Natalya Reveals Her First WWE Salary After Years of Cleaning Bathrooms and Waiting Tables

Natalya is one of WWE’s longest-running veterans, but her journey to the top wasn’t lined with luxury—far from it. In a recent sit-down with Chris Van Vliet, the former SmackDown Women’s Champion opened up about just how little she earned when she finally signed with WWE.

After years of wrestling across England, Japan, and grinding through the indies, Natalya revealed that her first WWE contract paid just $25,000. “When I got signed, it was for $25,000 a year,” she said. “I thought I had hit the jackpot. I really did. I was just so happy.”

The journey to that contract wasn’t easy. Natalya recalled balancing wrestling with working a waitressing job where she did everything from serving food to cleaning public bathrooms. “I cleaned bathrooms, I busted tables, and I did my wrestling when I wasn’t working at that job,” she explained. “I just fought so hard to get here.”

Even after making it to WWE, she never forgot those days behind the counter. “I always remembered how much I actually enjoyed waitressing,” Natalya said, showing love to workers still grinding in service roles. “I give them a round of applause, because you guys, whoever works in restaurants or retail or has to serve people, it is not easy.”

From $25K rookie deals to main-eventing pay-per-views, Natalya’s story is a reminder that success in WWE rarely comes overnight—and for her, it started with cleaning supplies and late-night shifts just to chase the dream.