I Make $130,000 a Year Breaking Bones in Motocross. Should I Quit Now?

"“I average on a healthy year, I'm about $125,000, $130,000 on a good healthy year, if you don't break any bones, obviously,” he said. He pulls another $50,000 or so from electrical work on the side. The body count: 44 broken bones. He plans to be debt-free by the end of 2027 and is leaning toward going full-time as an electrician, though pay in his rural area is capped."

"“Your brain is already checked out, which makes you dangerous. I want you to get off that bike within 24 months.” The verdict: Ramsey is right, and the math is uglier than it looks. Treating $130,000 as “good” income misreads the deal. That number is gross, pre-tax, before equipment, travel, medical bills, and before the years when bones stop healing."

"“I thought you were making some unbelievable money, but $130,000 is replaceable.” Run the comparison. Average hourly earnings across the private sector hit $37.41 in April 2026, which annualizes to roughly $77,800 for a full-time worker. The caller makes more than that, but not fund-manager money. He makes skilled-trades money with catastrophic downside risk."

"Suppose the rider earns $130,000 gross, takes home roughly $95,000 after federal and self-employment taxes, and absorbs $15,000 yearly in gear, travel, and out-of-pocket medical costs. Net: about $80,000. Layer in one serious injury every three years costing $40,000 in lost work and uncovered care. The amortized hit drops closer to $67,000. An electrician clearing $110,000 in W-2 wages with employer health coverage may pocket $80,000 to $85,000 net, with no body ta"

A freestyle motocross rider reports about $125,000 to $130,000 in annual earnings, plus roughly $50,000 from electrical work. He has suffered 44 broken bones and wants to be debt-free by the end of 2027, considering full-time electrician work despite capped rural pay. A blunt response warns that the rider’s mindset is dangerous and urges getting off the bike within 24 months. The comparison treats motocross income as gross and then subtracts taxes, equipment, travel, and medical costs, plus the expected cost of serious injuries over time. After risk-adjusted calculations, net earnings from motocross can fall near or below the net from electrician wages with employer health coverage.

Read at 24/7 Wall St.