The World's Highest-Paid DJs: Electronic Cash Kings 2014

When Calvin Harris topped last year’s Electronic Cash Kings list with a stunning $46 million in annual earnings, it seemed symptomatic of a bubble in the burgeoning EDM scene. But since then, the only thing that has popped is the income of the world’s highest-paid DJs.

Harris, whose total surged to $66 million for the past 12 months, is once again EDM’s Cash King. The top ten earners on our list racked up a staggering $268 million this year, 11% more than the $241 million haul of last year’s top ten.

Harris is followed on the list by  at $30 million. In the past 12 months, the former Parisian club manager has spent time on tour with Rihanna and has penned songs for Britney Spears and Lady Gaga on their latest albums as well.

Guetta commands some of the top fees in Las Vegas but stays true to his European roots, maintaining a weekly residency in Ibiza.

That club, Hakkasan, is responsible for a large chunk of Tiësto’s recent earnings: he banked $28 million over the past year.

He’s tied for third on our list with 24-year-old Avicii, who had the best 12 months of his young career on the strength of debut album True. The record included “Wake Me Up,” which became the first electronic song ever to move more than 4 million units in the U.S.

Steve Aoki, son of Benihana founder Rocky Aoki, rounds out the top five with $23 million, also the best showing of his career. His is a volume business: Aoki sometimes plays three shows in a single day, and his schedule had almost double the amount of shows of anyone on our list. He’s also boosted by endorsements with Bud Light, Guitar Center and Scion.

Plenty of other DJs are reaching new heights in terms of annual earnings, from sixth-ranked Afrojack ($22 million) to seventh-ranked Zedd ($21 million) to eleventh-ranked Hardwell ($13 million).

Even the individual members of Swedish House Mafia, which scored $25 million last year in its swan song as a group, are now earning more than they did together in 2013: Steve Angello alone pulled in $12 million, good for No. 12 on this year’s list.

Angello’s former colleagues Sebastian Ingrosso and Axwell are among this year’s near misses. Both of them earned somewhere in the neighborhood of $10 million, as did DJ Pauly D, Diplo, Paul Oakenfold, and Daft Punk.

Our estimates for the Electronic Cash Kings list include earnings from live shows, merchandise sales, endorsements, recorded music sales and external business ventures. Earnings totals were calculated for the 12-month period from June 1, 2013 to June 1, 2014.

1. Calvin Harris, $66m

2. David Guetta, $30m

3. Avicii, $28m

4. Tiësto, $28m

5. Steve Aoki, $23m

6. Afrojack, $22m

7. Zedd, $21m

8. Kaskade, $17m

9. Skrillex, $16.5m

10. Deadmau5, $16m

11. Hardwell, $13m

12. Armin van Buuren, $12m

13. Steve Angello, $12m