What a football head of youth development earns
A football head of youth development earns a median £1,600 a week, which is £83,200 a year. That is the middle of the 458 heads of youth development we hold a wage for, at 458 clubs. One in ten earns more than £6,500 a week.
It is the fourth best paid of the 19 backroom jobs we hold a page for, and above the £840 median for football club staff as a whole.
The pay ladder for a football head of youth development
All 458 heads of youth development, from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest
| WHERE THE WAGE FALLS | WEEKLY | YEARLY |
|---|---|---|
| One in ten earns less than | £500 | £26,000 |
| One in four earns less than | £790 | £41,080 |
| The median | £1,600 | £83,200 |
| One in four earns more than | £3,200 | £166,400 |
| One in ten earns more than | £6,500 | £338,000 |
What a head of youth development earns in each league
The 32 leagues where we hold wages for five or more heads of youth development at three or more clubs
| # | LEAGUE | COUNTRY | STAFF | CLUBS | WEEKLY | YEARLY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La Liga | Spain | 11 | 11 | £8,000 | £416,000 |
| 2 | Premier League | England | 18 | 18 | £6,750 | £351,000 |
| 3 | Serie A | Italy | 17 | 17 | £6,700 | £348,400 |
| 4 | Ligue 1 | France | 10 | 10 | £6,450 | £335,400 |
| 5 | Bundesliga | Germany | 16 | 16 | £5,000 | £260,000 |
| 6 | La Liga 2 | Spain | 11 | 11 | £3,600 | £187,200 |
| 7 | Süper Lig | Türkiye | 9 | 9 | £3,000 | £156,000 |
| 8 | Eredivisie | Netherlands | 12 | 12 | £2,650 | £137,800 |
| 9 | J1 League | Japan | 14 | 14 | £2,600 | £135,200 |
| 10 | Championship | England | 22 | 22 | £2,450 | £127,400 |
| 11 | Major League Soccer | USA | 18 | 18 | £2,400 | £124,800 |
| 12 | 2. Bundesliga | Germany | 18 | 18 | £2,350 | £122,200 |
| 13 | Brasileirão Série A | Brazil | 8 | 8 | £2,300 | £119,600 |
| 14 | Ligue 2 | France | 12 | 12 | £2,100 | £109,200 |
| 15 | Serie B | Italy | 18 | 18 | £2,050 | £106,600 |
| 16 | Saudi Pro League | Saudi Arabia | 5 | 5 | £1,900 | £98,800 |
| 17 | Scottish Premiership | Scotland | 11 | 11 | £1,600 | £83,200 |
| 18 | League One | England | 22 | 22 | £1,350 | £70,200 |
| 19 | Belgian Pro League | Belgium | 11 | 11 | £1,100 | £57,200 |
| 20 | Super Liga | Argentina | 18 | 18 | £1,030 | £53,560 |
| 21 | League Two | England | 15 | 15 | £980 | £50,960 |
| 22 | Danish Superliga | Denmark | 8 | 8 | £950 | £49,400 |
| 23 | Primeira Liga | Portugal | 19 | 19 | £900 | £46,800 |
| 24 | Czech First League | Czechia | 14 | 14 | £900 | £46,800 |
| 25 | Scottish Championship | Scotland | 8 | 8 | £830 | £43,160 |
| 26 | Austrian Bundesliga | Austria | 7 | 7 | £800 | £41,600 |
| 27 | Belgian Challenger Pro League | Belgium | 9 | 9 | £790 | £41,080 |
| 28 | Liga MX | Mexico | 8 | 8 | £760 | £39,520 |
| 29 | Eliteserien | Norway | 11 | 11 | £660 | £34,320 |
| 30 | National League | England | 12 | 12 | £590 | £30,680 |
| 31 | Superleague Greece | Greece | 9 | 9 | £580 | £30,160 |
| 32 | Ekstraklasa | Poland | 7 | 7 | £370 | £19,240 |
Where a head of youth development is paid most
Median weekly wage by league, the top fifteen
La Liga pays a head of youth development a median £8,000 a week, and the Ekstraklasa £370, so the same job pays 21.6 times as much at one end of the table as the other. The Premier League is second at £6,750, drawn from 18 heads of youth development at 18 clubs.
A Premier League head of youth development's wage, season by season
The heads of youth development at the clubs in the Premier League today, 2016/17 to 2025/26
The median was £3,100 a week in 2016/17 and £6,750 in 2025/26, up 118% across 10 seasons.
Against every other backroom job
Median weekly wage by role, head of youth development highlighted
Head of youth development ranks fourth of the 21 roles on the chart. It pays £760 a week more than the median member of a club backroom.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a football head of youth development earn?
A median £1,600 a week, which is £83,200 a year. That is the middle of the 458 heads of youth development we hold a wage for, at 458 clubs.
How much does a Premier League head of youth development earn?
A median £6,750 a week, which is £351,000 a year, across the 18 heads of youth development we hold a wage for at 18 Premier League clubs.
What do the best-paid heads of youth development earn?
One in ten earns more than £6,500 a week, which is £338,000 a year. One in four earns more than £3,200 a week.
Which league pays a head of youth development the most?
La Liga, at a median £8,000 a week across 11 heads of youth development. The lowest of the 32 leagues we can pool is the Ekstraklasa, at £370.
Is a head of youth development paid more than other football club staff?
Yes. A head of youth development earns a median £1,600 a week against £840 for backroom staff as a whole, which makes it the fourth best paid of the 19 roles we hold a page for.
Where to next
Every backroom job we hold a page for, by department
Coaching
Medical and sports science
Scouting and analysis
Management and administration
- Club director
- Technical director
- Head of youth development
- Loan manager
Football club staff salaries puts every role, department and league on one page. The managers are on pages of their own.