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 | Seattle, WA

What a Seattle Sounders FC contract really pays

Real 2026 take-home numbers for Seattle Sounders FC players, from the MLS minimum up. Federal tax, Washington tax, the jock tax, and the agent, all in.

At a glance

Home games taxed by
No state wage tax
Top rate there
0%
Rank for take-home
7 of 30
MLS agent cap
No union cap
Road duty days (est.)
15%
Taxing places visited
23

Take-home by salary

SalaryTaxesFeesKeeps
$113,400min$26,058$13,670$73,672 (65%)
$300,000$88,147$23,000$188,853 (63%)
$1,000,000$363,635$58,000$578,365 (58%)
$5,000,000$1,981,913$258,000$2,760,087 (55%)

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

Statement of earnings

$1M with the Seattle Sounders FC

One season. Lives in Washington. Single.

Keeps 58%
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.

TaxJock tax (road games)($15,461)

About 15% of your duty days are on the road. Road states and cities with an income tax each take a cut. Estimated across 23 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

$578,365

You keep

58%

Seattle Sounders FC pay questions

Do Seattle Sounders FC players pay state income tax?+

No. Washington has no state income tax on wages, so home games are state-tax free. Players still pay federal tax, and they pay other states (and some cities) on road games through the jock tax.

How much does a MLS minimum salary player on the Seattle Sounders FC take home?+

On the MLS minimum of $113,400, a single player living in Washington keeps about $73,672 after taxes and a 4% agent fee, or about 65%.

How does the Seattle Sounders FC rank for take-home pay?+

At $1,000,000 a season, the Seattle Sounders FC rank 7 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 Seattle Sounders FC, the MLS, or its players association. Team names only describe where games are played.