IndyCar is off to a great start, with its season opening race in St. Petersburg, FL, up 45% compared to last year. With a new broadcast partner in Fox, IndyCar drivers will hope to bank more in salary from higher viewership.
More media attention and fan interest equate to bigger paydays for the highest-paid IndyCar drivers.
Colton Herta earns $7 million to lead the way as the highest-paid IndyCar driver. The Andretti Global driver is the youngest to win an IndyCar Series race when he won the 2019 Circuit of the Americas when he was 18 years old.
Now at 25, he leads the way as the top-earner in IndyCar after signing an extension with Andretti through 2027.
Second among the highest-paid drivers is Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren. He earns $4 million annually driving the team’s #5 Chevrolet.
O’Ward’s best finish came in 2021 when he finished third at the end of the season. Even though IndyCar salaries are notoriously kept tight-lipped, O’Ward’s salary was publicized following his inclusion in a lawsuit filed by McLaren Racing in 2024.
Driving under Chip Ganassi Racing, Scott Dixon earns between $3.5 million and $4.5 million to place him third.
He’s the longest-tenured driver in Chip Ganassi Racing team history, having signed with them in 2002. Dixon is also the winningest active IndyCar Series driver with six championships. His 58 career wins in nine away from the all-time record.
Fourth is Kyle Kirwood of Andretti Global, who makes about $3.5 million. Kirkwood is in his fourth season with the Andretti Global team. He finished seventh in the driver standings last season.
Marcus Ericsson rounds out the top five, earning $3 million annually with Andretti Global. The 2022 Indy 500 winner is in his seventh season with Andretti Global. He’s earned over $5.4 million in career earnings from his finishes at the famous Indianapolis race track.
Ericsson is also a former F1 driver, having driven for Sauber from 2015 to 2018.
Starting as an underdog to other racing leagues, IndyCar and its drivers are now beginning to earn big wages similar to the more established leagues.
As the door opens for Formula One drivers to potentially race in the Indy 500, IndyCar could see bigger surges in popularity this season.
Ranking The Highest-Paid IndyCar Drivers
Here is the entire list of the highest-paid IndyCar drivers. The list was compiled with data from IndyStar and IndyCar.
- Updated: March 31, 2025
| Rank | Driver | Team | Total Compensation |
| 1 | Colton Herta | Andretti Global | $7 million |
| 2 | Pato O’Ward | Arrow McLaren SP | $4 million |
| 3 | Scott Dixon | Chip Ganassi Racing | ~$3.5-$4.5 million |
| 4 | Kyle Kirkwood | Andretti Global | ~$3.5 million |
| 5 | Marcus Ericsson | Andretti Global | $3 million |
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