Joey Chestnut net worth: Does Nathan's hot dog eating contest legend have a day job? What's his salary?

Joey Chestnut is back at Nathan's hot dog eating contest after a one-year ban. The 41-year-old is hoping to score his 17th win on Friday, Fourth of July.

Updated on: Jul 4, 2025, 19:19:57 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Joey Chestnut is back at Nathan's hot dog eating contest after a one-year ban. The 41-year-old is hoping to score his 17th win on Friday, Fourth of July. He was out last year due to a contract dispute involving a deal he had struck with a competing brand. He is, however, expected to face stiff competition from Patrick Bertoletti, of Chicago, who won the title in Chestnut's absence and is the defending men's champion.

Joey Chestnut, 16-time champion, pretends to eat from a pile of 76 hot dogs, the amount he broke a record with, at the official Weigh-in ceremony, (REUTERS)

Chestnut holds the world record of eating 76 wieners and buns in 10 minutes in 2021. He has won a record 16 Mustard Belts. The 41-year-old is coming off a 57 hot dog-eating spree in New York within five minutes. He also took part in an exhibition with soldiers, in El Paso, Texas.

On Friday, Joey Chestnut will be eating for a massive prize money. The total prize purse has not changed from 2024, with $40,000 split between the men's and women's contestants. The winner will get $10,000, the second-placed will receive $5,000 and the third-placed person will get $2,500.

Does Joey Chestnut have a day job?

Joey Chestnut is a professional eater. However, he did have a daily job before he got into this field. He worked at a construction management company while competing on weekends. He left his regular job in 2019 to pursue competitive eating.

“My mom was worried. I mean, it's nice to have a job. You've got health care and retirement, all that stuff. So I had to convince my mom that I still had a plan for all that stuff,” Chestnut told USA Today.

Joey Chestnut net worth, salary and career earnings

According to CelebrityNetWorth.com, Joey Chestnut has a net worth of $3.5 million and earns over $500,000 each year. His income mainly comes from competitions and sponsorship deals.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

Us News

Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics along with Horoscope 2026.