What a football sports scientist earns
A football sports scientist earns a median £760 a week, which is £39,520 a year. That is the middle of the 456 sports scientists we hold a wage for, at 235 clubs. One in ten earns more than £2,450 a week.
It is the 17th best paid of the 19 backroom jobs we hold a page for, and below the £840 median for football club staff as a whole.
The pay ladder for a football sports scientist
All 456 sports scientists, from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest
| WHERE THE WAGE FALLS | WEEKLY | YEARLY |
|---|---|---|
| One in ten earns less than | £360 | £18,720 |
| One in four earns less than | £580 | £30,160 |
| The median | £760 | £39,520 |
| One in four earns more than | £1,330 | £69,160 |
| One in ten earns more than | £2,450 | £127,400 |
What a sports scientist earns in each league
The 20 leagues where we hold wages for five or more sports scientists at three or more clubs
| # | LEAGUE | COUNTRY | STAFF | CLUBS | WEEKLY | YEARLY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ligue 1 | France | 7 | 5 | £3,500 | £182,000 |
| 2 | La Liga | Spain | 20 | 10 | £3,450 | £179,400 |
| 3 | Serie A | Italy | 11 | 7 | £2,400 | £124,800 |
| 4 | Bundesliga | Germany | 12 | 9 | £1,900 | £98,800 |
| 5 | La Liga 2 | Spain | 5 | 5 | £1,900 | £98,800 |
| 6 | Premier League | England | 67 | 19 | £1,100 | £57,200 |
| 7 | Primeira Liga | Portugal | 36 | 15 | £890 | £46,280 |
| 8 | J1 League | Japan | 68 | 20 | £880 | £45,760 |
| 9 | 2. Bundesliga | Germany | 6 | 6 | £870 | £45,240 |
| 10 | Eredivisie | Netherlands | 5 | 5 | £740 | £38,480 |
| 11 | League One | England | 34 | 18 | £730 | £37,960 |
| 12 | Championship | England | 57 | 21 | £710 | £36,920 |
| 13 | Austrian Bundesliga | Austria | 8 | 5 | £630 | £32,760 |
| 14 | League Two | England | 18 | 13 | £610 | £31,720 |
| 15 | Brasileirão Série A | Brazil | 9 | 8 | £600 | £31,200 |
| 16 | Scottish Premiership | Scotland | 9 | 8 | £510 | £26,520 |
| 17 | National League | England | 9 | 6 | £500 | £26,000 |
| 18 | Liga F | Spain | 6 | 5 | £490 | £25,480 |
| 19 | Super Liga | Argentina | 5 | 3 | £320 | £16,640 |
| 20 | Liga MX | Mexico | 7 | 5 | £310 | £16,120 |
Where a sports scientist is paid most
Median weekly wage by league, the top fifteen
Ligue 1 pays a sports scientist a median £3,500 a week, and Liga MX £310, so the same job pays 11.3 times as much at one end of the table as the other. The Premier League is sixth at £1,100, drawn from 67 sports scientists at 19 clubs.
First team against the academy
A sports scientist's median wage by the squad they work with
| SQUAD | STAFF | CLUBS | WEEKLY | YEARLY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First team | 288 | 193 | £850 | £44,200 |
| Under-23s | 7 | 6 | £600 | £31,200 |
| Under-21s | 42 | 31 | £770 | £40,040 |
| Under-20s | 9 | 8 | £700 | £36,400 |
| Under-19s | 18 | 15 | £580 | £30,160 |
| Under-18s | 86 | 65 | £650 | £33,800 |
| Reserves | 6 | 6 | £560 | £29,120 |
A first-team sports scientist earns a median £850 a week across 288 of them. One working with the under-18s earns £650, so the first team pays £200 a week more for the same job.
A Premier League sports scientist's wage, season by season
The first-team sports scientists at the clubs in the Premier League today, 2016/17 to 2025/26
The median was £810 a week in 2016/17 and £1,650 in 2025/26, up 104% across 10 seasons.
Against every other backroom job
Median weekly wage by role, sports scientist highlighted
Sports scientist ranks 17th of the 21 roles on the chart. It pays £80 a week less than the median member of a club backroom.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a football sports scientist earn?
A median £760 a week, which is £39,520 a year. That is the middle of the 456 sports scientists we hold a wage for, at 235 clubs.
How much does a Premier League sports scientist earn?
A median £1,100 a week, which is £57,200 a year, across the 67 sports scientists we hold a wage for at 19 Premier League clubs.
What do the best-paid sports scientists earn?
One in ten earns more than £2,450 a week, which is £127,400 a year. One in four earns more than £1,330 a week.
Which league pays a sports scientist the most?
Ligue 1, at a median £3,500 a week across 7 sports scientists. The lowest of the 20 leagues we can pool is Liga MX, at £310.
Does a first-team sports scientist earn more than an academy one?
Yes. A first-team sports scientist earns a median £850 a week, and one working with the under-18s earns £650.
Is a sports scientist paid more than other football club staff?
No. A sports scientist earns a median £760 a week against £840 for backroom staff as a whole, which makes it the 17th 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
- Head of sports science
- Head physio
- Sports scientist
- Physio
Scouting and analysis
Management and administration
Football club staff salaries puts every role, department and league on one page. The managers are on pages of their own.