Sports Reference Blog

Capology Wage Data Explainer

Posted by Mike Lynch on August 16, 2022

We're thrilled to present player wage data from Capology for the Big 5 men's European soccer leagues and MLS. We'd like to share a few notes on this data:

Our wage tables include a 'Verification' column which can indicate either 'Verified' (with a green checkmark) or 'Unverified estimation' (with a red X). These fields indicate whether Capology has verified the wage through their extensive sources or if they've estimated the wage using their algorithm. Capology relies on a network of insiders directly involved in contract negotiations as well as publications around the world. When these are still not sufficient, Capology's algorithms provide a best estimate. A player's wage is considered 'verified' if it's been provided directly by the club or agent, and/or confirmed by multiple sources. Capology has used this method since the 2019-20 season, which means earlier salaries are, by default, unverified. For more info on Capology's sources and methods please visit here.

Only guaranteed years of a contract are currently covered (no option years).

Only base wages are currently covered, although some bonuses may be covered in the future.

Wages presented are gross pay (not net).

MLS: covered since 2007
Serie A: covered since 2009-10
Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga and Ligue 1: covered since 2013-14

Aside from MLS, which publishes official data, wages are unofficial and there can often be variance between sources. It is Capology's intention to provide the best wage information possible. 'Verified' salaries are well-sourced and not estimated, but that does not mean that they are guaranteed to be 100% accurate. With this kind of data, even the best sources are fallible. If you see something that looks incorrect and you have information that could be used to improve the data, please pass it along to Capology via this form.

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