One would assume that English football, thanks to the popularity of the Premier League, would be a money-spinning machine. That would be correct in regard to how much money players in England’s top flight tend to get paid on a weekly basis. Clubs in the Championship, from Leicester City to Oxford United and Millwall, spend far less money on player wages.
The focus, from teams in England to those in the Middle East following the boom of the beautiful game, is typically centred around the riches, and it’s not unreasonable to wonder how much players get paid to do what they love: play football.
Typically, for clubs in England’s second tier, transfer fees are significant sums of money – but the same cannot be said about the average salary of a player, especially in comparison to those plying their trade in the Premier League. Using data from Capology, we’ve taken a look at each club’s annual wage bill for the current season. Let’s take a closer look.
24. Charlton Athletic – £9,103,200
After boss Nathan Jones oversaw last season’s promotion to England’s second-tier, Charlton Athletic will be hoping to stay put – and given the size and stature of the south London outfit, it may come as a surprise that they’ve got the lowest wage bill of all 24 teams at £9,103,200 a year. Will the Addicks survive the drop?
23. Portsmouth – £9,568,000
Between 2003/04 and 2009/10, Portsmouth were a bona fide Premier League side, but serious financial issues have seen them dance up and down the English football pyramid since. With John Swift their highest-earning player on £20,000-per-week, they are now in the nation’s second tier and are spending just shy of £10 million on wages.
22. Sheffield Wednesday – £11,515,400
Last season, Championship side Sheffield Wednesday – spearheaded by highest-earner and club legend Barry Bannan – managed to finish mid-table after winning 15 of their 46 matches in the second tier. Bannan, as alluded to, earns a pretty penny up north, as does the likes of Yan Valery and Nathaniel Chalobah, who are both on £20,000-per-week.
21. Swansea City – £12,380,000
Swansea City, the other side in the Championship that are based in Wales, almost cracked the top ten last year: they finished 11th on 61 points. Summer additions Adam Idah and Cameron Burgess both earn £25,000 on a weekly basis.
20. Coventry City –​​​​​​​ £12,948,000
Coventry City quartet Luke Woolfenden, Matt Grimes, Ellis Simms and Haji Wright all earn £25,000-per-week at the club, which takes their overall annual spend to just under £13 million. Having come so close to promotion last term, can Frank Lampard mastermind the unthinkable this time around?
19. Blackburn Rovers –​​​​​​​ £13,106,000
Back in the day, especially in 1994/95 when they won the Premier League with Alan Shearer as striker, Blackburn Rovers were a force to be reckoned with in England. That’s no longer the case, however, and they are plying their trade in the Championship with a wage bill around the £13 million mark. Earning double that of Sean McLoughlin, Todd Cantwell is the Rovers’ highest-earner on £30,000-per-week.
18. Preston North End – £13,322,400
Paul Heckingbottom and Preston North End can count themselves lucky to still be in the Championship given they finished just above the three-team drop zone in 2024/25. In the early stages of the new campaign, they’ve mounted an early charge for the play-off spots, all while spending £13,322,400 on player wages.
17. Bristol City –​​​​​​​ £13,468,400
Bristol City were on the receiving end of a record-breaking play-off loss at the hands of Sheffield United last season – it was 6-0 across two legs – but they’ll be looking to right their wrongs this term with an annual wage bill of £13,468,000. On £20,000-per-week apiece, Luke McNally and Neto Borges are the club’s joint highest-earning assets.
16. Queens Park Rangers –​​​​​​​ £13,500,800
After being relegated from England’s top flight in the 2014/15 season, Queens Park Rangers have enjoyed a decade-long spell in the Championship. Will they ever return to the promised land is the question; but, for now, the London outfit are spending £13,500,800 on wages for the likes of Steve Cook and Rhys Norrington-Davies.
15. Oxford United –​​​​​​​ £13,751,400
Oxford United manager Gary Rowett won’t be pleased with his side’s tricky start to the campaign, especially given they are spending such a hefty wad – £13,751,400 – on player wages. In other news, the club have been given the green light to build a one-of-its-kind stadium worth a grand total of £130 million, which is nearly ten times the amount of their year-by-year wage bill.
14. Derby County – £14,398,000
Another club that were lucky to avoid a date with relegation last term are Derby County, who finished one point ahead of the relegated Luton. With an annual wage bill of £14,398,000, which is the 14th-highest in the division, they’ve endured a hodgepodge start to 2025/26 proceedings with one win from five matches.
13. Millwall – £14,666,000
Millwall’s home of The Den may have been ranked among the five worst in England by a journalist, but that won’t stop their dream of reaching the Premier League. The south London outfit, who finished eighth last term, cough up £14,666,000 a year on player wages with Joe Bryan and Alfie Doughty taking home the most.
12. Stoke City –​​​​​​​ £17,836,000
Stoke City flirted with the prospect of relegation to League One last season, finishing on 51 points – two ahead of Luton Town, who finished 22nd. Much better things are expected of the Potters this time around and, in doing so, they are paying the players a total of £17,836,000. Ben Gibson is their highest-earner on £35,000-per-week.
11. Wrexham –​​​​​​​ £18,187,000
Like Birmingham, the popular Wrexham – buoyed by the financial power of their owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac – achieved promotion last season, but the Welsh side’s wage bill is perhaps lower than initially expected. Keiffer Moore, Conor Coady and Jay Rodriguez, all of whom possess Premier League experience, are the club’s highest-earners.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Between 2022/23 and 2024/25, Wrexham became the first team in English senior football history to achieve back-to-back-to-back promotions – from the National League to the Championship.
10. Birmingham City –​​​​​​​ £18,850,000
Rounding up the Championship’s top ten highest-spending sides in regard to wages are Birmingham City, who achieved promotion back to England’s second tier last term. Thanks to their fruitful summer, welcoming the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi and Demarai Gray to the club, their wage bill currently sits at an eye-catching £18,850,000.
9. Watford – £19,646,000
Following the odd stint in the Premier League over the years, Watford have plied their trade in the Championship for three years, establishing themselves as a side that tend to settle for mid-table obscurity. Their wage bill of £19,646,000 sees the London outfit just make the top ten on this list.
8. Middlesbrough – £19,680,000
Middlesbrough, at the time of writing and under the fresh stewardship of Rob Edwards, are flying near the summit of the Championship. Whether their form is sustainable remains to be seen, but their annual pay-out of £19,680,000 on player wages will remain stable. The on-loan Matt Targett is currently their biggest earner.
7. Hull City – £20,628,400
For Hull City, John Lundstram leads the way as the club’s highest-paid player on £45,500 and the Englishman is closely followed by Amir Hadziahmetovic and Ryan Giles, who both pocket £35,000 on a weekly basis. Altogether, The Tigers – who finished just ahead of the relegation zone in 2024/25 – are set to spend £20,628,400 on wages.
6. West Bromwich Albion – £21,008,000
With 64 points from 15 wins and 19 draws last term, West Bromwich Albion finished just inside the top ten and, this time around, they’ll be hoping to crack a spot in the play-offs. Nat Philipps (£40,000) and Chris Mepham (£35,000) provide the Baggies with plenty of experience and are, understandably, two of Ryan Mason’s highest-earning players.
5. Norwich City – £22,802,000
In 2024/25, Norwich City finished in the middle of the pack after a torrid conclusion to the campaign. Under newly-appointed boss Liam Manning, they could certainly mount a charge for the play-offs and, if they do, they’d be doing so with the fifth-highest wage bill in the division – £22,802,000.
4. Sheffield United – £27,300,000
Chris Wilder is back for his third stint in charge of Sheffield United, who are set to part ways with £27,300,000 on player wages this season. The Blades, alongside the aforementioned trio, will be searching for promotion – but will their highest-earners in Ben Godfrey (£75,000), Japhet Tanganga (£35,000) and Gustavo Hamer (£30,000) stand up and be counted?
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3. Ipswich Town – £28,678,000
Finishing off the trio of newly-relegated sides, Ipswich Town – managed by Kieran McKenna – signed a host of players in the summer of 2024 as a means of competing in the big time. Now in England’s second tier, Swedish defensive midfielder Jens Cajuste is the Tractor Boys’ highest earner on £35,000.
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2. Southampton – £38,142,000
Next up, we travel to the south coast. Will Still is hoping that he can steer Southampton back to where they belong: England’s top flight. He’ll be doing so with players such as Joe Aribo, Adam Armstrong and Finn Azaz, who earn £70,000, £60,000 and £50,000-per-week respectively. Altogether, Saints spend £38,142,000 on player wages on an annual basis.
1. Leicester City – £42,926,000