The A-League is Australia's premier football (soccer) competition, but when it comes to salaries, it has a difference: a salary cap. This ensures parity, sustainability, and competitive balance between the clubs. So, how much do A-League players earn, and how does it compare to other leagues?
A-League Salary Cap Explained
The A-League operates under a salary cap. This is officially known as the Total Player Payments (TPP) cap, but the name is not particularly relevant since its effect is essentially that of a salary cap. The TPP was introduced in the league's inaugural season to keep spending under control, maintain a competitive balance, and prevent larger clubs from financially dominating smaller ones. This phenomenon is fairly prevalent in many other football leagues worldwide. The A-League salary cap is set at $2.6 million per club for the 2024-25 season. This applies to the bulk of a team's roster, but several exceptions allow the teams to spend above the cap in specific ways.
Key Salary Cap Exemptions
- Marquee Players: Each A-League club can sign up to two marquee players whose salaries fall entirely outside the cap. This rule is designed to attract star talent like Alessandro Del Piero or Dwight Yorke without punishing a club's budget.
- Loyalty Players: Players who have stayed at the same club for five or more years can have a portion of their salary excluded from the cap.
- Homegrown and Youth Players: Clubs can sign young talents on scholarship contracts or development deals, often at a rate below the senior minimum salary, to promote youth development.
- Guest Players: Short-term guest players can also be exempt, usually signed for marketing or competitive boosts during part of a season.
Generally, with the majority of players under the cap, teams should be financially competitive with one another, with obvious exceptions for players who would be typically beneficial for the league as a whole.
The A-League operates with a $2.6 million salary cap per club (2024–25). This cap is officially known as the Total Player Payments (TPP), designed to ensure competitive balance and financial stability across all clubs. However, marquee and youth players may fall outside this cap.
Average A-League Salary
While salaries will depend on the player's status (marquee, youth, senior squad, etc.), the cap and recent data allow us to work out fairly reliably how much the average A-League players earn. The average full-time A-League Men player is estimated at between $135,000 and $150,000 a year. This is for senior contracted players who fall within the salary but doesn't include marquee players and youth contracts.
Key Salary Tiers
While these salaries are certainly modest compared to the top leagues in Europe, they're comparable to some of Australia's other sports, such as rugby union or non-international cricket, sitting slightly below the averages of the AFL and NRL.
Highest Paid A-League Players
From league veterans on modest deals to marquee names earning seven figures, here's a breakdown of the highest salaries in the A-League, but you can also find an A-League player salaries list if you want to compare more individual players.
Top Earners in 2024–25
- Nani (Melbourne Victory) – ~$1.9 million per year
- Valon Berisha (Melbourne City) – ~$1.1 million per year
- Ulises Dávila, Jamie Maclaren, Alessandro Diamanti – $600,000–$900,000 per year
Highest Paid Australian
- Jamie Maclaren (Melbourne City) – $370,000–$380,000 per year
- (Highest-paid Australian player currently in the league)
Key Points
A-League Marquee Players
The marquee player system is what makes the A-League's salary cap distinct from other salary caps around the world. It's designed to boost the league's profile by allowing clubs to sign up to two players whose salaries are entirely exempt from the salary cap, usually because they're among the league's top players.
Purpose of the Rule
The marquee rule exists to:
- Attract globally recognised talent
- Improve the quality of play
- Drive ticket sales, media attention, and commercial partnerships
- Help clubs stay competitive in the global transfer market
Historic Marquee Signings
Several marquee players have had a lasting impact on the league:
- Alessandro Del Piero (Sydney FC, 2012–14): One of the league’s most high-profile signings, bringing global media attention and record crowds.
- Dwight Yorke (Sydney FC, 2005–06): A foundational marquee who helped launch the league with star power.
- Shinji Ono (WSW), Emile Heskey (Newcastle Jets), and Nani (Melbourne Victory) followed similarly, contributing both on and off the pitch.
Women’s A-League Salaries
In recent years, the A-League has made a concerted effort to create better parity between the men's and women's leagues. For one, it changed the branding of the women's league to bring it under the A-Leagues branding, putting it on level ground, at least visually, with the men's league.
Minimum and Average Salaries
Thanks to a landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2023, minimum player salaries have increased substantially.
As you can see, the salaries have increased. However, they are still far behind the men's league, with many A-League Women's players working part-time or supplementing their income with other jobs or overseas stints, which can be done with the A-League Women's shorter season.
No Official Salary Cap
The A-League Women's doesn't have a formal salary cap like the A-League Men's. Still, as the league continues to professionalise, there is a likelihood that discussions about salary caps will arise.
Professionalisation Push
Speaking of professionalisation, the league has seen substantial investment, especially given that the Matildas (Australia's national team) have been doing well recently. Clubs are now required to provide better training, medical, and travel conditions. There have also been pushes for year-round employment and higher pay.
Sydney FC and Club-by-Club Salary Differences
While there is a salary cap in place in the A-League, there are several key variations in how clubs spend their money on player wages. The differences are due to how a club chooses to allocate its resources for marquee player signings, youth development, and overall club priorities. After all, a club might look to a marquee signing to market itself better or push to reach the Finals Series.
Sydney FC: One of the Big Spenders
Sydney FC regularly ranks among the top spenders in the league and is one of the most successful and well-supported clubs, which allows them to attract high-profile (and expensive) marquee players.
- Recent marquee signings like Alessandro Del Piero and Milos Ninković have drawn significant salaries well outside the cap.
- The club also maintains a deep squad, with many senior players earning within the upper range of capped contracts ($250,000–$300,000).
- Sydney FC players’ salaries, on average, are estimated to be among the highest in the A-League.
Comparing Other Clubs
- Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City also rank high in salary spend, regularly filling marquee slots and investing in experienced talent.
- Western United, Macarthur FC, and Central Coast Mariners tend to spend more conservatively, often relying on younger or emerging players.
- Wellington Phoenix, due to location and funding structures, historically operates with one of the leanest wage bills in the league.
As you can see, despite the cap, spending strategies between clubs can still vary wildly, with some A-League clubs leaning heavily on star power while others focus on value signings and development.
How A-League Salaries Compare to Other Sports and Leagues
A-League salaries are rising but still remain modest in comparison to the other major football leagues around the world.
Compared to Top Global Football Leagues
- English Premier League (EPL): Average salary over $5 million per year. Even bench players often earn more than an entire A-League club’s cap.
- La Liga (Spain): Similar to EPL, with average salaries in the millions.
- MLS (USA): Average salary (2024): approx. 650,000, with Designated Players earning $1 million+ easily.
- J-League (Japan): Average $400,000–$500,000, with top players earning in the millions.
In a global sense, the A-League is mid-tier in terms of salary. It's more professional than semi-pro leagues but far below the elite leagues of Europe. However, given the league has a salary cap, no promotion or relegation, and a playoff for the Championship at the end of the regular season, it's more closely structured to a North American professional sports league than elite European football leagues. In comparison to other sports:
- AFL: ~$406,000
- NRL: ~$386,000
- A-League Men: ~$135,000–$150,000
- A-League Women: ~$30,000–$40,000
- Super Rugby: ~$225,000
- BBL/WBBL (Cricket): ~$40,000–$300,000
This means that, with a potential second division emerging, A-League salaries are likely to continue rising, driven by increased sponsorship and transfer income, as well as evolving marquee rules to keep pace.
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Hi super professional I’m Siphesihle Mvubu from South Africa 23 years old
I’m a soccer player with no agent and I play as a defensive midfielder / box to box midfielder.
I’m willing to play on that league. Please can you help me to find any team
Thank you