Every Premier League Club Ranked by Their Wage Bill
Daniel Hepburn, Calum Ritchie,
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Every Premier League club’s wage bill for the 2025/26 season has been revealed and, unsurprisingly, there’s a gaping chasm between those at the top – namely one half of the Manchester-based duo – and the lowest-paying teams such as Burnley and Sunderland, two clubs that were promoted last season.
There is so much money involved in the world of football in the modern day that fans would be forgiven for thinking every top flight team has endless amounts of cash to pay their playing staff. While some clubs do spend huge amounts on their wage bill, others do have a much lower ceiling when it comes to finances.
Many of the figures in question are bordering on astronomical, and they are only set to rise further due to the growing influence and competition posed by the wealth of the Saudi Pro League. Top players in England are looking for a pay rise, or considering moves to the Middle East for the lucrative contracts being handed out in that part of the world.
With that being said, very little sympathy can be felt for Premier League clubs that have almost taken over Europe in terms of financial power. Clubs that are seen as historically and traditionally bigger, do find themselves towards the top of the list, while the sides to have become Premier League sides in the more recent past are somewhat struggling to keep up.
With the summer transfer window now shut and no more players to be added, the wage bills for each club come via SalaryLeaks. In the case of some clubs also, there is limited data out there, meaning some of the figures given are estimates. We’ve taken a look at the annual wage bills of each Premier League club in order from lowest to highest.
20 Burnley – £40,200,000
Scott Parker Kyle Walker Burnley
Burnley, after their automatic progression back to the promised land, are hoping that Scott Parker’s tactics on the side of the pitch and their concoction of experience and youth will see them retain their status as an English top flight outfit. They’ll have to do so with the lowest wage bill in the division – which, when all added together, totals out at a lowly £40,200,000 – and, as a result, it’s not unfair to say that boss Parker and his entourage have their work cut out.
In terms of which Clarets player lines their pockets with the most money, it should come as no surprise that Kyle Walker, a six-time Premier League winner with Manchester City before his move to Turf Moor, is at the summit with an annual take-home of £3,600,000. Behind the English right-back, who is widely viewed as one of the greatest defenders in the history of the Premier League, is Loum Tchaouna, Lesley Ugochuwku, Jacob Bruun Larsen and Armando Broja.
Burnley’s Five Highest Earners
Player
Annual Wage
Kyle Walker
£3,600,000
Loum Tchaouna
£3,100,000
Lesley Ugochukwu
£2,600,000
Jacob Bruun Larsen
£2,300,000
Armando Broja
£2,100,000
19 Wolverhampton Wanderers – £41,100,000
Jorgen Strand Larsen in action for Wolverhampton Wanderers
Despite being tipped for a season of struggle last year, Wolverhampton Wanderers were invigorated by the arrival of Vitor Pereira, though they haven’t started the new season very well after the loss of Matheus Cunha. Whether they’ll repeat their impressive performances in the Portuguese’s first full campaign remains to be seen, but if they do, it will be with one of the lowest payrolls in the entirety of the Premier League. For reference: their highest earner is Hwang Hee-chan on £3,600,000 a year.
Celebrated midfielder Joao Gomes stands tall, alongside the aforementioned Hwang, as their joint-highest-earning star, while the likes of Marshall Munetsi, Matt Doherty and Emmanuel Agbadou are all hot on his heels to earn that special status. With Pereira now in charge of the Old Gold, fans and players alike will be hoping that the above players will end their season on a high by climbing up the Premier League table.
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Five Highest Earners
Player
Annual Wage
Hwang Hee-chan
£3,600,000
Joao Gomes
£3,600,000
Marshall Munetsi
£2,600,000
Matt Doherty
£2,600,000
Emmanuel Agbadou
£2,400,000
18 Brentford – £47,900,000
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If anything truly highlights the excellent job that Brentford’s well-drilled recruitment team have done – and continue to do on a year-by-year basis – at the London-based club, it’s that they have the second-lowest wage bill of any club to have played in the top tier last term, yet the Bees continue to operate above their pay grade and remain a solid, and competitive, side in the division.
With the departure of talismanic forward Bryan Mbeumo, things are going to be a little trickier for the club going forwards as they attempt to etch their status as a regular team that compete in the top flight.
If they continue to do so, it’s only another testament to how impressive the job that former manager Thomas Frank managed, especially with how little they tend to spend on player wages. That said, Aaron Hickey and Reiss Nelson are among the capital side’s highest-earning players. Dango Ouatarra, Mathias Jensen and Keane Lewis-Potter conclude the Bees’ top five earners.
Brentford’s Five Highest Earners
Player
Annual Wage
Reiss Nelson
£3,900,000
Aaron Hickey
£3,600,000
Dango Ouattara
£2,900,000
Mathias Jensen
£2,600,000
Keane Lewis-Potter
£2,600,000
17 Sunderland – £49,600,000
granit xhaka
Many have tipped Sunderland, of all promoted teams, to survive the drop back down to England’s second tier – and that’s largely thanks to the brilliant transfer activity overseen by Regis Le Bris and Co. As a means of rubbing shoulders with the best, the Black Cats – who won the play-off final against Sheffield United – scoured the summer transfer window for as much experience as possible, as evidenced by the arrivals of Granit Xhaka, Nodri Mukiele and Brian Brobbey.
It’s no surprise to see the aforementioned triumvirate of stars among the club’s biggest earners. Swiss midfielder Xhaka, who played much of his career in north London for Arsenal, earns £4,700,000, which is the same as Mukiele. Lutsharel Geertruida, who has joined the English club on a temporary basis, is earning £4,000,000 – which is a slither more than striker Brobbey and impressive midfielder Habib Diarra.
Sunderland’s Five Highest Earners
Player
Annual Wage
Nordi Mukiele
£4,700,000
Granit Xhaka
£4,700,000
Lutsharel Geertruida
£4,000,000
Brian Brobbey
£3,900,000
Habib Diarra
£3,700,000
16 Bournemouth – £52,900,000
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola watching on from the touchline
There’s been plenty of change at Bournemouth over the last few years. The arrival of Andoni Iraola in the summer of 2023 marked a real act of ambition from the club, and they exceeded expectations during his debut season in England. Complicating matters on the pitch, the club lost their star forward Dominic Solanke to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2023, but it did, in turn, slash a large chunk off of their wage bill.
They still have several high earners in the squad, though, such as Justin Kluivert, son of footballing icon Patrick and Ryan Christie, Luis Sinisterra. Cherries poster boy Antoine Semenyo, who has been eyed by plenty of would-be buyers over the last few years, earns £3,900,000 on an annual basis. In comparison to their fellow Premier League sides, they still boast a small wage bill.
Bournemouth’s Five Highest Earners
Player
Annual Wage
Evanlison
£4,200,000
Justin Kluivert
£4,200,000
Antoine Semenyo
£3,900,000
Ryan Christie
£3,60,000
Luis Sinisterra
£3,400,000
15 Brighton & Hove Albion – £53,100,000
Kaoru Mitoma in action for Brighton
As is the case with Brentford, plenty of credit has to go to Brighton & Hove Albion – and in particular, their recruitment genius over the years – for the enviable manner in which the football club has been run from top to bottom over the years. With manager Fabian Hurzeler at the helm, the German tactician’s spell has started very promisingly, but there have been some bumps in the road along the way.
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With a very young squad in general, the Seagulls do not have many high earners on the books in comparison to other sides and top of their list is full-back Ferdi Kadioglu. The Turkish defender joined from Fenerbahce in 2024 and immediately became the highest earner on the coast. Other big earners in the team include Kaoru Mitoma, Lewis Dunk, Danny Welbeck and former Leeds United talisman Georginio Rutter, who earns £3,900,000 on an annual basis.
Brighton & Hove Albion’s Five Highest Earners
Player
Annual Wage
Ferdi Kadioglu
£4,500,000
Kaoru Mitoma
£4,200,000
Lewis Dunk
£4,200,000
Georginio Rutter
£3,900,000
Danny Welbeck
£3,100,000
14 Leeds United – £60,200,000
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Daniel Farke and Leeds United will, alongside Sunderland and Burnley, be looking to stay afloat come May 2025. More will be expected of the Whites, however, given they stormed the Championship with relative ease last time out. Back in the big time and things have started relatively well, but it’ll take some doing for Farke’s men to avoid the drop, but they’ll be hoping that Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s arrival will ease the challenge.
The out-of-sorts English striker, signed from fellow top flight outfit Everton, has plenty of Premier League know-how under his belt; but will his arrival give Leeds the firepower they so desire? The Elland Road faithful will be hoping so given he’s their highest earner on £6,200,000. Jack Harrison (£4,700,000) and Patrick Bamford (£3,600,000) are also paid handsomely up north.
Leeds United’s Five Highest Earners
Player
Annual Wage
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
£6,200,000
Jack Harrison
£4,700,000
Patrick Bamford
£3,600,000
Sebastiaan Bornauw
£3,600,000
Sean Longstaff
£3,600,000
13 Crystal Palace – £65,400,000
Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta
Not least thanks to last season’s FA Cup win, a resurgent Crystal Palace side turned their form following Oliver Glasner’s arrival, with Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze being the main catalysts behind their turnaround. The former was one of the side’s highest earners, but his move to Bayern Munich this summer has shaken the apple cart. The latter, now, has also moved on – this time, to Arsenal.
The two forwards were among the side’s highest earners before their exits, but that slot has now been filled by Daichi Kamada. The 29-year-old spent one year with Lazio before moving to Selhurst Park last summer, and he was handed the highest salary in South London. Eddie Nketiah, Yeremy Pino and goalkeeper Dean Henderson are also earning substantial wages, with around the £100,000 mark entering their bank accounts every week.
Crystal Palace’s Five Highest Earners
Player
Annual Wage
Daichi Kamada
£5,200,000
Dean Henderson
£5,200,000
Eddie Nketiah
£4,700,000
Yeremy Pino
£4,700,000
Ismaila Sarr
£3,600,000
12 Fulham – £71,500,000
Fulham boss Marco Silva watching on from the dugout
Having lost their out-and-out talisman, Aleksander Mitrovic, to the riches of the Saudi Pro League in the summer of 2023, Fulham have still managed to outperform expectations in the seasons to follow by finishing comfortably in the Premier League. That’s because boss Marco Silva has put together a solid squad capable of avoiding any form of relegation battle, and he’s done so with an average payroll.
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Former Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno is the top earner at Craven Cottage by quite some distance, but, Raul Jimenez, Alex Iwobi and Joachim Andersen also all take home quite a pretty penny. With two of their top earners being former Arsenal players, it wouldn’t be too surprising if Emile Smith Rowe, whose Fulham is yet to take off, was also taking home a large wage every week too.
Fulham’s Five Highest Earners
Player
Annual Wage
Bernd Leno
£6,800,000
Raul Jimenez
£6,200,000
Joachim Andersen
£4,700,000
Alex Iwobi
£4,200,000
Samuel Chukwueze
£4,200,000
11 Everton – £71,700,000
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford cheering
While Brighton and Brentford are often praised for being very well-run clubs that punch well above their weight from a financial standpoint, Everton, now managed by the seasoned David Moyes, are almost the complete opposite given how much they’ve struggled in seasons gone by. Their high wage expenditure hasn’t translated into success on the pitch in recent years, though.
This has at least been the case for as long as fans can remember, but they’ve slowly started to trim their payroll with players such as Amadou Onana and Andre Gomes, who were on huge wages, leaving them in the summer of 2024.
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The club have been dragged into relegation battles for a few straight seasons now, despite their on-paper sturdy back line, which is buoyed by Jordan Pickford and Jarrad Branthwaite, who earn £6,500,000 and £6,200,000, respectively. As such, the two are among the highest earners from a permanent fixture perspective on the blue half of Merseyside. Jack Grealish, on loan from Manchester City, pockets a whopping £11,700,000.
Everton’s Five Highest Earners
Player
Annual Wage
Jack Grealish
£11,700,000
Jordan Pickford
£6,500,000
Jarrad Branthwaite
£6,200,000
Idrissa Gueye
£6,200,000
James Tarkowski
£5,200,000