How much does a MLS player make a year?

Soccer, the world’s most popular sport, is becoming an increasingly important part of American sports culture. Major League Soccer (MLS) has seen tremendous growth over the years, attracting a large fan base and talented players. If you’re curious about how much an MLS player makes, the answer may surprise you when compared to European soccer stars. In this article, Kingsoccertips will provide information on “how much does a MLS player make?”, helping you better understand their income in the context of the strong development of American soccer.

How much does a MLS player make?

To get a comprehensive look at how much does a mls player make a year?, we’ll be looking at combined base salary, compensation, bonuses, and other benefits from the MLS player salary guide, which anyone can access. This allows us to compare player salaries in the league to other global metrics.

The average Major League Soccer (MLS) player salary in 2024 will hit $594,390, a huge increase from 2021, when the average salary was just $418,000. Looking back, in 2010, the average MLS player salary was just $145,000, and guaranteed contracts were big news for clubs when signing new contracts.

By 2023, clubs like Toronto FC, Inter Miami and LA Galaxy had much higher average salaries, at $1,092,000, $1,037,000 and $782,000 respectively. Meanwhile, other clubs such as the New York Red Bulls and Orlando City SC had much lower average salaries, at around $338,000 and $321,000. This gap shows the stark differences in income between teams in MLS. Although MLS player salaries have grown significantly since 2010, they are still quite low compared to top European leagues such as France’s Ligue 1, which we will analyze in more detail below.

Average MLS soccer player salary (2013 – 2024)

So how much does a MLS soccer player make from 2013 to 2024 has changed significantly, reflecting the growth of the league:

How much does the average MLS player make a year from 2013 - 2024 — How much does the average MLS player make a year from 2013 – 2024

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 la
2013: $159,849

The significant increase from 2013 to 2024 shows the continued growth of Major League Soccer, both financially and in attracting quality players.

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Salaries in Euro Leagues

Before MLS became a major attraction, only five European leagues were more lucrative than American soccer in terms of salaries. They were Ligue 1 (France), Bundesliga (Germany), Serie A (Italy), La Liga (Spain) and the Premier League (England Premier League). Soccer, or football, has always been the most popular sport in European countries, so it is understandable that players receive higher salaries when playing in these leagues, because they participate in tournaments with higher professional quality.

Specifically, in Ligue 1 in France, the average player salary is around $1,300,000, much higher than MLS. Germany’s top league, the Bundesliga, has an average salary of $1,900,000, just a little lower than Italy’s Serie A, where players earn an average salary of $2,200,000. However, the two leagues that stand out with the highest average salaries are still Spain’s La Liga and England’s Premier League. La Liga has an average salary of $2,500,000, while the Premier League leads the way with an average salary of $3,900,000, reflecting the fierce competition and global influence of these leagues.

Highest salaries: MLS vs. other European Leagues

In short, we’ve compiled a list of the three highest-paid players in MLS and compared them to the highest-paid players in major leagues like the English Premier League (EPL), La Liga, and Serie A. However, to get a more accurate picture of MLS salaries, it’s important to understand how salaries are structured here, as it’s very different from European leagues.

MLS salaries compared to other European leagues

In MLS, each team has a group of Designated Players (DPs) and non-designated players. DP players, like Lionel Messi, earn significantly higher salaries than non-designated players, creating a clear divide within teams. These DP players can be paid as much as the top stars in European leagues.

This can be confusing when comparing player salaries between MLS and other leagues. However, DP players can be viewed as “individuals earning salaries comparable to elite players in European leagues”, as their salaries reflect their appeal and quality in an international tournament.

This division also highlights the differences between players in MLS and other leagues, especially when comparing non-DP players to those in major European leagues, where average player salaries are often much higher.

In Summary

In summary, how much does a MLS player make has increased significantly over the years, with players at top clubs receiving much higher salaries than before. However, when compared to top European leagues such as the Premier League, La Liga or Serie A, average salaries in MLS are still lower, although Designated Players (DP) in MLS can receive salaries comparable to those of stars in these leagues. This reflects the strong growth of American soccer, but also shows that MLS still needs more time to catch up with European leagues in terms of finances and player income.