It is only in recent years that female wrestlers have really emerged into the spotlight and been placed on the same pedestal as their male counterparts.

WWE has been, still is home to many iconic women who have made a name for themselves inside the ring.

Gone are the days of there being question marks over whether a woman could make wrestling her full-time career. Week in, week out, fans flock to stadiums around the world to see these elite level athletes compete.

And in the growing numbers of adoring fans comes handsome salaries and lucrative sponsorship deals.

Tuko has compiled the top ten richest female wrestlers of 2021 based on their net worth. Here's who features on this star-studded list.

10. Asuka — $1 million (£754,000)

Asuka

Asuka is one of the highest-earning Japanese wrestlers in WWE. She has been with the company now for more than 20 years.

She reportedly brings in an annual salary of $350,000 (£264,000), which is certainly well-earned considering the amount she has achieved with WWE.

Asuka became the winner of the inaugural Women's Royal Rumble match in 2018 and has held both Raw and SmackDown titles. She is also a two-time Women's Tag Team Champion and became the first woman to win the title with two different partners.

9. Charlotte Flair — $1 million (£754,000)

Charlotte Flair

When it comes to successful women currently on the WWE roster, no one holds a candle to Charlotte Flair.

The Queen is a 13-time women's world champion and has won a total of 16 championships, including NXT and tag team titles.

Flair is arguably one of the most popular wrestlers at the company right now and her glittering career has seen her make pay-per-view history and spark iconic rivalries with the likes of Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey.

8. Bayley — $2 million (£1.5m)

Bayley

Since Bayley defeated Charlotte Flair to claim the Raw Women's Championship in 2017, she has been one of WWE's leading names.

She became the company's first ever women's Triple Crown Champion and Grand Slam winner, after claiming the Raw, SmackDown, and Women's Tag Team Championship.

Bayley has held the SmackDown title twice and currently boasts the record for the longest reign as blue brand women's champion.

7. Natalya — $2 million (£1.5m)

Natalya

Natalya is a third generation wrestler with two women's world championships to her name.

She held the Divas Championship and SmackDown titles once each and also partnered Tamina to a Women's Tag Team title earlier this year.

Natalya earns a reported $300,000 (£226,000) annual salary but is said to have secured a number of other earnings and endorsements on top of this.

6. Alexa Bliss — $2.8 million (£2.1m)

Alexa Bliss

Alexa Bliss followed in the footsteps of Bayley by becoming a Triple Crown Champion, an achievement not many can say they have won.

The popular heel has won a number of statement matches and in the process has earned five Championship titles. When she became the two-time SmackDown women's champion, Bliss was the first to achieve this feat.

The Ohio-born star also partnered the former Nikki Cross to become the first duo to win the Women's Tag Team Championship twice.

5. Sasha Banks — $3 million (£2.2m)

Sasha Banks

Sasha Banks is one of the most influential women currently on the WWE roster.

It was recently revealed the blue-haired trailblazer was the third most tweeted about female athlete on Twitter this year.

This is unsurprising given the fact Banks and Bianca Belair became the first Black women in WWE history to headline a WrestleMania pay-per-view event. The Boss was also part of the first-ever female wrestling match to take place in Saudi Arabia earlier this year.

Banks has won six World Championships, partnered with Bayley to win two Women's Tag Team Championship titles, and also joined the Triple Crown and Grand Slam winners list.

4. Becky Lynch — $6 million (£4.5m)

Becky Lynch

There are few stars on the WWE roster as popular as Becky Lynch right now. After a 15-month hiatus, The Man made her grand return as a heel earlier this year, and has been dominating Monday Night Raw since.Lynch is one of the top female earners still at the company and actually earns more than some high profile men's stars.

With her strong fanbase and her six World Championship titles, it's easy to see why Big Time Becks is paid the big time bucks.

3. Nikki Bella — $8 million (£6m)

Nikki Bella

Nikki and her twin sister Brie made up the iconic Bella Twins faction during their time with WWE. Both are inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Nikki is a two-time Divas Championship winner and holds the record for the longest title reign at 301 days.

She was ranked number one in Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Female 50 list of 2015.

Nikki reportedly earns an annual salary of $310,000 (£234,000).

2. Brie Bella — $12 million (£9m)

Brie Bella

Brie Bella was inducted alongside her sister into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2020, following their iconic era at the company. Brie has won the Divas Championship on one occasion.

But despite sharing the majority of her career with her twin, she has a much higher net worth than Nikki.

Brie is reportedly worth $12 million (£9m) and brings in an annual salary of $280,000 (£212,000).

1. Ronda Rousey — $13 million (£9.8m)

Ronda Rousey Charlotte Flair

Topping this list is one of the most renowned names in women's combat sports. Although Rousey's WWE career was a short one, she made headlines by striking rivalries with Flair and Lynch, and becoming the headliner of the inaugural WWE all-women's pay-per-view event.

Rousey has competed at the highest level across a number of combat sports, and boasts a bronze medal in judo at the Olympics. She is also the only woman to win both a WWE and UFC championship.

The MMA star became the first ever female fighter to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018.

Rousey's impressive achievements in judo, UFC, and WWE explain her large net worth and why she is the highest earning female wrestler.