Does America pay Olympic gold medal athletes?

Question

if so..

how much?

does it depend on the sport or discipline they take part in?

Answer 1

Yes they pay for each medal. That is all I know.  

Answer 2

The US does not pay its athletes.  Athletes depend on help from private groups and companies, or from the United States Olympic Committee.

If an athlete is under 18, they are almost exclusively funded by their parents.  As athletes move into their college years, they are trained and supported by full or partial scholarships from their University that may pay some or all of their tuition and room and board costs.  Once out of college, athletes are either professionals and supported by the sport they play or they are supported by the National Governing body of their sport.

The US Olympic Committee is the parent company of all of the National Governing Boards.  It collects money from corporations and private individuals, they receive no funding at all from the US Government.  The USOC invests half of its income to create an endowment for future athletes, and disburses the other half to the NGB of the various sports.

The NGB in turn, also raise funds to train athletes, educate coaches, enhance training facilities, cover travel expenses and defray their own operating costs.

Many U.S. corporations financially support U.S. Olympic athletes, receiving in return favorable publicity, the right to use Olympic symbols in their advertising and public good will. Among the current corporate partners to the U.S. Olympic movement are Anheuser-Busch Inc., AT&T, Bank of America, General Motors, The Home Depot and Johnson & Johnson.

While support often takes the form of cash or other contributions to the USOC, some businesses find ways to assist individual athletes. The Home Depot has assisted hundreds of athletes by offering them jobs where they work 20-hour weeks for a 40-hour salary, with flexible schedules that afford time off for training and competitions.

Thirty-three of the 2006 U.S. team’s 211 members were Home Depot employees.

There are very few amateur athletes who earn a living at their sport, Michael Phelps for instance.  But his income comes from endorsements and advertisements from equipment manufacturers and food companies.  Those who are paid by the NGB will, at most, have their expenses for training and travel covered.

Answer 3

No they do not get paid by the Government, endorsements by corporations maybe