This is how much an MLS player earns

It is normal to doubt how much a player earns in MLS because it is one of the most famous leagues in the world and one that generates the most money.

Indeed, if this is what you suspect, we confirm it: MLS players are some of the highest-paid in American soccer, but there are certain nuances because there is quite a difference depending on who the player is.

On the other hand, the salary that soccer players usually have in America has nothing to do with what European players earn. That is why it is curious that some players accept MLS conditions to play despite having earned more money in the past.

Be that as it may, the salaries are public, and we can give you some interesting data so that you can calculate how much is normal in the case of MLS.

What are the factors that dictate how much an MLS player earns?

The decision on how much an MLS player earned was too arbitrary for a long time, with huge differences between different teams and players. It was complete chaos trying to make economic calculations.

But over the last few years, MLS has decided to stabilize more teams, so everyone has a level playing field and that the best players in the league can have similar pre-agreed terms.

However, one of the conditions is that each soccer team must have what is known as three franchise players, which are the three players chosen as the highest-paid each season. Sometimes teams may select established players with a lot of merits or young players who are becoming promising.

Be that as it may, and contrary to what happens in other soccer leagues, MLS is committed to transparency, and it is very easy to access the specific salaries of any soccer player. Especially the most famous ones.

These are the highest-paid players in the MLS.

Three players represent the podium of the highest-paid players in the entire league, and all three come from European teams, ending up in the United States, although, as we said, with the highest salaries in MLS:

• Xherdan Shaqiri, who came straight from Olympique Lyon to join the Chicago Fire, is currently the highest-paid player in the league. His salary is just over $8 million, which may increase if his career improves in American soccer.
• The second highest-paid player in MLS is a well-known player originally from Mexico, although he has spent a few years playing soccer in Europe. He is Chicharito, actually called Javier Hernandez. He has arrived to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy and currently earns 6 million dollars a year.
• Finally, almost three years ago, in 2020, the player Higuaín also arrived in the MLS league, specifically at Inter Miami. Although he has spent a few years establishing his career in American soccer, his current salary is 5 million and almost $ 800,000 per year, which is not bad considering that the average is usually around 3 or 4 million.

As you can see, MLS gives concrete data on the salaries of all players who are part of MLS, regardless of the team they are from. Although the average annual salary is usually around 3 or 4 million dollars, many players are not the main players, with salaries of 2 million,. None of them usually go below 1 million dollars a year.

On the other hand, the most famous players are those who can earn up to 7 or 8 million dollars, to which advertising campaigns or other jobs related to their profession must be added that bring them greater benefits during the rest of the year.

Indeed, their salaries are more contained than in the vast majority of European soccer teams; there is a regulation in this regard, although they earn more than the vast majority of the country.

Finally, it is interesting to know that in the MLS league, just as in the NFL, the coaches of the teams have the best salaries, much better than the players. This is because they are in charge of many players and strategies, so they greatly influence each team’s future in each season.

Many players choose to become coaches when they retire, so if they have achieved a good career in a particular team, they will get on that basis also a good salary as coaches.