What is the NFL minimum salary for 2021?

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Press Conference
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Press Conference

Most of us started our working careers earning minimum wage. Like most large businesses, the NFL also has a minimum salary. Now, of course, the minimum NFL paycheck is a little more substantial than the one we earned as paper boys or in takeaway outlets.

Let's take a look at what the lowest-paid players in the NFL will earn in 2021.

The minimum NFL salary this season is $660,000

The NFL league minimum salary will be $660,000 in 2021. Despite the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, NFL players' salaries continue to rise.

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As per the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement established in March 2020, professional football players can expect significant raises for the foreseeable future.

At Statista, you can see exactly how much the minimum wage is set to increase over the next ten years. The lowest salary for an NFL player in 2030 will be $1.065 million.

How does the NFL minimum salary compare to other leagues?

The lowest player's salary in the NFL is actually lower than other major league sports in the United States. It is higher than the MLB minimum salary of $570,500 but is lower than both the NHL and NBA's.

The NHL's minimum player salary in 2021 is $750,000 while the NBA minimum wage is a whopping $925,000.

Minimum player salaries across major league sports in USA

NBA - $925,000

NHL - $750,000

NFL - $660,00

MLB - $570,500

How the minimum NFL salary breaks down over a season

The $660,000 salary equates to $38,823.52 per game across a 17-game NFL regular season.

It's $55,000 per month or $1,824 per day over the course of a calendar year.

NFL players minimum salary vs USA average workers minimum salary

The average minimum wage in the United States is $12 per hour, so the weekly pay cheque (40-hour workweek) is $480. A player on the NFL's minimum salary earns roughly $12,692 per week, more than 20 times the amount a worker on the current minimum wage gets.

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Edited by Prem Deshpande
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