Salary
Average Salary: $100,000
Expected Lifetime Earnings: $320,000
In 2014, Barcelona FC's Lionel Messi became the world's highest-paid football player, raking in a cool $27 million per year. Not too bad, eh?
That's the very highest end. Most soccer players aren't making that kind of money. In the United States, pro soccer players earn an average of $40,000 (!) per year. Forwards earn more (much, much more) than goalkeepers, which we think seems a little unfair because goalkeepers are cool. But still, the numbers don't lie. Forwards earn an average annual salary of $220,000, while goalkeepers earn a paltry (in comparison) $85,000 (source).
A couple things to note, though. First, those numbers are just based on contracts. If you're good-looking, charismatic, or just plain famous enough (think David Beckham), you can really kill it with endorsements. (When Mr. Posh Spice was playing for the L.A. Galaxy, his contracted salary didn't even put him in the Top 20 of the world's highest paid soccer players. But peddling perfumes and hawking diet sodas raked in enough to put him in the number eight slot on Forbes' Highest-Paid Athletes list.)
Second, professional soccer players playing for American teams make a pittance compared to international teams. (Hel-lo, Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, and basically every other European team ever.) If money's your object, it might be a smart move to set your sights abroad.