LA Galaxy player's salaries and contracts: Get to know their earnings

LA Galaxy player's salaries and contracts: Get to know their earnings

Kenneth Mwenda
June 7, 2024 at 3:43 PM
In this article:
LA Galaxy OC (w) logo
La Galaxy Oc(w)
United States
Inter Miami CF logo
Club Internacional de Futbol Miami
United States
27

Few clubs in Major League Soccer are as iconic as the LA Galaxy. Moreover, the team has attracted top talent worldwide, reflected by the "LA Galaxy player's salary." Read on to learn what these famous US soccer stars make.

Dejan Jovelji and Miki Yamane in Carson, California
Dejan Jovelji (Frame 1) and Miki Yamane (Frame 2) of Los Angeles Galaxy during the match against FC Dallas on May 29, 2024, in Carson, California. Photo: Shaun Clark (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

Table of Сontents:

This article delves into the salary of LA Galaxy players. It will compare how much they earn in 2024 to other MLS and Premier League players' earnings. Details about this article have been sourced from factual publications related to MLS.

An overview of LA Galaxy players' salary

The estimated weekly pay for the LA Galaxy is $308,986, which translates to an annual salary of around $16,067,377. This is less than they spent last year, which was over $25 million, but it still puts them among the highest-spending teams in MLS.

Los Angeles Galaxy has been a great Major League Soccer (MLS) team. Its greatness has been reflected in its on-field performance and the salary offered to its players.

Their spending is still below clubs like Inter Miami which spends the most within the league, with an annual wage bill of $30,913,242. However, it has exceeded the $10,812,226 per year wage that CF Montreal, the lowest spender among all sides in the division, had.

A breakdown of LA Galaxy players' salary in 2024

The LA Galaxy's highest-paid player is Joseph Paintsil, who earns $3,136,000 annually or $60,308 per week. The Ghanaian signed his deal in February 2024 and will remain with the club until the end of 2027.

The club has three teenagers on the lowest-paid LA Galaxy player list: Tucker Lepley, Gino Vivi, and Aaron Bibout. They each earn $1,373 every week. This is a breakdown of what all players make at the club:

Number

Name

Annual gross salary

Start of the contract

End of the contract

1

Joseph Paintsil

$3,136,000

Feb 21, 2024

Dec 31, 2027

2

Ruqui Puig

$2,349,996

Aug 4, 2022

Dec 31, 2025

3

Gabriel Pec

$1,680,000

Jan 31, 2024

Dec 31, 2028

4

Diego Fagundez

$1,250,000

Aug 1, 2023

Dec 31, 2025

5

Gaston Brugman

$1,200,000

July 7, 2022

Dec 31, 2025

6

Maya Yoshida

$800,000

Aug 2, 2023

Dec 31, 2024

7

Marco Delgado

$800,000

Jan 21, 2022

Dec 31, 2024

8

Dejan Joveljic

$683,750

Aug 5, 2021

Dec 31 2025

9

Martin Caceres

$600,000

Aug 24, 2022

Dec 31, 2024

10

Miki Yamane

$550,000

Jan 31, 2024

Dec 31, 2026

11

Edwin Cerrillo

$400,000

Aug 2, 2023

Dec 31, 2026

12

Julian Aude

$325,000

March 21, 2023

Dec 31, 2027

13

John McCarthy

$275,000

Jan 5, 2024

Dec 31, 2025

14

John Nelson

$275,000

Dec 21, 2023

Dec 31 2025

15

Jonathan Perez

$275,000

Nov 28, 2022

Dec 31, 2026

16

Carlos Garces

$200,000

Apr 1, 2024

Dec 31, 2028

17

Miguel Berry

$175,008

Jan 16, 2024

Dec31, 2025

18

Jalen Neal

$165,000

Jan 20, 2021

Dec 31, 2024

19

Marcus Ferkranus

$165,000

Jan 22, 2021

Dec 31 2024

20

Novak Micovic

$150,000

Jan 31, 2024

Dec 31, 2026

21

Mauricio Cuevas

$125,000

Apr 24, 2023

Dec 31, 2025

22

Daniel Aguirre

$93,988

Jul 7, 2021

Dec 31, 2024

23

Eriq Zavaleta

$89,716

Feb 7, 2023

Dec 31, 2024

24

Brandy Scott

$89,716

Mar 8, 2024

Dec 31, 2024

25

Tucker Lepley

$71, 401

Dec 19, 2023

Dec 31, 2024

26

Gino Vivi

$71, 401

Nov 10, 2023

Dec 31, 2024

27

Aaron Bibout

$71, 401

Feb 23, 2024

Dec 31, 2025

How much do MLS players make?

Riqui Puig and Adalberto Carrasquilla in Carson, California.
Riqui Puig (10) of Los Angeles Galaxy and Adalberto Carrasquilla (20) of Houston Dynamo during a game at Dignity Health Sports Park on May 25, 2024, in Carson, California. Photo: Harry How
Source: Getty Images

In the league, even the lowest-paid athletes can earn a decent living from their salaries, which may be topped up through bonuses and endorsements. In 2023, the average annual pay for an MLS footballer was between $321,000 and almost $1.1 million, depending on the club they played for.

For instance, in the same year, a player would earn approximately$1,092.17 if he were to play for Toronto FC and only a little over $321,000 if he joined Orlando City SC. As of 2024, with the current payroll, the average salary for LA Galaxy players is about $595,000 annually.

MLS minimum salaries and comparison

The minimum salary for MLS players in 2024 ensures all players can maintain a comfortable lifestyle. Under the MLS salary structure, teams have a Salary Budget of $5,470,000 for 2024, which covers the Senior Roster of up to 20 players in slots 1-20.

Players in slots 21-24 must earn at least $89,716, while slots 25-30 must earn at least $71,401, with Homegrown Players having the potential to earn up to $125,000 above the minimum. Clubs can also use up to $200,000 in Allocation Money to sign new Homegrown Players, subject to League approval.

MLS salaries by team and comparison to other leagues

Martín Cáceres and Tani Oluwaseyi in St. Paul, Minnesota
Martín Cáceres (22) of Los Angeles Galaxy and Tani Oluwaseyi (14) of Minnesota United FC during a game at Allianz Field on May 15, 2024 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Photo: Jeremy Olson
Source: Getty Images

The LA Galaxy's salary structure is competitive compared to other MLS clubs and leagues worldwide. For instance, Lionel Messi's move to Inter Miami from PSG resulted in one of the highest salaries in MLS, significantly more than he earned at one of Europe's top clubs.

It is not just Messi; numerous athletes from elite global clubs have relocated to the United States. MLS offers some of the best salaries to attract top talent.

Marco Reus' rumoured move to LA Galaxy

LA Galaxy's acquisition of Marco Reus from Borussia Dortmund marks another high-profile move to MLS. Despite no transfer fee, Galaxy is paying $350,000 to Charlotte FC for Discovery Rights, a process allowing clubs to sign players not under MLS contract.

With up to seven players, Discovery Lists enable teams to assert interest in future signings. According to Essentially Sports, Galaxy's move for Reus involved offering General Allocation Money to Charlotte FC, a strategy used to secure players from other teams' Discovery Lists.

Trivia

One of Major League Soccer's wealthiest franchises is the LA Galaxy. The club offers attractive wages to draw in some of the best talents globally. Their salary structure for 2024 shows how much they are willing to spend in their bid for success.

How much does an LA Galaxy player make?

The highest-paid player, Joseph Paintsil, earns $3,136,000 annually, while the lowest-paid players receive $71,401.

Who is the highest-paid player in the MLS?

The Top 10 MLS highest-paid players list is led by Lionel Messi, who has a gross annual salary of $12,000,000.

How much is LA Galaxy FC worth?

In 2024, the Los Angeles-based team was estimated to be worth $950,000,000. The most valuable team in the MLS was Los Angeles FC, with an estimated worth of $1.2 billion. Meanwhile, Inter Miami ranked second, valued at just over $1 billion.

Final word

The LA Galaxy players' salary structure reflects the team's commitment to acquiring the best talent and remaining competitive in the Major League Soccer. This shows that the club is ready to invest heavily in order to achieve more success.

READ ALSO: MLS soccer team names, year of establishment, achievements, stadium, owner

Sports Brief published an article about MLS soccer team names, year of establishment, achievements, stadium, owners, and more. MLS soccer teams have increased over the last few years.

The region's rapidly growing interest in football has contributed to this. With 29 teams—26 in the US and 3 in Canada—Major League Soccer (MLS) is one of the most well-known sports leagues in the US and Canada. Click the above link to read more!

Authors
Kenneth Mwenda photo
Kenneth Mwenda
Kenneth Mwenda is a business and sports writer with over five years of experience. At Sportsbrief, he contributes to writing biographies and listicles.