MLS rookie salaries: How much money do first year players make? (2024)

The MLS SuperDraft is here and with it the chance for college players to make the leap into the elite of American soccer and try their luck at becoming a top level professional footballer.

MLS SuperDraft always brings with it various questions, such as who can pick first, who are the names to look out for and how many players are in the pool. However, we’re going to take a look at salaries for MLS rookies, as well as those on the other end of the scale, just for fun.

How much does an MLS rookie make?

The salaries of all MLS players are published by the MLS Players’ Association, something which makes it very handy when searching for financial information regarding the stars of US soccer. If we cross check the salaries with the list of MLS 2023 rookies, we can see, according to the data, that the base salary for a rookie sits at $67,360.00, which is what players such as Duncan McGuire and Stephen Afrifa, who moved to Orlando City and Sporting Kansas City respectively in 2023, are currently earning.

However, that number is only fixed for however long a contract deal with the team lasts. For example, Kipp Keller, of Austin FC, was a SuperDraft pick in 2022 but now, just one year later, is earning $100,000, double the then-permitted salary limit for a rookie.

Who is the highest paid player in MLS?

You don’t get an early Christmas present for working out that Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi was, by far and away, the highest paid player in MLS across 2023. The World Cup winner signed a $20,000,000 per year deal with the Florida club, almost double what Lorenzo Insigne ($12m) earns, in second place.