MLS | Commerce City, CO
What a Colorado Rapids contract really pays
Real 2026 take-home numbers for Colorado Rapids players, from the MLS minimum up. Federal tax, Colorado tax, the jock tax, and the agent, all in.
At a glance
- Home games taxed by
- Colorado
- Top rate there
- 4.40%
- Rank for take-home
- 10 of 30
- MLS agent cap
- No union cap
- Road duty days (est.)
- 15%
- Taxing places visited
- 22
Take-home by salary
| Salary | Taxes | Fees | Keeps |
|---|---|---|---|
| $113,400min | $29,848 | $13,670 | $69,882 (62%) |
| $300,000 | $99,020 | $23,000 | $177,980 (59%) |
| $1,000,000 | $400,800 | $58,000 | $541,200 (54%) |
| $5,000,000 | $2,167,176 | $258,000 | $2,574,824 (51%) |
Single, living in Colorado, max agent fee, 1% advisor fee, and $8K a year for a CPA and lawyer. Estimates for education.
Statement of earnings
$1M with the Colorado Rapids
One season. Lives in Colorado. Single.
Top federal rate is 37% on taxable income over $640,600. Reduced by a credit for tax paid to Canada.
1.45% on every dollar, plus 0.9% on pay over $200,000. No cap.
6.2% on the first $184,500 only.
Your home state taxes all of your pay, minus a credit for tax you paid other states.
About 15% of your duty days are on the road. Road states and cities with an income tax each take a cut. Estimated across 22 taxing places your league visits.
Taken from the gross, before taxes. For team salary it is not deductible on your federal return.
Business manager, financial advisor, and similar percentage fees.
Multi-state returns, contract review, estate documents.
What you actually keep
$541,200
You keep
54%
Colorado Rapids pay questions
Do Colorado Rapids players pay state income tax?+
Yes. Colorado taxes the pay earned on duty days in the state, even for players who live somewhere else. The top rate is 4.40%.
How much does a MLS minimum salary player on the Colorado Rapids take home?+
On the MLS minimum of $113,400, a single player living in Colorado keeps about $69,882 after taxes and a 4% agent fee, or about 62%.
How does the Colorado Rapids rank for take-home pay?+
At $1,000,000 a season, the Colorado Rapids rank 10 of 30 MLS teams for what a player keeps, assuming he or she lives in the team's state. The top team on that list is the Austin FC.
KeepMyCheck is not affiliated with the Colorado Rapids, the MLS, or its players association. Team names only describe where games are played.