How much do NFL players make after taxes? To provide an accurate snapshot of NFL players salaries, we must calculate their take-home pay after taxes are deducted from their pay.
While deals like Patrick Mahomes’ $450 million extension dominate the headlines, there are more players in the league earning roughly $1 million per year. That’s a spectacular payday, but NFL player salaries after taxes are eye-opening when the numbers are dissected.
Here’s a quick overview of the top team (Las Vegas Raiders) and the bottom team (LA Rams), plus selected popular franchises.
Want to learn how much $1 million is worth on every NFL team? Continue reading to find out a full breakdown of player salaries by franchise after the tax man is paid!
NFL Salaries After Taxes – Full Breakdown for All Teams
*NFL Player Pay Estimates Based on $1,000,000 salary for the 2024-25 NFL Regular Season
| TEAM | FEDERAL INCOME TAX | STATE INCOME TAX | FICA | LOCAL MUNICIPAL TAX | JOCK TAX | TAKE-HOME PAY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas Raiders | $325,208 | $0 | $31,362 | $0 | $4,223.80 | $639,206.20 |
| Houston Texans | $325,208 | $0 | $31,362 | $0 | $4,353.16 | $639,076.84 |
| Miami Dolphins | $325,208 | $0 | $31,632 | $0 | $4,287.50 | $638,872.50 |
| Seattle Seahawks | $325,208 | $0 | $31,632 | $0 | $4834.92 | $638,595.08 |
| Tennessee Titans | $325,208 | $0 | $31,632 | $0 | $4,635.40 | $638,524.60 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | $325,208 | $0 | $31,632 | $0 | $4,678.52 | $638,481.48 |
| Dallas Cowboys | $325,208 | $0 | $31,632 | $0 | $5,459.40 | $637,700.60 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | $325,208 | $0 | $31,632 | $0 | $6,540.52 | $636,619.48 |
| Arizona Cardinals | $325,208 | $24,654 | $31,632 | $0 | $5,855.50 | $612,650.50 |
| New Orleans Saints | $325,208 | $27,864 | $31,632 | $0 | $4,595.22 | $610,700.78 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | $325,208 | $30,700 | $31,632 | $10,000 | $3,876.74 | $598,583.26 |
| Denver Broncos | $325,208 | $43,391 | $31,632 | $0 | $3,997.90 | $595,771.10 |
| Indianapolis Colts | $325,208 | $31,469 | $31,632 | $16,184 | $4,704.00 | $590,803.00 |
| Carolina Panthers | $325,208 | $46,842 | $31,632 | $0 | $7,187.14 | $589,130.86 |
| Chicago Bears | $325,208 | $49,380 | $31,632 | $0 | $9,452.10 | $584,327.90 |
| Cleveland Browns | $325,208 | $35,758 | $31,632 | $20,000 | $3,103.48 | $584,298.52 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | $325,208 | $35,758 | $31,632 | $21,909 | $4,171.86 | $581,591.14 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | $325,208 | $48,384 | $31,632 | $10,000 | $5,738.88 | $579,037.12 |
| Detroit Lions | $325,208 | $40,281 | $31,632 | $23,986 | $4,057.20 | $574,835.80 |
| Buffalo Bills | $325,208 | $65,553 | $31,632 | $0 | $4,135.60 | $573,471.40 |
| Green Bay Packers | $325,208 | $68,300 | $31,632 | $0 | $3,675.00 | $571,185.00 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | $325,208 | $30,700 | $31,362 | $39,420 | $6,036.30 | $567,273.30 |
| New York Giants | $325,208 | $74,482 | $31,632 | $0 | $6,669.99 | $562,008.01 |
| New York Jets | $325,208 | $74,482 | $31,632 | $0 | $8,282.96 | $560,395.04 |
| Atlanta Falcons | $325,208 | $56,862 | $31,632 | $0 | $3,669.92 | $555,628.08 |
| Baltimore Ravens | $325,208 | $55,770 | $31,632 | $31,936 | $3,385.90 | $552,068.10 |
| Washington Commanders | $325,208 | $90,175 | $31,632 | $0 | $2,832.02 | $550,152.98 |
| New England Patriots | $325,208 | $90,560 | $31,632 | $0 | $8,741.60 | $543,858.40 |
| Minnesota Vikings | $325,208 | $91,998 | $31,632 | $0 | $8,418.20 | $542,743.80 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | $325,208 | $115,359 | $31,632 | $0 | $2,745.96 | $525,055.04 |
| San Francisco 49ers | $325,208 | $115,359 | $31,632 | $0 | $3,028.20 | $524,772.80 |
| Los Angeles Rams | $325,208 | $115,359 | $31,632 | $0 | $3,106.60 | $524,694.40 |
The most prominent trend among football salaries after taxes is that players who play in states with no state income tax take home the most money. There are five tax-free states with teams in the NFL: Nevada, Florida, Texas, Washington, and Tennessee.
Also, notice that some cities have local taxes that must be paid to the city. For instance, despite playing in the same state of Pennsylvania, Eagles players owe more in local municipality tax than the Steelers if their primary residence is in the city limits.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, California has the highest state income tax for high earners in the country. Consequently, players on the Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, and San Francisco 49ers always rank near or at the bottom of the league in NFL salaries after taxes.
Then, there is the dreaded jock tax, which we will touch on in more detail in the next section. Let’s discuss our methodology for this one.
How NFL Player Salaries After Taxes Are Calculated
Aside from the states mentioned above, every player in the NFL owes federal and state income tax. The effective federal and state tax rate from the 2023-24 tax season was used for our calculations.
With an effective tax rate of 32.52%, players owe $325,208 in federal taxes to the U.S. government — easily the most significant tax obligation. The state income tax, which each state’s government sets, is also considered.
Following federal and state income taxes, local municipal taxes and the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) must be included. The FICA tax is deducted from each paycheck — which includes payments toward Social Security and Medicare.
In review, to discover an NFL paycheck after taxes, include these figures and SUBTRACT them from the player’s gross pay:
- Federal Income Taxes
- State Income Taxes
- FICA
- Local Municipal Tax
- Jock Tax
Note that this does not take into consideration any personal tax deductions players may have. Moreover, the vast majority of NFL players have an agent, which includes a 2%-3% surcharge on their contract.
For the purposes of our study, we stuck to what’s owed to the government.
What Is the Jock Tax?
The jock tax is important for calculating players’ total tax obligation to the government. Simply put, the jock tax applies to road games played in a different state. First enforced by Illinois in response to California taxing Michael Jordan, the jock tax, known as “Michael Jordan’s revenge”, is effective in the majority of states.
Players are required to pay state income tax for “working duty” days. “Working duty” days include games, practices, meetings, and general team activities. States with no state income tax, such as Florida, Nevada, Texas, Tennessee, and Washington are excluded from the jock tax. Conversely, games in the UK and Germany have the largest jock tax — levied at the full rate of 45%.
The jock tax formula is outlined below:
- Divide the number of games played in the state by the total number of working days overall for the season (While NFL teams do not disclose working days, we can assume roughly 102 for a 17-game schedule — six days a week over 17 weeks).
1/102 = 0.0098 (0.98%)
- Take 0.98% of the player’s salary ($1,000,000) and multiply it by the state’s income tax rate.
Example: 9,800 x 0.133 (13.3% California 2023-24 tax season rate)
= $1303.40 jock tax bill.
When you’re questioning how much footballers get paid after tax, it’s imperative to include the jock tax! It makes a small difference compared to other taxes, but we want to be as precise as possible.
Top 5 Highest Value Teams for NFL Salaries
Let’s dive into the top 5 football salaries after tax in the NFL this season! Unsurprisingly, teams who play for a team with no state income tax earn the most net pay. You also need to consider the jock tax’s impact — which will vary from season to season — depending on the schedule.
1. Las Vegas Raiders ($639,206.20)
The Las Vegas Raiders knew what he was doing when they moved the team from California to Nevada. The organization went from having one of the highest tax obligations to the lowest in the NFL.
Although fans in Oakland didn’t appreciate the move, players on the Raiders certainly like having a smaller tax bill. Compared to the sky-high state income tax rates in California, Raiders’ players are not required to pay it to Nevada.
In 2024-25, the Raiders do not play overseas and have two games in Florida to help soften their tax liability and lead the NFL in take-home pay!
2. Houston Texans ($639,076.84)
The Houston Texans are winning on the football field and so are their bank accounts. Following a breakout season for the Texans, C.J. Stroud’s team is among the top favorites to win Super Bowl LIX.
Additionally, the Texans have the second-highest NFL paycheck after taxes. In addition to not paying taxes in Texas, trips to Dallas, Jacksonville, and Tennessee nullify any jock tax owed. Reasonable income tax rates in Pittsburgh and Indianapolis are welcome, as well.
3. Miami Dolphins ($638,872.50)
There are several benefits to playing for the Miami Dolphins. Not only is the weather ideal with access to beautiful beaches and nightlife, but Florida does also not have a state income tax. No wonder the Dolphins have a good team and will compete for the AFC East title in 2024-25.
With the third-highest salary in the NFL after taxes, it’s easy to see why Tyreek Hill was eager to re-sign in Miami. Hill recently restructured his contract to earn $90M guaranteed and $65M over the next three years.
The team has high jock tax bills on trips to Buffalo, NY, and California, but otherwise, avoids significant deductions.
4. Seattle Seahawks ($638,595.08)
Barely edging out the Buccaneers and Titans in the highest NFL paycheck after taxes standings are the Seattle Seahawks. Like the other teams in the top 5, the State of Washington does not charge state income tax to help lessen the burden.
Seattle has three large jock tax bills over $1,000, with business trips to California twice and New Jersey once. However, the Titans and Buccaneers owe just a touch more than the Seahawks for the 2024-25 season.
5. Tennessee Titans ($638,524.60)
While Florida, Nevada, and Texas are regularly discussed as tax-free states, Tennessee doesn’t have state income tax, either. This helps give players on the Tennessee Titans a nice reprieve from paying taxes to the state.
However, big jock tax bills in D.C., California, and New York prevent them from edging ahead of the other tax-free states this year.
Bottom 5 Lowest Value Teams for NFL Salaries
While players in states with no income tax enjoy the highest take-home pay in the NFL, the opposite is naturally true in states with high rates.
California has the highest income tax rates for top earners in the country. This equates to all three teams in the Golden State being in the top 3 of lowest-value salaries.
1. Los Angeles Rams ($524,694.40)
Professional athletes undoubtedly like the LA lifestyle, but it comes at a huge cost. The difference between the highest earners and lowest earners making $1,000,000 in the NFL is over a $100,000 difference!
If you factor in agent fees, it’s even more staggering for players in California. Roughly half of their paycheck is cut in half due to taxes and fees.
As well as California taxes, the Los Angeles Rams travel to East Rutherford to pay the hefty New Jersey jock tax.
2. San Francisco 49ers ($524,772.80)
Unsurprisingly, another California franchise ranks at the bottom of the league. 49ers team members have the second-lowest NFL player salaries after taxes.
The schedule is favorable for the most part, but a trip to Buffalo for a meeting with the Bills brings in over a $1,000 jock tax bill. The cost of living in the Bay Area isn’t particularly cheap, so that’s another hit against their bottom line.
3. Los Angeles Chargers ($525,055.04)
The Chargers, who share a stadium with the Rams in Inglewood, CA, round out the top 3 lowest tax bills in the NFL for the 2024-25 campaign.
Despite their jock tax bill being one of the lowest in the league, the $115,359 state tax bill hurts Chargers’ players significantly.
4. Minnesota Vikings ($542,743.80)
There is a fairly notable jump from the California teams to the next tier of NFL salaries after taxes. Rams’ players pay more than $15,000 in taxes compared to the Vikings. However, Minnesota is one of 10 teams that will have to pay taxes outside the country.
The Vikings play the New York Jets at Hotspur Stadium in the UK in Week 5. The tax rate for the highest earners in the UK is set at 45%, which players and personnel will have to pay for their services in London.
The biggest roadblock to putting a team in London perhaps isn’t the travel schedule, but the NFLPA’s grievances about high taxes.
5. New England Patriots ($543,858.40)
The New England Patriots close out the top 5 lowest NFL paychecks in the league after taxes are paid. They are another international game casualty, with a larger-than-normal jock tax paid to the UK.
Massachusetts residents are charged a flat fee of 5% on their income taxes. However, those who earn $1,000,000+ are charged a 4% surcharge.
Additionally, the Patriots have matchups in New Jersey, New York, and California to keep their income tax bills high.
Where Can You Find the Best NFL Value?
Although some fans believe every player in the NFL lives in a mansion and has two Lamborghinis in the garage, the reality is that expensive tax bills prevent many from living such a lavish lifestyle.
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