NFL agent cap 3%NBA agent cap 4%MLB agent cap 5%Top federal rate 2026 37%Bonus withholding over $1M 37%Texas state tax on wages 0%Florida state tax on wages 0%California top rate 13.3%NBA escrow 10% of each check held backNIL money 1099 income, add 15.3% self-employment taxAgent fees for team salary not deductible on your federal returnNFL players file taxes in about 10 to 14 states a year
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MLB | St. Louis, MO

What a St. Louis Cardinals contract really pays

Real 2026 take-home numbers for St. Louis Cardinals players, from the MLB minimum up. Federal tax, Missouri tax, the jock tax, and the agent, all in.

At a glance

Home games taxed by
Missouri
Top rate there
4.70%
Rank for take-home
16 of 30
MLB agent cap
No union cap
Road duty days (est.)
40%
Taxing places visited
21

Take-home by salary

SalaryTaxesFeesKeeps
$780,000min$311,799$64,000$404,201 (52%)
$3,000,000$1,320,659$175,000$1,504,341 (50%)
$10,000,000$4,505,529$525,000$4,969,471 (50%)
$30,000,000$13,608,590$1,525,000$14,866,410 (50%)

Single, living in Missouri, max agent fee, 1% advisor fee, and $25K a year for a CPA and lawyer. Estimates for education.

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Statement of earnings

$10M with the St. Louis Cardinals

One season. Lives in Missouri. Single.

Keeps 50%
Gross pay$10,000,000
TaxFederal income tax($3,599,655)

Top federal rate is 37% on taxable income over $640,600. Reduced by a credit for tax paid to Canada.

TaxMedicare($233,200)

1.45% on every dollar, plus 0.9% on pay over $200,000. No cap.

TaxSocial Security($11,439)

6.2% on the first $184,500 only.

TaxMissouri state tax (where you live)($281,438)

Your home state taxes all of your pay, minus a credit for tax you paid other states.

TaxCity tax at home games (St. Louis)($60,000)

A local wage tax on pay earned at your home venue.

TaxJock tax (road games)($319,797)

About 40% of your duty days are on the road. Road states and cities with an income tax each take a cut. Estimated across 21 taxing places your league visits.

FeeAgent (4%)($400,000)

Taken from the gross, before taxes. For team salary it is not deductible on your federal return.

FeeManagers and advisors (1%)($100,000)

Business manager, financial advisor, and similar percentage fees.

FeeCPA and lawyer($25,000)

Multi-state returns, contract review, estate documents.

What you actually keep

$4,969,471

You keep

50%

St. Louis Cardinals pay questions

Do St. Louis Cardinals players pay state income tax?+

Yes. Missouri taxes the pay earned on duty days in the state, even for players who live somewhere else. The top rate is 4.70%. There is also a local income tax at the venue.

How much does a MLB minimum salary player on the St. Louis Cardinals take home?+

On the MLB minimum of $780,000, a single player living in Missouri keeps about $404,201 after taxes and a 4% agent fee, or about 52%.

How does the St. Louis Cardinals rank for take-home pay?+

At $10,000,000 a season, the St. Louis Cardinals rank 16 of 30 MLB teams for what a player keeps, assuming he or she lives in the team's state. The top team on that list is the Houston Astros.

KeepMyCheck is not affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals, the MLB, or its players association. Team names only describe where games are played.