How Much do MLS Players Get Paid?

Over the last few decades, soccer has grown at a rapid rate in popularity around the globe. This sport was newfound for most Americans, especially since the early 2000s when leagues such as the MLS (Major League Soccer) were only beginning to sprout. Now, with 29 teams and growing, the MLS has gained enough of an audience to support a new expanding culture in the United States.

Seeing how popular the sport is in America right now, you might be curious how MLS salaries compare to some of the top player’s salaries in the most competitive European leagues. We’ll highlight the average and top MLS player wages and compare them to players from the most watched European leagues. Major League Soccer pay checks may not match what players in the NFL are getting paid, but salaries have certainly increased over the years.

How Much do MLS Players Make?

To stay consistent with our salary data, we’ll refer to the combined value of each MLS player’s base salaries, compensation, bonuses and benefits from the MLS player’s salary guide (available for anyone to view) to compare MLS salaries.

The average salary package for players in Major League Soccer in 2024 is $594,390. This number has risen significantly from 2021, which came in at an average pay of $418,000. Back in 2010 the average MLS player’s salary was much lower again at around $145,000, and guaranteed contracts have just become big news for newer club signings in the league.

As of 2023, club teams such as Toronto FC, Inter Miami, and LA Galaxy have average player salaries as high as $1,092,000, $1,037,000 and $782,000 respectively. Other clubs, such as the New York Red Bulls and Orlando City SC, have average wages as low as $338,000 and $321,000, much less than its competitors. The difference in average MLS salaries from 2010 to now is massive but still falls short of the European leagues, such as France’s Ligue 1, which we’ll explain below. 

Average Salaries for MLS Players (2013 to 2024)

Year	Average Salary
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

Salaries in Euro Leagues

Ahead of the MLS, there are only five other European leagues that outshine the Americans in terms of pay, which are Ligue 1 (French League), Bundesliga (German League), Serie A (Italian League), La Liga (Spanish League) and the EPL (English Premier League). Soccer, also known as football, has always been one of the most popular sports in all different countries throughout Europe, so it only makes sense that the average player is getting paid more to play at a higher level.

In France’s Ligue 1, the average player salary caps at approximately $1,300,000. The German Bundesliga’s average salary comes in at a whopping $1,900,000, barely falling short of the Italian Serie A average salary of $2,200,000. In front of these leagues in terms of highest average pay are the two most popular soccer leagues in the world, the Spanish La Liga and English Premier League, which have average player salaries of $2,500,000 and $3,900,000.

Top salaries: MLS vs. Other European leagues

To keep it short, we’ve compiled a list of the three highest annual wage-earning players 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 accounts for the wage totals to be what they are, as playing in the MLS is much different than any league in Europe. Any and every MLS team has a set of designated (DP) and non-designated players. Designated players will receive a significantly larger sum of money than their average non-designated counterparts (think Lionel Messi, for example).

This offset might be confusing when comparing individual player salaries across different national leagues, but DPs can be thought of as an “individual that receives pay similar to European league status”. 

Highest Paid Soccer Players in MLS

Here is a list of the top ten highest earners in the MLS for 2024. The Guaranteed Compensation figure is the important one, as it includes all guaranteed bonuses annualized over the course of the players contract.

MLS Players:

No.	Player	Team	Base Salary	Guaranteed Compensation
1	Lionel Messi	Inter Miami	$12,000,000	$20,446,667
2	Lorenzo Insigne	Toronto FC	$7,500,000	$15,400,000
3	Sergio Busquets	Inter Miami	$8,499,996	$8,774,996
4	Xherden Shaqiri	Chicago Fire	$7,350,000	$8,153,000
5	Sebastian Driussi	Austin FC	$4,500,000	$6,722,500
6	Emil Forsberg	New York Red Bulls	$5,405,000	$6,035,625
7	Hector Herrera	Houston Dynamo	$4,750,000	$5,246,875
8	Hany Mukhtar	Nashville SC	$3,800,000	$5,211,667
9	Carles Gil	New England Revolution	$4,000,000	$4,452,083
10	Christian Benteke	DC United	$4,250,000	$4,432,778

Here are some of the top European players across the three major leagues which lets you compare what the top earners are making:

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

We have to make a special category for one Cristiano Ronaldo, who pulls down an incredible $213 million per year from Al Nassr in the Saudi League. Around half of this sum relates to commercial activities off the field, but it is still a pretty awesome number. As always, Cristiano is just a little bit special!

The minimum guaranteed compensation for MLS players in 2024 is $71,401 in 2024, which may not seem like a lot when compared to the highest-paid players, but is certainly a big improvement on the $12,900 minimum that players were getting in 2007. That includes players like Lance Friesz and Mike Caso, who were both on the same Galaxy squad as David Beckham when he was pulling in $5.5 million a year. Must have made for some interesting conversations in the locker room about what they did on their time off!