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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MLS | Columbus, OH

What a Columbus Crew contract really pays

Real 2026 take-home numbers for Columbus Crew players, from the MLS minimum up. Federal tax, Ohio tax, the jock tax, and the agent, all in.

At a glance

Home games taxed by
Ohio
Top rate there
2.75%
Rank for take-home
15 of 30
MLS agent cap
No union cap
Road duty days (est.)
15%
Taxing places visited
20

Take-home by salary

SalaryTaxesFeesKeeps
$113,400min$30,397$13,670$69,333 (61%)
$300,000$100,762$23,000$176,238 (59%)
$1,000,000$407,086$58,000$534,914 (53%)
$5,000,000$2,201,573$258,000$2,540,427 (51%)

Single, living in Ohio, max agent fee, 1% advisor fee, and $8K a year for a CPA and lawyer. Estimates for education.

Run your own Columbus Crew numbersCompare all MLS teams

Statement of earnings

$1M with the Columbus Crew

One season. Lives in Ohio. Single.

Keeps 53%
Gross pay$1,000,000
TaxFederal income tax($315,035)

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

TaxMedicare($21,700)

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.

TaxOhio state tax (where you live)($22,766)

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

TaxCity tax at home games (Columbus)($21,250)

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

TaxJock tax (road games)($14,896)

About 15% of your duty days are on the road. Road states and cities with an income tax each take a cut. Estimated across 20 taxing places your league visits.

FeeAgent (4%)($40,000)

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

FeeManagers and advisors (1%)($10,000)

Business manager, financial advisor, and similar percentage fees.

FeeCPA and lawyer($8,000)

Multi-state returns, contract review, estate documents.

What you actually keep

$534,914

You keep

53%

Columbus Crew pay questions

Do Columbus Crew players pay state income tax?+

Yes. Ohio taxes the pay earned on duty days in the state, even for players who live somewhere else. The top rate is 2.75%. There is also a local income tax at the venue.

How much does a MLS minimum salary player on the Columbus Crew take home?+

On the MLS minimum of $113,400, a single player living in Ohio keeps about $69,333 after taxes and a 4% agent fee, or about 61%.

How does the Columbus Crew rank for take-home pay?+

At $1,000,000 a season, the Columbus Crew rank 15 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 Columbus Crew, the MLS, or its players association. Team names only describe where games are played.