How much do MLS players make?

MLS is undoubtedly one of the most famous and rich leagues. As it earns millions, the players also get very good pay. There are players who are even earning millions per year in their contracts. However, there is a set limit on how much a team can spend on their players. Let’s get to the simple question, how much do MLS players make?

In 2021, a player on the senior roster (1-20 spot) had a minimum salary of $81,375. The minimum salary in the league will rise to $125,875 in 2027. A reserve roster player’s base pay in 2021 was $63,547. However, if we talk about the average salary, it was $398,725, as reported by Athletic. 

On the other hand, non-designated players in the MLS can earn anywhere from $36,500 to $387,500 each season. The minimum wage for players under the age of 25 is $36,500, while the minimum salary for players above the age of 25 is $48,500.

In terms of highest-earning, Mexican striker Carlos Vela tops the list with $6.3 Million in his pockets and behind him is Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez with a $6 million contract. 

How much do MLS soccer players make?

In 2021, the minimum pay for a senior roster player (1-20 place) was $81,375. A reserve roster player’s base pay in 2021 was $63,547. However, a player can earn upto $612,500 from a team’s official wallet. 

In 2021 and 2022, each team in Major League Soccer has a wage budget of $4.9 million for positions 1 through 20. Between these 20 positions, teams can only pay a maximum salary of $612,500 per player. 

Only designated players can make more than the MLS’s Maximum Salary Budget Charge of $612,500 once the club’s salary budget has been shared. This means that no other player can earn more than this amount.

Only when a player is a designated player will they be paid more than the Maximum Salary Charge of $612,500.

The salaries of non-designated players in the MLS range from $36,500 to $387,500. The league minimum for players under the age of 25 is 36,500 points. The league minimum for players older than 25 is $48,500.

How much do top MLS players make?

At $6.3 million a year, Carlos Vela is the highest-paid player in the league, while Chicharito (Javier Hernandez) is the second-highest-paid player. However, Hernandez actually tops the list when it comes to base salary, as his annual salary is $6 million, while Carlos Vela’s is $4.5 million.

Let’s have a look at top 10 MLS players salary:

  • Carlos Vela ($6,300,000)
  • Javier Hernandez ($6,000,000)
  • Gonzalo Higuain ($5,793,750)
  • Alejandro Pozuelo ($4,693,000)
  • Josef Martinez ($3,891,667)
  • Jozy Altidore ($3,602,250)
  • Rodolfo Pizarro ($3,350,000)
  • Maximiliano Moralez ($3,285,000)
  • Victor Wanyama ($3,091,667)
  • Franco Jara ($2,977,000)

How much do MLS players make per game?

It’s easy to calculate how much each player makes per game because there are 34 games in the MLS season. So we will take the minimum and maximum salary of players on the senior roster. As their minimum and maximum salaries are $81,375 and $612,500, their per-game earnings will be 

  • Min Salary of Senior Player: $2,393.38 per game
  • Max Salary of Senior Player: $18,014.71 per game

If we have to know the salary of the highest-paid MLS player, Carlos Vela, then his per game salary would be $185,294 per game, as per his total $6.3 Million salary contract. 

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How much do MLS players make a week?

The amount of money that MLS players make each week is mostly determined by the salaries they get. The Minimum Salary for Senior League Players is $81,375 per year, and players earning within this level are guaranteed around $1,695 per week.

On the other hand, players making approximately the Maximum Salary Charge of $612,500 can expect to make $12,760 per week.

As expected, designated players would earn more. Typically, they earn more than the league’s maximum pay cap of $12,760 every week. Let’s take the example of Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, the LA Galaxy’s $6 million-a-year hitman. Chicharito would earn $125,000 per week, which is far higher than the league’s maximum weekly pay.

How much do MLS players make a month?

It may be determined that every senior non-designated player earns a salary between $81375 and $612500 each year. Although this is a rather broad range, the average MLS non-designated player pay is approximately $400,000 per year, indicating that quite a few players earn wages in this range.

Continuing with one of the previous scenarios, if the pay cap in the league is set at $4,900,000 for a club’s 20 players and it is evenly distributed among them, then each player earns $245,000 every year.

After the salary charge for an MLS, the player who has been established designated players to earn significantly more than that. In fact, the league has a large number of these players, with some numbering in the millions.

As an example, Gonzalo Higuain, the Inter Miami star and one of the league’s highest-paid players, earns $5,793,750 a year as a designated player.

How much do MLS players make 2019?

Non-designated senior roster players made an average base salary of $345,867 each season in 2019, up 13.3 per cent from the previous year and increasing by double digits across the board.

On the other hand, Zlatan Ibrahimovic got $7.2 million, making him the highest-paid player. He was a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy.

How much do women’s MLS players make?

For the 2021 season, the National Women’s Soccer League raised its players’ minimum and maximum salaries to $22,000 and $52,500, respectively. In 2020, the league’s maximum wage was $50,000, which marks a 5% rise. There has been an annual increase in the league limit since its inception in 2013 when the maximum was $30,000.

However, if we compare with Men Major Soccer Leagues, they earn $398,725 on average, which shows the low pay in women’s soccer leagues. 

Bottom Line

So this was all about how much do MLS players make. So, the minimum salary of players on the senior roster is $81,375. On the other hand, the players on the reserve roster are entitled to earn a minimum salary of $63,547. However, a player can earn upto $612,500 from a team’s official wallet. 

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