FOOTBALL · 30 CLUBS · 754 PLAYERS
Major League Soccer player wages
The 30 clubs we track in Major League Soccer pay a combined AU$16,008,599 a week. Robert Lewandowski is the best paid, on AU$816,480 a week.
WEEKLY WAGE BILLAU$16m
YEARLY WAGE BILLAU$832.4m
AVERAGE WEEKLY AU$27k
CLUBS TRACKED30
Wage bill by club
Total weekly spend on player wages
Highest paid in Major League Soccer
Top 10 earners take 23% of the league's wage bill
AU$816,480
02 Casemiro Inter Miami CF AU$567,000
03 Antoine Griezmann Orlando City SC AU$438,480
04 Lionel Messi Inter Miami CF AU$419,580
05 Rodrigo De Paul Inter Miami CF AU$321,300
06 Heung-Min Son Los Angeles Football Club AU$300,510
07 Sergio Busquets Inter Miami CF AU$236,250
08 Miguel Almirón Atlanta United FC AU$211,680
09 Tadeo Allende Inter Miami CF AU$209,790
10 Hirving Lozano LA Galaxy AU$206,010
11 Emil Forsberg New York Red Bulls AU$166,320
12 Jordi Alba Inter Miami CF AU$160,650
13 Riqui Puig LA Galaxy AU$151,200
14 Jonathan Bamba Chicago Fire FC AU$149,310
15 Hany Mukhtar Nashville SC AU$145,530
16 Alexey Miranchuk Atlanta United FC AU$137,970
17 Christian Benteke D.C. United AU$136,080
18 Timo Werner San Jose Earthquakes AU$134,190
19 Jack Harrison New England Revolution AU$132,300
20 Evander FC Cincinnati AU$130,410
What a Major League Soccer player actually earns
Weekly wage across the 555 players aged 22 or over that we hold a wage for, of the 754 in the squad lists
Under AU$2k 6% 35 players
AU$2k-AU$4k 12% 66 players
AU$4k-AU$9k 17% 97 players
AU$9k-AU$19k 30% 165 players
AU$19k-AU$47k 25% 138 players
AU$47k-AU$189k 8% 44 players
AU$189k+
2% 10 players
Median AU$13,419 a week against an average of AU$26,855, across the 555 players this covers. The average sits that much higher because a handful of contracts at the top carry it there.
What each position earns
Average weekly wage, and share of the wage bill, across players aged 22 or over that we hold a wage for
Peak earning years
Average weekly wage by age band
AU$3k 16-19
AU$7k 20-22
AU$15k 23-25
AU$25k 26-28
AU$36k 29-31
AU$54k 32-34
AU$71k 35+
Where Major League Soccer players come from
Ten most common nationalities in the league
Every Major League Soccer club
Wage bill, squad size and top earner. Click a heading to sort.
| CLUB | WEEKLY BILL | YEARLY BILL | AVERAGE 22+ | SQUAD | HIGHEST EARNER | ON |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | AU$2,228,499 | AU$115,881,948AU$115.9m | AU$115,817 | 23 | Casemiro | AU$567,000 |
| | AU$1,350,594 | AU$70,230,888AU$70.2m | AU$64,128 | 28 | Robert Lewandowski | AU$816,480 |
| | AU$852,957 | AU$44,353,764AU$44.4m | AU$36,050 | 27 | Hirving Lozano | AU$206,010 |
| | AU$807,030 | AU$41,965,560AU$42m | AU$44,570 | 26 | Antoine Griezmann | AU$438,480 |
| | AU$699,300 | AU$36,363,600AU$36.4m | AU$34,833 | 21 | Heung-Min Son | AU$300,510 |
| | AU$687,582 | AU$35,754,264AU$35.8m | AU$35,689 | 25 | Miguel Almirón | AU$211,680 |
| | AU$589,869 | AU$30,673,188AU$30.7m | AU$36,800 | 23 | Jack Harrison | AU$132,300 |
| | AU$553,865 | AU$28,800,954AU$28.8m | AU$25,952 | 25 | Dejan Joveljic | AU$92,610 |
| | AU$533,358 | AU$27,734,616AU$27.7m | AU$25,496 | 28 | Hany Mukhtar | AU$145,530 |
| | AU$514,458 | AU$26,751,816AU$26.8m | AU$20,386 | 32 | Nicolás Fernández Mercau | AU$96,390 |
| | AU$512,757 | AU$26,663,364AU$26.7m | AU$25,967 | 25 | Evander | AU$130,410 |
| | AU$485,499 | AU$25,245,970AU$25.2m | AU$20,764 | 25 | David Pereira Da Costa | AU$96,390 |
| | AU$477,792 | AU$24,845,184AU$24.8m | AU$34,714 | 23 | Emil Forsberg | AU$166,320 |
| | AU$476,091 | AU$24,756,732AU$24.8m | AU$20,083 | 29 | Christian Benteke | AU$136,080 |
| | AU$468,153 | AU$24,343,956AU$24.3m | AU$20,781 | 28 | Ryan Gauld | AU$94,500 |
| | AU$439,614 | AU$22,859,928AU$22.9m | AU$17,278 | 29 | Brais Méndez | AU$83,160 |
| | AU$431,865 | AU$22,456,980AU$22.5m | AU$18,193 | 28 | Timo Werner | AU$134,190 |
| Charlotte Football Club | AU$405,027 | AU$21,061,404AU$21.1m | AU$21,123 | 26 | Liel Abada | AU$68,040 |
| | AU$387,828 | AU$20,167,056AU$20.2m | AU$20,094 | 21 | Brandon Vázquez | AU$102,060 |
| | AU$385,088 | AU$20,024,550AU$20m | AU$17,626 | 26 | Djordje Mihailović | AU$51,030 |
| San Diego Football Club | AU$357,021 | AU$18,565,092AU$18.6m | AU$17,672 | 27 | Anders Dreyer | AU$71,820 |
| | AU$332,073 | AU$17,267,796AU$17.3m | AU$13,754 | 27 | Kelvin Yeboah | AU$39,690 |
| | AU$316,386 | AU$16,452,072AU$16.5m | AU$16,422 | 22 | Mateusz Bogusz | AU$34,020 |
| | AU$312,417 | AU$16,245,684AU$16.2m | AU$14,865 | 25 | Justen Glad | AU$35,910 |
| | AU$309,922 | AU$16,115,954AU$16.1m | AU$15,628 | 29 | Petar Musa | AU$69,930 |
| | AU$295,029 | AU$15,341,508AU$15.3m | AU$14,052 | 26 | Kai Wagner | AU$37,800 |
| St. Louis CITY SC | AU$277,263 | AU$14,417,676AU$14.4m | AU$13,279 | 26 | Roman Bürki | AU$41,580 |
| | AU$274,239 | AU$14,260,428AU$14.3m | AU$13,026 | 25 | Paxten Aaronson | AU$58,590 |
| | AU$183,519 | AU$9,542,988AU$9.5m | AU$9,883 | 24 | André Luiz | AU$43,470 |
| | AU$63,504 | AU$3,302,208AU$3.3m | - | 5 | Brayan Ceballos | AU$26,460 |
Frequently asked questions
Major League Soccer wages
What is the total Major League Soccer wage bill?
The 30 clubs we track in Major League Soccer pay a combined AU$16,008,599 per week, or AU$832,447,128 per year, across 754 players.
Who is the highest paid player in Major League Soccer?
Robert Lewandowski of Chicago Fire FC, on AU$816,480 per week — AU$42,456,960 a year.
Which Major League Soccer club has the biggest wage bill?
Inter Miami CF, at AU$2,228,499 per week across 23 players.
What is the average Major League Soccer salary?
AU$26,855 a week across the 556 players aged 22 or over that we hold a wage for. The median is AU$13,419.