Miley is #4 on forbes best-paid celebs under 30

They've won Super Bowls, Grammys and MVP awards, but perhaps no feat is more impressive than collecting jaw-dropping paychecks in an otherwise dour economy.Thanks to a lucrative array of athletic contracts, concert tours and endorsement deals, the 12 best-paid celebrities under 30 collectively pulled in $573.5 million between June 1, 2009, and June 1, 2010. At an average age of 24, these wealthy 20-somethings have out-earned their rivals with a mix of talent and business savvy. Whether they've catapulted to fame on the athletic field or the Billboard charts, they've shrewdly parlayed their bold-face names into multimillion-dollar brands complete with endorsement deals, fashion lines and top-selling fragrances.

Missing from a list that's primarily populated by top-notch athletes (No. 6 LeBron James) and touring musicians (No. 11 The Jonas Brothers) is Hollywood's TV and movie star set. The reality: Though hit film franchises like Twilight and Harry Potter have raked in more than $1 billion at the global box office, their stars see only a sliver of those totals. Instead, the estimated sums Kristen Stewart, Rob Pattinson and Daniel Radcliffe pulled down--$12 million, $17 million and $25 million, respectively--were not enough to rank among the mid-to-high eight-figure earners on the list.

1. Beyonce 2. Britney Spears 3. Lady Gaga 4. Miley Cyrus 5. Taylor Swift

Teen queen Miley Cyrus registers at No. 4, thanks to the estimated $48 million she earned during the year. Though it's her Disney ( DIS - news - people ) alter-egoHannah Montana that's responsible for her rise to fame, Cyrus banked the bulk of the year's income on tour as herself. In addition to heavy radio play and her roles in bothThe Last Song and recently wrapped Hannah Montana, the 17-year-old averaged a nightly gross box office of $1.2 million across 57 tour dates. The latest, a Can't Be Tamed studio album and music video featuring a scantily-clad Cyrus, turned heads and a profit.