They walk in silence, one step behind greatness. Clad in white jumpsuits at Augusta or polos under the Pacific sun, PGA Tour caddies are a constant presence on golf’s grandest stages. Their job is to carry the bag, sure—but also the pressure, the calculations, the emotions, and sometimes the blame. While the cameras follow the players, it’s the caddies who often make or break a Sunday finish.
Most golf fans see them as background players, maybe even glorified luggage handlers. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. A good caddie is part meteorologist, part psychologist, and part strategist. They know the wind before it hits the fairway. They read greens like novels. They talk a golfer down from a triple-bogey meltdown and help them lock in on the next shot like nothing happened. And when the final putt drops? They quietly step aside and disappear into the crowd.
But what do they earn for all that work? Are they millionaires in polos, or road-weary nomads scraping by for a cut of someone else’s winnings? The truth lies somewhere in between—and for the lucky few, the numbers might just blow your mind.
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
No Salary, No Problem
Unlike players with endorsement deals or office workers with W-2s, PGA Tour caddies are independent contractors. That means no base salary, no benefits, no pension—just a handshake, a hustle, and a heavy bag.
Still, most top-level caddies negotiate a weekly base pay of $1,000 to $1,500. That covers travel, lodging, food, and their general availability throughout the week. Multiply that by 25 to 30 tournaments a year, and you’re looking at a base income of $25,000 to $45,000—a modest sum, considering the time commitment and physical toll.
But that’s just the beginning.
Bonuses
While a caddie’s weekly base pay keeps the lights on, the real windfall comes from performance-based bonuses. These bonuses are typically structured around the golfer’s finish: 5% of earnings for making the cut, 7% for a top-10 finish, and 10% for a tournament win. These numbers aren’t set in stone—they’re negotiated individually—but they’ve become the industry standard.
With PGA Tour prize purses reaching record highs in 2024, those percentages can translate into serious cash. This year’s Players Championship offered a $25 million purse, with $4.5 million going to the winner. If the winner’s caddie took the standard 10%, that’s a $450,000 paycheck—for one tournament.
Take Ted Scott, who caddies for world #1 Scottie Scheffler. In 2024, Scheffler won seven PGA Tour events and earned over $29 million in prize money. Based on standard percentages, Ted Scott easily made over $5 million just in bonuses, enough to make him one of the top 20 PLAYERS for the year.
Even caddies outside the top tier are doing well. Bryan Kopsick, who works for journeyman pro Ben Silverman, earned an estimated $150,000 in 2024. His deal reportedly included $2,000 per week plus 8% of earnings—a solid return considering Silverman finished 110th on the money list.
And, of course, the legends still loom large. During his prime, Tiger Woods gifted his longtime caddie Steve Williams a Ford GT after a win at Doral. Between gifts and bonuses, Williams reportedly earned over $1 million annually, eventually amassing a net worth of $20 million—more than most PGA pros ever make.
Or look at Michael Greller, the former math teacher who became Jordan Spieth’s caddie. Since joining Spieth in 2013, Greller has earned an estimated $5–7 million, with some seasons topping $1.5 million.
In short, if your player plays well, you get paid well. And if they win big? You might just become a millionaire with a bib.
The Complicated Income
While the path to a six-figure salary is clear for caddies, there are also traps along the path. Caddies operate as independent contractors. This means they negotiate their deals directly with the golfer. While the newly formed Association of Professional Tour Caddies is trying to work with the PGA Tour for better healthcare and retirement benefits, the caddie is kind of like his/her own one-person business. The income listed above doesn’t include a government cut, social security, or health insurance deductions. There certainly isn’t a pension.
There’s also the issue of travel. Caddies often foot the bill for getting to a tournament. In the past, PGA Tour stops were clustered and drivable. Today, the schedule spans five continents—early-season Hawaii, then Asia, Europe, and beyond—making airfare, lodging, and meals a recurring hit to a caddie’s wallet.
Caddies often work seven days a week, walking the course looking for the slightest advantage for their golfer/boss. The hard work offers plenty of reward if things go right, and not much security if things go wrong. Still, it’s easy to see why so many seek so few opportunities to carry someone’s bag on a Sunday.
Oh, and one more small piece of interesting trivia: The richest person at the 2014 US Open was a caddie. That year, amateur golfer Maverick McNealy chose his father to carry his bag. His dad? Scott McNealy, billionaire co-founder of Sun Microsystems.
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