What does an Olympic medal pays in 2026? And where Team USA rank?

There's no greater honor than winning an Olympic medal for your country. The top three athletes or teams in each event get to witness their nation's flag being raised from the podium, while the gold medalist hears their national anthem, during the medal ceremony.

But, national pride and patriotism isn't the only thing on the line at the 2026 Winter Games. Many countries offer Olympic medalists financial incentives, meaning cold hard cash is also up for grabs. How much you may ask? USA TODAY Sports reached out to National Olympic Committees of 30 countries to ask about their medal payouts, 25 responded.

On average, the 25 nations said they will pay athletes the equivalent of $123,736.72 for gold, $72,450.92 for silver and $44,549.12 for bronze. (The amounts are paid in the host country's currency, but have been converted into U.S. dollars for consistency.)

Which country pays the most or the least? Where does the USA fit in? We got you covered.

How much do Team USA athletes get paid for winning an Olympic medal?

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee's "Operation Gold Awards" will pay athletes $37,500 for gold, $22,500 for silver and $15,000 for bronze at the 2026 Winter Olympics,. It's the same amount awarded at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games and 2024 Paris Olympics.

Team USA's medal payments rank in the middle of the pack, although the USOPC normally has to pay bonuses for more medals won. For example, the USOPC paid out $5.6 million in Operation Gold payments for medal performances at the 2022 Beijing Games and other qualifying events after Americans captured 25 total medals, the fifth most of any country. Of the 25 Olympic medals, nine were gold, the third most of any country.

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Which countries pay their athletes the most for winning Olympic medals?

Singapore made its Winter Olympic debut at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics and the nation is in pursuit of its first Olympic medal at the Winter Games. Singapore has sent one athlete to the Games, alpine skier Faiz Basha, and he will walk away with a massive payday if he's able to make the podium.

Singapore is among the highest paying countries at the 2026 Winter Olympics, offering a whopping $788,907 for the country's first gold medal of the winter Games. A silver pays $394,497 and bronze $197,282. Like Singapore, Hong Kong is offering a king's ransom for the nation's first Winter Olympic medal: $767,747 for gold, $383,877 for silver and $191,938 for bronze.

Italy has offered a large financial incentive to athletes going for gold in the host country. The Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) will award $209,804 to each gold medal winner, even in team events, while $104,924 will be awarded to silver medalists and $69,946 to bronze medalists.

Italy is already on the hook for a good chunk of change. Home turf has proved advantageous for the Italian team, which won six medals on Sunday − the most the country has won in a day at the Winter Olympics. Italy leads all countries with nine medals as of Monday afternoon: one gold, two silver and six bronzes.

Cash is not the only thing up for grabs. Poland is offering up a treasure trove of goodies for Olympic gold medalists. In addition to $211,268 split between cash and tokens, Olympic champions will receive a Toyota Corolla, fully furnished two-room apartment, painting, holiday voucher and jewelry.

Meanwhile, Austria pays out its bonuses in gold coins known as ‘Philharmoniker.’ The country awards $23,747 to gold medalists, $20,229 for silver and $16,659 for bronze medalists.

Which countries pay their athletes the least for winning Olympic medals?

Not every country awards payouts to Olympic medalists. Sweden, Norway and Great Britain are among the nation's that don't offer financial incentives to athletes that reach the podium at the Winter Olympics, but these nations aren't leaving their athletes high and dry. They provide financial support in the lead-up to the Games.

Great Britain offers the Athlete Performance Award, which is funded by the National Lottery and supplements housing and living expenses for elite competitors. This support only qualifies for athletes that aren't considered professional and don't have sponsorship endorsement.

Norway, the all-time winningest country in the Winter Olympics in gold medals and overall, offers Olympic medalists an annual sports stipend worth $17,734.

Don't forget about fourth place and coaches

First-, second- and third-place finishers at the Winter Olympics aren't the only ones earning reward. Some countries recognize athletes just miss the podium. For example, Belgium awards fourth-place finishers with $11,914, the same amount the German Sports Aid Foundation is offering German athletes for a bronze medal. Belgium is also paying athletes that finish in fifth through eighth place with an award of $5,957.

Belgium also provides coaches, who help their athletes reach Olympic glory, a financial prize equal to 25% of the amount received by their athletes. Estonia offers coaches the sum of 50% of their athlete's bonus.

Slovakia and Poland are two another countries offering money to fourth through eighth-place finishers. Poland, one of the highest-paying countries, is offering $14,000 for a fourth-place result in tokens, just under the amount offered to U.S. bronze medalists.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Here's how much USA athletes earn for winning Winter Olympics medal