As part of talks on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the USL Players Association, the USL has proposed a set of minimum salaries for the Division I league set to start in 2028, sources told ESPN.
Earlier this year, the USL announced that it would be instituting a system of promotion/relegation, as well as starting a new Division I league that would sit on top of the current league structure that is currently comprised of the USL-Championship, USL League One, and USL League Two.
The two sides are currently in negotiations on a new CBA for players in the USL Championship, the top tier in the USL. As part of those discussions, the USL made a proposal on what minimum salaries in the proposed Division I league would look like in order to provide context around their offer for minimum salaries in the USL-Championship.
According to sources with knowledge of the CBA talks, who requested anonymity because they aren’t authorized to speak publicly about the discussions, the USL is proposing a minimum annual salary at the Division I level of $55,000 in 2028, $60,000 in 2029, $65,000 in 2030 and $70,000 in 2031. These numbers are for salary only. Other additional forms of compensation such as health insurance, housing allowances and offseason pay are yet to be negotiated, sources added.
Both the USLPA and the USL declined to comment.
The USLPA and the league have engaged in over two dozen bargaining sessions since Aug. 1, 2024, in an attempt to resolve key issues. These include mandating that clubs provide healthcare to players, improving working conditions, and increasing overall compensation.
In recent months, the players have become more aggressive in getting their message out. As players from the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and FC Tulsa walked onto the field ahead of the USL-Championship title game on Nov. 22, they all wore t-shirts with the message, “Pro Rel? Try Pro Standards First.”
As far as minimum compensation in the USL-Championship is concerned, a source with knowledge of that proposal said that the league is currently offering minimum salaries “under $40,000” per year, but that there are exemptions that could see salaries dip below the $30,000 level.
According to the current CBA, the minimum salary in the current USL-Championship CBA for 2025 is $2,600 per month, but those contracts only last 10 months, and that amount includes salary, bonuses, any housing allowance and health insurance payments (if provided by the club). Essentially, compensation from those four buckets can’t exceed $2,600 per month for those players making the league minimum.
As a point of comparison, the minimum compensation in MLS for 2027, which is the last year of the current CBA, is $97,970 for reserve players and $125,875 for senior players. These contracts last throughout the year, with players also receiving additional benefits like health insurance on top of their salary.
According to the current NWSL CBA, the minimum annual salary for 2028 is $67,000, though that doesn’t include a Cost of Living Allowance players receive based on where they live. Players also receive additional benefits, such as health insurance and life insurance.
