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

MLS | Harrison, NJ

What a New York Red Bulls contract really pays

Real 2026 take-home numbers for New York Red Bulls players, from the MLS minimum up. Federal tax, New Jersey tax, the jock tax, and the agent, all in.

At a glance

Home games taxed by
New Jersey
Top rate there
10.75%
Rank for take-home
20 of 30
MLS agent cap
No union cap
Road duty days (est.)
15%
Taxing places visited
21

Take-home by salary

SalaryTaxesFeesKeeps
$113,400min$30,598$13,670$69,132 (61%)
$300,000$103,440$23,000$173,560 (58%)
$1,000,000$431,947$58,000$510,053 (51%)
$5,000,000$2,450,819$258,000$2,291,181 (46%)

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

Statement of earnings

$1M with the New York Red Bulls

One season. Lives in New Jersey. Single.

Keeps 51%
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.

TaxNew Jersey state tax (where you live)($68,856)

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

TaxJock tax (road games)($14,917)

About 15% 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%)($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

$510,053

You keep

51%

New York Red Bulls pay questions

Do New York Red Bulls players pay state income tax?+

Yes. New Jersey taxes the pay earned on duty days in the state, even for players who live somewhere else. The top rate is 10.75%.

How much does a MLS minimum salary player on the New York Red Bulls take home?+

On the MLS minimum of $113,400, a single player living in New Jersey keeps about $69,132 after taxes and a 4% agent fee, or about 61%.

How does the New York Red Bulls rank for take-home pay?+

At $1,000,000 a season, the New York Red Bulls rank 20 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 New York Red Bulls, the MLS, or its players association. Team names only describe where games are played.