League Two Salary

League Two salaries are not the hottest topic when it comes to the ever-controversial world of football finances.

Ascendant clubs like Wrexham and Salford City have seen more debate about the funds thrown at the bottom tier of the English Football League, however, and it’s an area worth more investigation.

Financial disparity is an issue in League Two just as it is in the Premier League, Championship, and League One.

Average League Two Salary

Detailed League Two salary figures are not publicised in the same way as their counterparts in the Premier League or Championship.

Salary Sport released details of the division’s highest-paid players, though, with the top 100 players averaging a salary of just under £175,000 in 2022-23.

The average League Two salary fluctuates significantly depending on the teams in the division. If a big club is relegated from League One, they can likely sustain higher player salaries for a year or two.

There is a massive range in League Two salaries, so the mean is not always informative. Instead, it can be beneficial to compare the highest-spending clubs with those lower down the financial table.

Highest Paid League Two Player

In 2024-25, Capology’s reporting indicates the Milton Keynes Dons have the highest player payroll. Canadian goalkeeper Tom McGill, on loan at MK Dons from Brighton, has the highest weekly wager per Capology’s data.

Gavin Kilkenny, Rhys Williams, Joe Pigott, and Tyreik Wright round out the top five. McGill is apparently on about £10,000 per week, though it’s unclear what percentage of this MK Dons will be paying during his loan.

It is commonplace for the parent club to pay a chunk of the salary.

League Two Manager Salary

Just like the players they are leading; League Two managers are on considerably less than their Premier League and Championships contemporaries.

Back in 2014, there were reports a League Two manager would have an average salary of £50,000.

That number had risen to almost £80,000 by 2020, although there was one manager in the survey on just £45,000 per year.

Numbers for the 2024-25 season have not been released, but we can be pretty sure Karl Robinson, Nigel Adkins, and Graham Alexander are among the highest earners in the division given the clubs they are in charge of and their respective reputations.

League Two Salary vs Premier League Salary

The salaries of the top League Two players are unsurprisingly a long way off the numbers that even the lower-paid Premier League players receive. There are 507 Premier League players on £20,000 or more per week in 2024-25.

In 2022-23, only three League Two players earned over £317,000 per year. There were seven Premier League players earning more than that per week, according to Spotrac.

There are 26 Premier League players on £200,000 or more per week in 2024-25, with Erling Haaland ranking as the top earner on £400,000.

League Two Footballer Salary

Loan deals are one of the challenges with judging League Two football salaries.

The highest earners are usually on loan deals from Premier League or Championship clubs, meaning we don’t know how much of their salary is being paid by their temporary team.

Back in 2022-23, Dom Telford was the only one of the top League Two earners who wasn’t on loan.

Others will have been getting a portion of their salary paid by their parent club, and in some cases this could be well over 50%.

League Two Finances

Wrexham topped the League Two salary charts in 2023-24, placing ahead of Forest Green Rovers, Bradford, and Gillingham.

In 2024-25, Milton Keynes Dons, Gillingham, Colchester, and Swindon apparently have the four highest payrolls in the division.

While there has been considerable scepticism about the amount of money being thrown around in League Two, Bradford chief executive Ryan Sparks is optimistic about the direction the fourth tier is heading in.

“The profile of League Two has never been higher. I’d also suggest this is the best League Two I’ve seen. The standard of player is high. In our squad, we have players who will consider themselves League One players. Some even higher.

“As a result, the division is 100 per cent more competitive this time around. Unlike last year (when champions Leyton Orient were top from October 22 onwards), there is no runaway winner this time and a dozen teams, maybe more, are chasing a place in the top seven.”

He added, “It is sustainable if you’re growing. Or if you intend to be in the next division, because reward comes with that. For a club like Wrexham, I’d say it is definitely sustainable. Their turnover is enormous. But they will still have to work hard to sustain that.”