Premier League Wages: How Much Players Earned Each Season Since 1885
The average wage of English footballers has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past 140 years. From humble beginnings to jaw-dropping contracts, here's how salaries in the sport evolved through every major era.
1885–1919: A Shilling Game
In football’s earliest professional days, wages were modest. Players earned between 10 to 20 shillings per week — less than £1. Blackburn led the pay pack early on, reportedly offering £1 by 1888, a figure that soon became the norm.
Goalkeeper William Foulke stood out in 1895, pulling in £3 a week for Sheffield United — an impressive sum at the time. By 1901, a maximum wage of £4 was introduced, though top clubs like Liverpool occasionally exceeded this with standout payments of £7 to star players.
By the end of World War I in 1919, average weekly earnings had increased to £3, with the maximum cap lifted to £10.
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1945–1970: Wages Begin to Rise
Post-WWII saw slow but steady increases. From £4 in 1945, the average grew to £14 by 1960 — then came a tipping point. In 1961, the maximum wage was scrapped, opening the door to bigger contracts.
Johnny Haynes became the first £100-a-week footballer in 1962. But it was George Best who grabbed headlines in 1968, earning a staggering £1,000 weekly — despite Manchester United’s attempt to limit salaries internally.
By 1970, the average wage hit £71, marking a massive 1,675% increase from the immediate post-war period.
1971–1991: The Four-Figure Breakthrough
The '70s and '80s marked a period of acceleration. Players crossed the £100-per-week threshold in 1974. By 1979, the average had leapt to £410, and just six years later, it surpassed £1,000.
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Football icons like Trevor Francis (£1,500/week) and Bryan Robson (£2,700/week in 1981) led the earnings charts. Paul Gascoigne took it even further in 1986, reportedly earning £5,000 weekly.
As the '90s approached, players were pulling in serious money — with the average reaching £1,800 per week just before the Premier League era began.
1992–2000: The Premier League Boom Begins
When the Premier League launched in 1992/93, average wages were £2,250 per week, and John Barnes topped the list with £10,000.
The following seasons saw regular jumps. By 1999, Roy Keane was earning £52,000 a week — a sign of things to come. Average salaries more than quadrupled across the decade, reaching £9,000 by 2000.
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Footballers were now celebrities and multi-millionaires, and clubs were cashing in on the global broadcasting boom.
2001–2010: Enter the Superstars
The 2000s introduced a new financial tier. By 2005/06, Steven Gerrard became the first £100,000-per-week player. That season’s average wage? Just £18,500 — highlighting how top stars were pulling further away from the pack.
In 2009, Manchester City made waves by signing Robinho for a reported £150,000 per week. Carlos Tevez followed with a £220,000 contract, anchoring a new era of elite-level spending.
By 2010, the average Premier League wage was £30,000 — more than triple what it was at the start of the decade.
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2011–2020: Stratospheric Salaries
Throughout the 2010s, big earners continued to set new records. Wayne Rooney reached £300,000 a week by 2013, a figure he maintained for several seasons.
The average wage also climbed steadily, hitting £51,000 by 2019. By this point, many clubs had multiple players earning six-figure weekly sums.
David De Gea briefly topped the charts at £375,000, while Gareth Bale joined the list of mega-earners during a loan spell at Spurs.
2021–2025: The Half-Million Era
Recent years have brought record-breaking contracts. Cristiano Ronaldo returned to England on £420,000 a week in 2021. But it was Erling Haaland’s Manchester City deal in 2024 that shattered the ceiling — £500,000 per week.
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Meanwhile, average wages have climbed to £60,000 for the 2025/26 season. It’s now commonplace for top-tier stars to earn more in a week than players in the 1960s did in an entire year.
With the pace of growth showing no sign of slowing, many are left wondering how soon the average wage could hit six figures.
From Shillings to Supercars: A Century of Change
The journey from 20 shillings to £500,000 per week tells a broader story, one of commercialisation, TV money, and global reach. Footballers have transformed from working-class sportsmen into global icons and brand ambassadors.
While debates continue over financial fairness in football, the data shows one thing clearly, wages have grown exponentially, and the Premier League leads the way.
