California Watch

What kind of money do professional athletes make? Check out USA Today's searchable pro-sports databases to find out.

The 2009 numbers for the National Football League are in, and San Diego quarterback Phillip Rivers came in as the top earner at $25,556,630, thanks to a hefty $19.5 million signing bonus, according to the data. 

Makes you wonder what Drew Brees can pull in when he re-ups with the Saints, as Jarrett Bell pointed out in an article summarizing the new NFL data.

"The NFL's average salary for 2009 was $1.896 million, with a median of $790,000. Of the 118 players selected to the Pro Bowl (including replacements and non-participants), more than half carried contracts averaging at least $4 million a year, including 15 with averages of at least $10 million," according to the article.

The Oakland Raiders had the 11th biggest payroll in the NFL in 2009, and the San Francisco 49ers had the third highest median salary for 2009, according to the data.

Take a look at this page to find out more about how the numbers were compiled. While you're there, dig into some of the other sports too.

California MLB clubs have five players on USA Today's list of the top 25 salaries in the league, with LA Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez second on the list at $23,854,494.