What Is The Average Pay In The NFL?

The average NFL player salary is $2.7 million per year, which is the highest of any professional sports league. However, not all players earn this much. The minimum salary for an NFL player is $480,000 per year.

Introduction

In the National Football League, the average career lasts just over three years. So, while an NFL player’s salaries look like they’re small compared to other professional athletes’, they actually end up making quite a bit of money over the course of their careers.

According to data from Spotrac, the average NFL player’s salary is $2.7 million per year. However, this number can be deceiving because it includes all players, from rookies who are still on their rookie contracts to veterans who have been in the league for 10 years or more and are making much more than the average.

When we look at only the salaries of players who are in their first contract (rookies and first-year players), the average salary drops to $1.9 million per year. And when we look at only the salaries of veteran players (players who have been in the league for four years or more), the average salary increases to $3.2 million per year.

So, while the average NFL player’s salary may be $2.7 million per year, most players are actually making either less than that (rookies and first-year players) or more than that (veterans).

What is the average pay in the NFL?

NFL salaries have risen sharply in recent years, as the league has signed new television contracts that have increasing amounts of revenue. The average salary for an NFL player now stands at $2.7 million, which is more than double what it was just a decade ago. The highest-paid player in the NFL is currently quarterback Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons, who is set to earn $30 million in 2018.

Quarterbacks

In 2017, the average NFL quarterback made $4.9 million per year. The median salary for quarterbacks was $2.8 million. The top earners at the position made an average of $15 million per year, while the bottom earners made an average of $700,000 per year.

Running Backs

The average pay for an NFL player varies by position. The median salary for all players was $860,000 in 2017, but the range was from a low of $405,000 for long snappers to a high of $2.1 million for quarterbacks. Below is a breakdown of the 2017 salaries by position, according to Spotrac.com.

-Quarterbacks: $2,105,733
-Running backs: $1,159,158
-Wide receivers: $1,131,294
-Tight ends: $973,325
-Offensive linemen: $947,479
-Defensive linemen: $889,916
-Linebackers: $817,189
-Defensive backs: $775,577
-Special teams: $633,760

Wide Receivers

The average pay for a wide receiver in the NFL is $3,180,000 per year. The median salary for all wide receivers is $2,856,250. The top 10 percent of wide receivers make an average of $5,929,375 per year. The bottom 10 percent of wide receivers make an average of $1,317,500 per year.

Tight Ends

The average NFL salary for a tight end is $764,250 per year. The median income for this position is $715,000. The lowest-paid tight end in the NFL makes $405,000 per year while the highest-paid tight end earns over $1 million annually.

Offensive Linemen

Offensive linemen are the big guys in the trenches who do the dirty work to protect the quarterback and open up holes for running backs. They are typically the heaviest and strongest players on the field, and they require a unique combination of size, strength, agility, and intelligence. Because of their importance to the game, offensive linemen are some of the highest-paid players in the NFL.

The average salary for an offensive lineman in the NFL is $2.6 million per year. Salaries for offensive linemen can range from $300,000 to $15 million per year, depending on a player’s experience, position, and performance. The highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL is Oakland Raiders tackle Trent Brown, who makes an annual salary of $17 million.

Defensive Linemen

Depending on the player’s position, NFL salaries can range from $400,000 to over $20 million a year. The average salary for all NFL players is just over $2 million a year, but that number jumps to $4 million for starting quarterbacks.

Among all NFL positions, defensive linemen have the highest average salary at just over $2.9 million per year. This is followed by quarterbacks at $2.8 million, wide receivers at $2.4 million, and linebackers at $2.3 million.

At the other end of the spectrum, kickers and punters have the lowest average salaries at around $1 million per year, followed by offensive linemen at just over $1.1 million.

Linebackers

Linebackers are the heart and soul of most football teams. They play a critical role in stopping the run and rushing the passer. Like many other positions in the NFL, linebackers are paid handsomely for their services. The average salary for an NFL linebacker is $1.36 million per year.

Defensive Backs

Defensive backs are the highest-paid position in the NFL, with an average salary of $2,590,000. The average salary for a cornerback is $2,711,000, and the average salary for a safety is $2,527,000.

How do NFL salaries compare to other professional sports leagues?

In the NFL, the average salary for a player is $2.7 million per year, but the median salary is only $860,000 per year. This means that half of the players in the NFL make more than $860,000 per year and half make less. The median salary is much lower than the average salary because there are a few very high-paid players in the NFL who drag up the average.

In contrast, in Major League Baseball (MLB), the average salary is $4 million per year and the median salary is $2.5 million per year. This means that half of MLB players make more than $2.5 million per year and half make less. The average MLB salary is much higher than the NFL because there are no players in MLB who are making the minimum salary. In fact, there are only a handful of players in MLB who are making less than $1 million per year.

So, while the average NFL salary is lower than the average MLB salary, the median salaries are actually pretty similar. This means that, while there are a few very high-paid players in MLB who drag up the average salaries, there are also a few low-paid players in the NFL who drag down the average salaries.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the average pay in the NFL is $2.7 million per year. This number has remained relatively stable over the past few years, despite the increasing popularity of the sport. While there are a few outliers who earn significantly more or less than this amount, the vast majority of players fall within this range.