New to the NRLW? Wondering how much money's in it? Salaries are subject to minimums and a squad-wide salary cap. Here's how it all works.
Key Takeaways
- The minimum NRLW salary is $46,200 in 2026 and is scheduled to rise to $50,600 in 2027.³
- Each NRLW club has a $1.386 million salary cap for its top 24 squad in 2026.³
- The approximate average NRLW salary in 2026 is $57,750, based on the salary cap divided by 24 players.³
- Star NRLW players can earn more than the minimum because clubs can distribute salary cap space unevenly.³
- NRLW players are paid professionals, but many may still balance rugby league with work, study or other commitments.⁷
- NRLW salaries are increasing as the CBA improves pay, the competition expands, and women's rugby league continues to grow.⁶
How Much Do NRLW Players Get Paid?
Not all NRLW players get paid the same amount. The contracted top-squad players have a minimum salary, but clubs can pay some players more depending on experience, representative status, leadership value and how the club chooses to use its salary cap.³ Clubs don't have to split their salary cap equally across every player. Developing squad members will likely be closer to the minimum while senior players, State of Origin representatives, Jillaroos players, or high-profile signings will likely earn more. So, how much do they get paid? At least the minimum, but most individual contracts aren't publicly reported, so there's a lot of guesswork.
is the official minimum NRLW salary for a contracted top-squad player.³
NRLW Minimum Salary by Year
The NRLW minimum salary is the lowest amount top-squad players can be paid for the season. Under the current CBA, it has increased each year, from $30,000 in 2023 to a scheduled $50,600 in 2027.³ When you compare this to the earlier years of the competition, you can see how player payments were much lower, and the professional model was less developed.⁶
| Season | Minimum NRLW salary |
|---|---|
| 2023 | $30,000 |
| 2024 | $34,000 |
| 2025 | $41,800 |
| 2026 | $46,200 |
| 2027 | $50,600 |
What Is the NRLW Salary Cap?
While there's a minimum salary players earn, clubs also have a total amount to spend in a given season. This isn't a single player's salary and not every player at a club receives the same amount. The salary cap is a fixed budget. Clubs need to fit minimum-salary players, experienced players, representative players and star signings inside that total.
The minimum NRLW salary is the lowest official amount a contracted top-squad player can earn in a given season. The salary cap is the total amount each club can spend across its squad. Average salary is usually calculated by dividing the club salary cap by the squad size, but that does not mean every player earns the same amount. Clubs can pay experienced players, representative players and stars more than the minimum within the cap rules.³
Once a club meets the required minimum salaries across its squad, it can use the remaining cap to reward players as it sees fit.³ This stops clubs from steamrolling competitors by simply throwing money at the problem. It helps maintain competitiveness within the league, but as the NRLW grows, the cap will rise to ensure the competition remains attractive to top talent. The NRLW cap rose from $900,000 in 2023 to $1.386 million in 2026, and it is scheduled to reach $1.518 million in 2027.
for its top 24 squad.³
What Is the Average NRLW Salary?
Without salaries in the open, the best way to calculate the average NRLW salary is to divide the salary cap by the number of players it applies to. Since each club has a top-24 squad, the 2026 salary cap of $1.386 million works out to an average salary of approximately $57,750.³
However, this average won't be particularly representative in some cases because it ignores the squad's individual makeup. Some clubs may opt to have a few high-earning players and many others on the minimum. Other clubs may want their whole squad on more equitable salaries.
The average NRLW salary was approximately $37,500 in 2023, based on a $900,000 club salary cap for a 24-player squad.³ By 2027, the average is scheduled to rise to about $63,250, based on a $1.518 million club salary cap.³ The important thing is that while the averages aren't necessarily representative at the individual level, at least we can see that the direction of NRLW pay is upwards.
- It is an estimate based on the club salary cap divided by 24 players.
- It does not mean every NRLW player earns the same amount.
- Some players may earn close to the minimum salary.
- Senior, representative and star players can earn more.
- It is most useful for tracking NRLW pay over time.³
Are NRLW Players Full-Time Professionals?
The NRLW has helped professionalise the women's game in Australia and New Zealand. However, the competition still isn't seen as a year-round, full-time professional endeavour. Salaries have increased and the minimum pay protections help.
Many NRLW players still balance rugby league with work, study, family, and other commitments. Since the NRLW season is shorter than the NRL season, there isn't a year-round club environment for every player.⁷
NRLW salaries have increased significantly under the current CBA, and the professional commitment required from players has also expanded. The RLPA reported that the NRLW season window would grow from 20 weeks in 2023 to 23 weeks by 2025.⁶ Many players may still balance rugby league with work, study or other commitments, especially outside the main competition window.⁷
NRLW players are professionals, as they're paid to play. However, this doesn't mean they're full-time or that NRLW is their sole income. NRLW may be a major part of some people's income, but it might still be supplemented in other ways. Luckily, the trend is moving towards a fully professional competition.
Do Star NRLW Players Earn More?
Star NRLW players can earn more. Clubs don't have to divide their salary cap equally across every player in the squad.³ If a club wants to pay star players more, they can, provided they stay within the salary cap. For example, in 2027, the minimum NRLW salary is scheduled to be $50,600, while the club salary cap is scheduled to be $1.518 million.³ If all 24 top-squad players were paid only the minimum, that would leave money available for clubs to top up selected contracts.³
How Do NRLW Salaries Compare With NRL Salaries?
While NRLW and NRL have very similar rules, the NRLW salaries are much lower than NRL salaries. The reason is that the men's competition has a longer commercial history, higher broadcast revenue, and a much bigger salary cap. In 2026, each NRLW club has a $1.386 million salary cap for its top 24 squad.³ The men's NRL has a Top 30 base salary cap of $11.55 million in 2026.⁵
NRLW Salaries
The NRLW is still a growing professional competition. In 2026, the minimum NRLW salary is $46,200, and each club has a $1.386 million salary cap for its top 24 squad.³
NRL Salaries
The men's NRL has a much larger salary system. In 2026, the Top 30 base salary cap is $11.55 million, with additional allowances bringing the total to $11.95 million.⁵
Why Are NRLW Salaries Increasing?
NRLW salaries are increasing because the competition's bigger, more organised, and more commercially valuable. With the competition expanding to 12 teams in 2025, there's a broader investment in the women's game. More fans, stronger pathways and growing interest in women’s rugby league have also made NRLW players more central to the sport’s future.⁴ Broadcast growth across rugby league may also support the long-term financial outlook, although current NRLW salaries are still set by the existing CBA rather than future broadcast deals.²
teams in 2025, with the Bulldogs joining and the Warriors returning to the competition.¹
| Season | NRLW club salary cap |
|---|---|
| 2023 | $900,000 |
| 2024 | $1,020,000 |
| 2025 | $1,254,000 |
| 2026 | $1,386,000 |
| 2027 | $1,518,000 |
References
- AAP. “Bulldogs Confirmed as New NRLW Team as Warriors Return Following COVID Hiatus.” ABC News, 28 Mar. 2024, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-28/nrlw-new-teams-bulldogs-and-warriors-join-for-2025/103644688. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.
- Meade, Amanda. “NRL Announces Record-Breaking $5.3bn Broadcast Deal with Nine and Foxtel.” The Guardian, 7 Jul. 2026, https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jul/07/nrl-historic-broadcast-deal-nine-foxtel-record-breaking. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.
- National Rugby League. “Everything You Need to Know: NRLW CBA.” NRL.com, 14 Feb. 2023, https://www.nrl.com/news/2023/02/14/everything-you-need-to-know-nrlw-cba/. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.
- National Rugby League. “Official NRLW.” NRL.com, https://www.nrl.com/nrlw/. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.
- National Rugby League. “The Salary Cap.” NRL.com, https://www.nrl.com/operations/integrity/salary-cap/. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.
- Rugby League Players Association. “Key Financial Terms for NRLW CBA.” RLPA, 14 Feb. 2023, https://www.rlpa.com.au/news/key-financial-terms-for-nrlw-cba/. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.
- Snape, Jack. “Canberra Raiders Surprise and Delight in Debut NRLW Season.” The Guardian, 14 Sept. 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/sep/15/canberra-raiders-surprise-and-delight-in-debut-nrlw-season. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.
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Averaging it out across all clubs I wonder how much on average it costs a club to complete a nrl w season – all costs from transport, wages, accommodation etc etc
Compared to what each team on average would generate in revenue for a full season…
Just for a matter of interest