How much does a mls player make?

Soccer has become an increasingly popular sport in the United States, especially with the explosive growth of Major League Soccer (MLS) over the past few decades. Now with 29 teams and a growing fan base, MLS is creating a new sporting culture in the United States. However, one question that many American soccer fans ask is: “How much does a mls player make?” In this article, Premiumsoccertips.net will compare the average and highest salaries of MLS players with those of stars from Europe’s top leagues, giving you a clearer view of how much players earn in both regions.

How much does a mls player make?

To keep our salary data consistent, we’ll be referencing the combined value of each MLS player’s base salary, compensation, bonuses, and benefits from the MLS player salary guide (which anyone can view) to compare MLS salaries.

The average salary package for Major League Soccer players in 2024 is $594,390. That’s up significantly from 2021, when the average salary was $418,000. Back in 2010, the average MLS player salary was much lower, at around $145,000, and guaranteed contracts were just becoming big news for newly signed clubs in the league.

As of 2023, clubs like Toronto FC, Inter Miami, and LA Galaxy have average player salaries of $1,092,000, $1,037,000, and $782,000, respectively. Other clubs, like the New York Red Bulls and Orlando City SC, have average salaries as low as $338,000 and $321,000, which are significantly lower than their competitors. The difference in average MLS salaries from 2010 to now is huge, but it is still lower than European leagues, like France’s Ligue 1, which we’ll explain below.

Average MLS player salary (2013 to 2024)

Here is a rewritten version to avoid duplication:

2024: $594,390
2023: $530,262
2022: $512,287
2021: $418,014
2020: $340,333
2019: $372,377
2018: $337,355
2017: $299,111
2016: $284,846
2015: $265,742
2014: $207,831
2013: $159,849

Average MLS player salary (2013 to 2024)

Salaries in Euro Leagues

Before MLS, only five other European leagues outpaced the US league in terms of salaries: Ligue 1 (French Soccer League), Bundesliga (German Soccer League), Serie A (Italian Soccer League), La Liga (Spanish Soccer League), and EPL (English Premier League). Soccer, or football, has always been one of the most popular sports in all the different countries across Europe, so it makes sense that the average player would be paid more to play at a higher level.

In France’s Ligue 1, the average player salary is around $1,300,000. The average salary in the German Bundesliga is $1,900,000, just a little less than the average salary in Italy’s Serie A at $2,200,000. Ahead of these leagues in terms of highest average salaries are the two most popular soccer leagues in the world, Spain’s La Liga and England’s Premier League, with average player salaries of $2,500,000 and $3,900,000.

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Highest salaries: MLS vs. Other European Leagues

In short, we’ve compiled a list of the three highest-paid players per year based on MLS salaries and compared them to the highest-paid players in the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, and Italian Serie A below.

It’s important to recognize what percentage of total salary is involved, as playing in MLS is very different from any other European league. Any MLS team has a group of designated players (DPs) and non-designated players. Designated players will receive a significantly larger amount of money than the average non-designated player (e.g. Lionel Messi).

This disparity can be confusing when comparing individual player salaries in different national leagues, but a DP can be considered an “individual receiving a salary similar to that of a European league”.

Highest-paid soccer players in MLS

Here is a list of the ten highest-paid players in MLS in 2024. The Guaranteed Compensation figure is important because it includes all guaranteed bonuses each year over the life of the player’s contract.

Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) has a base salary of $12,000,000 and guaranteed compensation of $20,446,667.
Lorenzo Insigne (Toronto FC) has a base salary of $7,500,000 and guaranteed compensation of $15,400,000.
Sergio Busquets (Inter Miami) has a base salary of $8,499,996 and guaranteed compensation of $8,774,996.
Xherden Shaqiri (Chicago Fire) has a base salary of $7,350,000 and a guaranteed compensation of $8,153,000.
Sebastian Driussi (Austin FC) has a base salary of $4,500,000 and a guaranteed compensation of $6,722,500.
Emil Forsberg (New York Red Bulls) has a base salary of $5,405,000 and a guaranteed compensation of $6,035,625.
Hector Herrera (Houston Dynamo) has a base salary of $4,750,000 and a guaranteed compensation of $5,246,875.
Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC) has a base salary of $3,800,000 and a guaranteed compensation of $5,211,667.
Carles Gil (New England Revolution) $4,000,000 and $4,452,083 guaranteed compensation.
Christian Benteke (DC United) $4,250,000 and $4,432,778 guaranteed compensation.

Comparing the earnings of Europe’s top players and MLS

Here are some of the top European players in the three major leagues to help you compare the earnings of the highest earners:

LA LIGA – Frenkie de Jong – Barcelona – $39,910,000 annual salary
EPL – Kevin De Bruyne – Manchester City – $22,350,600 annual salary
SERIE A – Dusan Vlahovic – Juventus – $13,790,000 annual salary

Comparing the earnings of Europe’s top players and MLS

We have to make a special mention of Cristiano Ronaldo, who earns $213 million a year from Al Nassr in the Saudi League. About half of that is related to off-field commercial activities, but it’s still a pretty cool figure. As usual, Cristiano is just a little special!

The minimum guaranteed compensation for MLS players in 2024 is $71,401, which may not seem like much when compared to the highest-paid players, but it’s certainly a big improvement over the $12,900 minimum players received in 2007. That includes players like Lance Friesz and Mike Caso, both of whom were on the same Galaxy team as David Beckham when he was earning $5.5 million a year. There must have been some interesting locker room chatter about what they did in their time off!

General conclusion

MLS player salaries have improved significantly over the years, from an average of just $145,000 in 2010 to more than $594,000 in 2024. However, when compared to top European leagues like La Liga or the Premier League, MLS player salaries are still much lower. A common question fans often ask is: “How much does a MLS player make?” The answer is that while average salaries in MLS are on the rise, they still don’t compare to leagues like the EPL, where stars earn tens of millions of dollars a year.