Pro athletes earn more money in a year than most of us will make in our lifetime.
To rub it in, ESPN devised a depressing little calculator where you can enter your yearly salary, and see how long it takes pro athletes to make the same amount . . . and how long you'd have to work in order to earn what they make. 

For example, if you earn $60,000 a year, MANNY RAMIREZ of the Los Angeles Dodgers earns your yearly salary in just ONE at-bat.  Put another way, it would take you more than 333 years to earn what Manny makes in a year.
If you earn $80,000 a year, coach PETE CARROLL of the Seattle Seahawks earns your yearly salary in less than one quarter of a football game.  Put another way, it would take you more than 81 years to earn what Pete makes in a year.

If you earn $100,000 a year, RYAN HOWARD of the Philadelphia Phillies earns your yearly salary for roughly every six innings he plays.  Put another way, it would take you 250 years to earn what Ryan makes in a year.

If you earn $45,000 a year, PAU GASOL of the Los Angeles Lakers earns your yearly salary for every 1.85 rebounds he pulls down.  Put another way, you'd need to work more than 422 years to earn what Pau makes in a year.

And if you earn $30,000 a year, ELI MANNING of the New York Giants earns your yearly salary for every 6.29 passing yards.  Put another way, it would take you more than 541 years to earn what Eli makes in a year.  (ESPN)

(The Salary Calculator)