What is the Average MLS Salary? A Breakdown of Player Wages

The American Major League Soccer has become more significant over the years, and with its increasing popularity, the salaries the league offers have also changed over the years. With its global presence on the rise, MLS players have been facing different salary contracts which have been shared by the league each year. Unlike European Football, the Major League Soccer Players Association (MLSPA) is responsible for making the salaries public.

Overview of MLS Salary Structure

The MLS Players Association releases a salary guide that details the salaries of all MLS players. It includes a player’s base salary, signing bonuses, marketing bonuses, and agent fees. Salaries are broken down into two numbers, namely Current Annualized Base Salary and Annualized Average Guaranteed Compensation.

The Annual Average Guaranteed Compensation number includes a player’s base salary and all signing guaranteed annualized over the term of the player’s contract, including option years. The Average Annual Guaranteed Compensation figure does not include Performance Bonuses because there is no guarantee that the player will hit those bonuses.

Average Salary of an MLS Player

While MLS has been on the rise since the arrival of Lionel Messi and now that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will also be a part of the United States, the average MLS salary of players has been one concern for the league. With an average salary of $594,390 in 2024, the average salary has increased over the years, but is still pretty low given the excitement and global appeal MLS has been building over the years.

Year	Average Salary
2021	$418,014
2022	$512,287
2023	$530,262
2024	$594,390

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What is the Lowest Salary in MLS?

With the new Collective Bargaining Agreement made by MLS and MLSPA in 2021, the minimum salary for MLS Players will certainly increase each year. As the salaries continue to rise, it will jump from $50,000 in 2015 to $97,700 in 2027. A player must be 24 years of age or under during the League year and must not be counted as a part of the Senior Roster to be eligible for the Reserve Salary Minimum.

The consistent growth shown in minimum salaries each year aims to give players a decent living from their professional activity. The Reserve Salary Minimum has increased by $21,401 (+42.8%) and will be almost doubled (+95.4% compared to 2015) in the next three years.

Year	Minimum Salary
2015	$50,000
2016	$51,500
2017	$53,000
2018	$54,500
2019	$56,250
2020	$63,547
2021	$63,547
2022	$65,500
2023	$67,360
2024	$71,401
2025	$80,622
2026	$88,025
2027	$97,700

Talking about the highest paid MLS Players, Lionel Messi claims the top spot with $20 Million and is highly valued at the MLS. Since his arrival on the scene, Messi has been popularising MLS and is growing to be one of the all-time greats in the league with his constant goals and impressive performances so far. Lorenzo Insigne follows the Argentinian in the list of highest paid players with a base salary of $15 Million.

Player	Club	Salary
Lionel Messi	Inter Miami CF	$20,446,667
Lorenzo Insigne	Toronto FC	$15,400,000
Sergio Busquets	Inter Miami CF	$8,774,996
Xherdan Shaqiri	Chicago Fire	$8,153,000
Sebastian Driussi	Austin FC	$6,722,500
Emil Forsberg	New York Red Bulls	$6,035,625
Hector Herrera	Houston Dynamo FC	$5,246,875

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