The Gap

A study on the gap between highest paid MLS players and the lowest.

The Gap

The gap between the highest-paid and lowest-paid players is rather profound in professional Major League Sboccer. The minimum salary is found in the mid-30s. However, many MLS players play on the same shifts, share the same locker rooms, and accumulate the same number of wins and losses as players making as much as 140 times their salaries. This stark difference in salaries is more profound in soccer than any other sport in America. This is partly because of the rapid growth in popularity of soccer, due to famous players from over seas making the transition to MLS. These players are then being paid major bucks to play, bringing in great waves of support, however are still sharing locker rooms with the up and coming players out of college. Clint Dempsey, the highest-paid MLS player, received $4.9 million for the 2013 season. Even the league median is more than twice what many newer players make.