...
- Volunteer for Professional Amateur golf events scheduled in your area. ...
- Network at Professional Amateur golf events.
What is the entry fee for pro golfers?
Most professionals competing in a pre-tournament qualifying event pay entry fees of $400 apiece, except for Champions and Nationwide Tour players ($100 each) and non-exempt PGA Tour members (no entry fee).
What is the highest paying job?
The highest-paying job in the world, in a traditional sense, holds the number one spot in this article: anesthesiologist. They are also the only job listed above $300,000 a year. The list, however, does not take into account mega-CEOs like Warren Buffett and Jeff Bezos, who make considerably more than that.
What is the highest paying job for 15 year olds?
High-paying jobs for teens
- Landscape laborer. ...
- Dog walker. ...
- Youth sports referee. ...
- Babysitter. ...
- Delivery service driver. National average salary: $16.81 per hour. ...
- Pet sitter. National average salary: $37,861 per year. ...
- Automotive technician. National average salary: $19.55 per hour. ...
- Tutor. National average salary: $21.31 per hour.
How much should you pay a caddie?
So how much should you tip a caddie if you're playing a weekend round at Bushwood Country Club? Glad you asked. If the club doesn't post the gratuity, Golf.com suggests paying “what you feel is deserved,” which is anything from a flat $20 to 20 to 50 percent of the caddie fee.
How do golfers choose their caddies?
Caddies rely on their pro golfers because how much pro golfers pay their caddies is based on how much the pro makes. Pro golfers pay their caddies on an individual basis. As far as the PGA Tour is concerned, pro golfers and their caddies are considered independent contractors.
What makes a good caddy?
Honesty. Players don't like hearing they're wrong or they're getting bad advice from someone close to them (i.e. a swing coach, sports psychologist, girlfriend/boyfriend, etc.). A great caddie is willing to say the things most people around a golfer won't say. Positivity.
What skills do you need to be a golf caddy?
The eight most common skills based on Caddie resumes in 2022.
- Golf Clubs, 13.0%
- Professional Relationships, 11.3%
- Course Knowledge, 11.3%
- Effective Communication, 10.2%
- Caddy, 8.9%
- Scholarship, 5.6%
- Customer Service, 4.3%
- Other Skills, 35.4%