The average annual salary for a female professional soccer player globally is $10,900, says FIFA’s annual report on the women’s game, a figure skewed by a small number of top clubs.
Among the teams FIFA designated as Tier 1, which includes 41 clubs from 16 countries, the average salary was around $24,030, although 16 of those top clubs paid an average gross salary of over $50,000, according to the “Setting the Pace, FIFA Benchmarking Report on Women’s Football” released on Monday.
The highest of those salaries was approximately $120,000.
The average gross salary, however, at Tier 2 and 3 clubs was $4,361 and $2,805, respectively.
“There is a need for players of a certain standard to earn a reliable and sufficient income solely from playing, reducing their dependence on secondary sources of income and allowing them to dedicate the time required to play at a higher level,” the report said.
Tier 1 clubs also featured the longest player contracts, most commonly between one and three years, with salaries highest for contracts of two to three years, while Tier 3 teams were most likely of the tiers to offer contracts under three months.
LEAGUE RECORD
Women are under-represented in coaching roles, with 22% of head coaches across all tiers being female. There is more gender equity among officials, with 42% of referees being female, ranging from 57% in Tier 1 leagues to 25% in Tiers 2 and 3.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the report helps clubs, leagues and stakeholders gain a better understanding of the factors that drive success.
“The strides made in recent years have been remarkable, but there is still more work to be done to unlock its full potential,” he said.
Surveys for “Setting the Pace” were sent to 135 leagues and 1,518 clubs, with a total of 677 clubs in 90 leagues responding.
