The average salary of an MLS player is $398,725 per year. The maximum salary given to them is $6.3 million. While the minimum salary given to them is $36,500. The minimum wage for the players who are under 25.
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MLS Minimum Salary 2022:
| EXPERIENCE | ANNUAL SALARY |
|---|---|
| Less than 2 years | $36,500 |
| More than 2 years | $398,725 |
| More than 5 years | $6.3 million |
Read More: NFL League Minimum Salary
How Much Do MLS Players Earn in a Year?
Every year, the report on the base salary and guaranteed compensation of every player in the league is released by the MLS Players Association. In 2022, the highest-paid player in the league is Carlos Vela who has a guaranteed compensation of $6.3 million a year. Second Chicharito (Javier Hernandez), who makes $6 million a year. From the base salary point of view, Hernandez is the topper as his base salary is $6 million a year while Carlos Vela’s is $4.5 million.
However, the MLS minimum salary is determined by the position and the designation in the league. Players who are in the slots 1-20 have a salary budget of $4,900,000. The slots between 21-30 are for supplemental Roster. However, for the players in the 21-24 slot of MLS, their minimum salary is $81,375 a year. Furthermore, the players in 25-28 can earn an MLS minimum salary of $63,547 annually. Lastly, the players in slots 29 and 30 have an MLS base salary of $63,547 in 2022. Those players who are Senior roster non-designated in MLS earn an average base salary of $398,725 in 2021, this figure is more than double as compared to the last 5 years and is expected to grow more in upcoming years.
Top MLS Player Salaries 2022:
| Player Name | Earnings in 2022 |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Read More: MLS Average Salary
A Little About MLS
MLS or Major League Soccer is a men’s professional soccer league. The league is played under the approval of the United States Soccer Federation, MLS is the highest level of soccer competition in the United States and Canada. MLS started playing around 1996 and comprises 27 teams out of which 24 are from the U.S. and 3 in Canada. The number of teams may expand to 30 by 2023.
Conclusion
The year 2022 is the tenth consecutive year in which the minimum MLS salary has increased by 10% for the senior roster non-designated players. The reason behind the increase was the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that went into effect in February 2020.
