How Much Do Professional Lacrosse Players Make? Real Data
When it comes to sports, one of the most asked questions and wonders is the salaries of professional players. And that isn’t surprising, because playing a sport you love as your livelihood where you can earn a lot of money is more than interesting. So, how much do professional lacrosse players earn?
A professional lacrosse player makes an average of $44,680 a year, and the amount varies based on the type of league. A premier lacrosse player earns $35,000/season while a major league player earns $9,200-$27,000, similar to a national lacrosse league.
In the US market, a lacrosse player, on average, makes around $64,168 based on their level and experience. For instance, the top-order lacrosse players earn about $187,200 per year, and they are bound to pay 22% federal tax. Since professional lacrosse players make a broad range of salaries in different formats, it is appropriate to look at individual salaries and factors influencing the fluctuation in values.
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Premier Lacrosse League
While the lacrosse industry turns out to be lucrative, the price slabs vary significantly. The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) is the largest one engaging about eight teams. Founded by Paul Rabil, one of the highest-paid players, and Mike Rabil, the Premier Lacrosse League provides players a wide range of health and equity benefits.
According to CNBC, the average player salary in PLL is $35,000, at least four times higher than Major League Lacrosse (MLL). When we take a closer look at what made PLL successful, it was the way the business model is drafted to provide competitive salaries and develop their crossover skills.
Your health is covered, you get stocks, and you get paid at the end of each season – what more would a player aspire for?
Major League Lacrosse
Players of Major League Lacrosse (MLL) make an average of $10,000 (rookies) and $15,000-$25,000 (depending on the level).
If you have been a regular follower of MLL, you would know that this has always attracted bigger crowds, but salaries are not satisfactory. The number of professional lacrosse players getting paid after each season is countable. This number is a disappointment for aspiring players who want to make a career out of lacrosse.
While MLL did make a significant impact among crowds, the players have often demanded a salary hike, and then came the news of the merger of MLL and PLL.
National Lacrosse League
According to Toronto Observer, the average salary for players in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) is $19,700 for a season.
While players get connected to lacrosse for the love of it, NLL did not sound like an excellent option for those wanting to choose lacrosse as a career. The office of NLL guaranteed a salary hike of 25% back in 2018, but then professional players were forced to switch to better opportunities. Over the years, NLL has undergone a significant transition, but PLL still takes the top seat.
Women’s Professional Lacrosse
Salary differences based on gender exist in the lacrosse industry as well. A women’s professional lacrosse player is likely to make an average of $10,000, but there are no confirmations on this aspect.
United Women’s Lacrosse League (UWLL) came into existence in 2016. If you have been a regular fan of lacrosse, you might have noted that women’s lacrosse play generated revenues up to $151 million and ranked one of the top women’s sports, fetching huge gains.
The revenue does seem exciting to us. But, the Women’s Professional Lacrosse League (WPLL) has aimed at increasing the number of players and their salaries, but it can take time.
WPLL Futures program is launched to build the skills of women in lacrosse, but this doesn’t address the gender-based wage gap in the industry. WPLL players do not earn as much as males but are more likely to hit the nail over time.
How Are Salaries For Lacrosse Players Calculated?
Lacrosse players are paid based on three factors – level, leagues played, and market value.
Level
Rookies, first-year players, are often paid the lowest, but they get better financial compensation as they progress, although not as high as in other sports.
Leagues played
NLL and PLL are making a massive buzz in the lacrosse industry. Perhaps, PLL has been taking NLL over within a short span. As a lacrosse fan, you might have known this fact.
Any player who has played NLL gets a chance to qualify in other leagues like PLL. You might have already guessed how lucrative the career can turn as they play PLL.
Market value
Although lacrosse is not a high-paying industry like NBA, players like Paul Rabil have still made a living out of it. This possibility is because they had better market values and explored other options to diversify their income sources.
In due course, more professionals like Paul Rabil can emerge and make a great deal in this industry. Perhaps, the lacrosse industry is growing, and more positive changes are likely to happen (most notably, salaries and opportunities for women players).
Do Pro Lacrosse Players Have Other Jobs?
Pro lacrosse players have always had full-time day jobs (regular) or engaged in multiple sources of income, even when lacrosse is perceived as a rich man’s sport.
According to CNN, pro lacrosse players earn around $10,000-$20,000 per season, less than 10% of what rookies could earn from other games like baseball and hockey.
The bare minimum of $1,500 per month remains insufficient for players, and several pro lacrosse players were forced to take up regular, day jobs for their livelihoods. For instance, some have even engaged in careers related to the lacrosse industry, such as coaching, sponsorships, and clinics, to make their ends meet.
Suppose you have been a regular follower of PLL. In that case, you might have noted how Paul Rabil wanted to change the situation of professional lacrosse players with better incomes and coverages so they could take up this game full-time.
Who Is The Highest Paid Player In Lacrosse?
Paul Rabil turns out to be the highest-paid player in lacrosse, with a net worth of several million dollars earned from lacrosse.
Of course, there are rich players in the lacrosse industry. Chase Coleman III, a former lacrosse player, is the richest with a net worth accounting of 10.3 billion USD, and he is followed by Joe Tsai (8.8 billion USD) and Meg Whitman (4.7 billion USD).
Note that no lacrosse player will earn billions of dollars from lacrosse alone. There are always considered more businesses and cash flows behind their income. Even so, the earned incomes can be incredibly lucrative!
