Wide disparity in MLS salaries

A year after winning the MLS Cup championship, Sporting Kansas City owns none of the highest-paid 23 players in the league.

Figures released Thursday by the MLS Players Union show that Graham Zusi is the club’s highest-paid player, earning a base salary of $365,000. That ranks behind 23 players across the league.

Seattle Sounders striker Clint Dempsey is the league’s highest-paid player with a $4.9 million base salary, a number that balloons to $6.695 million with signing and guaranteed bonuses included.

Sporting KC captain Matt Besler makes $200,000, according to the figures released.

None of the listed salaries include performance bonus.

Players’ salaries can also be more than the amount listed by the union. Teams are allowed to use allocation money to buy down a player’s salary.

Toronto FC and the Los Angeles Galaxy each have three of the 12 players making seven-figure salaries, according to figures released by the MLS Players Union.

Landon Donovan of the Los Angeles Galaxy is guaranteed $4,583,000, just ahead of teammate Robbie Keane’s $4.5 million. Omar Gonzalez is paid $1.25 million.

Toronto midfielder Michael Bradley is the second highest paid MLS player, at $6.5 million, followed by teammate Jermain Defoe at $6.18 million and striker Gilberto at $1.2 million.

Thierry Henry of New York Red Bulls is set to make $4.35 million, while Tim Cahill of New York Red Bulls is due $3,625,000. Rounding out the other 12 are Montreal’s Marco DiVaio ($2.6 million), Seattle’s Obafemi Martins ($1,753,000), and Vancouver’s Pedro Morales ($1,41,900).

This story was originally published April 10, 2014 at 11:23 PM with the headline "Wide disparity in MLS salaries."