Professional sports is a lucrative career — if you can develop the skills to make it to the top of your preferred game, that is — and Major League Soccer is no exception.
While the average MLS salary might not be able to hold a candle to the eye-popping, multi-million-dollar contracts that NFL and NBA players typically rake it, North American footballers are still paid well for their talent on the pitch.
So, what does the average MLSer make, and which clubs have the highest (and lowest) average salaries? Let’s take a look.
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Which MLS Teams Have the Highest Average Payroll in 2026?
Los Angeles FC, Inter Miami and Atlanta United have the highest total payrolls in the MLS.
Which MLS Teams Have the Lowest Average Payroll in 2026?
The Philadelphia Union, D.C. United and Sporting Kansas City have the three lowest total payrolls in the MLS.
How Much Does the Average MLS Player Make?
The average MLS player makes make $632,809 per year.
2026 MLS Payrolls by Team
The MLS features all sorts of creative financial maneuvers to maintain roster compliance while also exceeding the salary cap, like as General Allocation Money, a large pool of money to spend on three Designated Players and transfer fees. That said, these clubs spend millions each year in their quest for an MLS Cup.
Which MLS Teams Have the Highest Average Payroll in 2026?
Los Angeles FC has the highest payroll in the MLS in 2026, with nearly half of that sum going to one player: winger Son Heung-min, who is also the captain of the South Korean national team.
Entering the 2026 season, here’s where each of the MLS clubs stand by annual payroll:
| Rank | Team | Annual Wages |
| 1 | Los Angeles FC | $22,819,612 |
| 2 | Atlanta United | $21,278,896 |
| 3 | Inter Miami | $19,674,114 |
| 4 | Chicago Fire | $17,617,709 |
| 5 | LA Galaxy | $16,629,866 |
| 6 | San Diego FC | $15,961,001 |
| 7 | FC Cincinnati | $15,955,993 |
| 8 | New York Red Bulls | $15,501,724 |
| 9 | Portland Timbers | $15,191,248 |
| 10 | Seattle Sounders | $14,827,093 |
| 11 | New England Revolution | $14,706,752 |
| 12 | New York City FC | $14,672,724 |
| 13 | Columbus Crew | $14,213,484 |
| 14 | Nashville SC | $13,531,488 |
| 15 | Austin FC | $12,838,622 |
| 16 | Charlotte FC | $12,231,533 |
| 17 | St. Louis City SC | $12,007,588 |
| 18 | Colorado Rapids | $11,330,066 |
| 19 | Real Salt Lake | $11,218,976 |
| 20 | FC Dallas | $10,068,354 |
| 21 | Orlando City | $10,021,732 |
| 22 | Minnesota United FC | $9,268,038 |
| 23 | San Jose Earthquakes | $8,812,854 |
| 24 | Houston Dynamo | $8,752,866 |
| 25 | Sporting Kansas City | $8,461,110 |
| 26 | D.C. United | $6,306,244 |
| 27 | Philadelphia Union | $6,126,110 |
Highest Paid MLS Players in 2026
Only two players make more than $10 million in the MLS: Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi and Son Heung-min. The third-highest paid player in the league is Atlanta United’s Miguel Almirón. No surprise, LAFC, Inter Miami and Atlanta United carry the three highest payrolls into the MLS.
Here’s a look at the league’s top paid players in 2026. These numbers represent the players’ base salaries plus marketing bonuses and agent fees. They do not include performance bonuses, endorsements or other compensation.
| Player | Team | Annual Wages |
| Lionel Messi | Inter Miami | $12,000,000 |
| Son Heung-min | Los Angeles FC | $10,368,750 |
| Miguel Almirón | Atlanta United | $6,056,000 |
| Hirving Lozano | San Diego FC | $6,000,000 |
| Emil Forsberg | New York Red Bulls | $5,405,000 |
| Riqui Puig | LA Galaxy | $5,125,000 |
| Jonathan Bamba | Chicago Fire | $5,000,000 |
| Carles Gil | New England Revolution | $4,250,000 |
| Hany Mukhtar | Nashville SC | $3,900,000 |
| Kévin Denkey | FC Cincinnati | $3,800,000 |
| Nicolás Fernández Mercau | New York City FC | $3,650,000 |
| Aleksei Miranchuk | Atlanta United | $3,600,000 |
| Emmanuel Latte Lath | Atlanta United | $3,534,546 |
| Ryan Gauld | Vancouver Whitecaps | $3,500,000 |
| Hugo Cuypers | Chicago Fire | $3,238,000 |
| Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting | New York Red Bulls | $3,200,000 |
| Brandon Vazquez | Austin FC | $3,200,000 |
| Evander | FC Cincinnati | $3,200,000 |
| Joseph Paintsil | LA Galaxy | $3,136,000 |
| Denis Bouanga | Los Angeles FC | $3,020,000 |
| Dejan Joveljić | Sporting Kansas City | $3,000,000 |
| Sam Surridge | Nashville SC | $2,775,000 |
| Jonathan Rodríguez | Portland Timbers | $2,775,000 |
| Diego Rossi | Columbus Crew | $2,725,000 |
| David Costa | Portland Timbers | $2,725,000 |
| Wilfried Zaha | Charlotte FC | $2,666,667 |
| Ezequiel Ponce | Houston Dynamo | $2,590,000 |
| Albert Rusnák | Seattle Sounders | $2,575,000 |
| Luis Muriel | Orlando City | $2,500,000 |
| Liel Abada | Charlotte FC | $2,400,000 |
| Kristoffer Velde | Portland Timbers | $2,280,000 |
| Petar Musa | FC Dallas | $2,250,000 |
| Jordan Morris | Seattle Sounders | $2,250,000 |
| Djordje Mihailovic | Toronto FC | $2,158,335 |
| Anders Dreyer | San Diego FC | $2,117,647 |
| Manu García | Sporting Kansas City | $2,100,000 |
| Dániel Gazdag | Columbus Crew | $2,000,004 |
| Paxten Aaronson | Colorado Rapids | $2,000,000 |
| Cristian Arango | San Jose Earthquakes | $2,000,000 |
| Wessam Abou Ali | Columbus Crew | $1,800,000 |
Watch MLS soccer on DIRECTV
You can catch every match of the 2026 MLS season right on DIRECTV by connecting your Apple TV account. Get started today!
Frequently asked questions
Which team has the highest average payroll in the MLS?
Inter Miami has the highest average pay at $1.2 million.
Which team has the highest overall payroll in the MLS?
Inter Miami again, with a $41.7 million total payroll.
Which team has the lowest average pay in the MLS?
CF Montreal, with an average salary of just $369,000.
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