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 | Chester, PA

What a Philadelphia Union contract really pays

Real 2026 take-home numbers for Philadelphia Union players, from the MLS minimum up. Federal tax, Pennsylvania tax, the jock tax, and the agent, all in.

At a glance

Home games taxed by
Pennsylvania
Top rate there
3.07%
Rank for take-home
8 of 30
MLS agent cap
No union cap
Road duty days (est.)
15%
Taxing places visited
20

Note: Subaru Park is in Chester, not Philadelphia, so the Philadelphia wage tax does not apply

Take-home by salary

SalaryTaxesFeesKeeps
$113,400min$29,041$13,670$70,689 (62%)
$300,000$95,763$23,000$181,237 (60%)
$1,000,000$388,909$58,000$553,091 (55%)
$5,000,000$2,107,569$258,000$2,634,431 (53%)

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

Statement of earnings

$1M with the Philadelphia Union

One season. Lives in Pennsylvania. Single.

Keeps 55%
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.

TaxPennsylvania state tax (where you live)($26,095)

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

TaxJock tax (road games)($14,640)

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

$553,091

You keep

55%

Philadelphia Union pay questions

Do Philadelphia Union players pay state income tax?+

Yes. Pennsylvania taxes the pay earned on duty days in the state, even for players who live somewhere else. The top rate is 3.07%.

How much does a MLS minimum salary player on the Philadelphia Union take home?+

On the MLS minimum of $113,400, a single player living in Pennsylvania keeps about $70,689 after taxes and a 4% agent fee, or about 62%.

How does the Philadelphia Union rank for take-home pay?+

At $1,000,000 a season, the Philadelphia Union rank 8 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 Philadelphia Union, the MLS, or its players association. Team names only describe where games are played.