The top wage earners for each of the 24 EFL Championship clubs, sorted from lowest to highest

In the Championship, the wage race is just as crucial as any other element affecting competition.

Because clubs are continually vying for the same players, the team with the best wage package has the best chance of winning.

Although other factors may influence some players, it is undeniable that each team’s ability to pay wages has a significant impact on their ability to compete at the lower end of the league.

Here, we rank each club’s top earners from lowest to highest using approximated data from Capology.

24Multiple (Preston North End)

Preston North End’s top earner is the lowest paid in the Championship, with numerous players earning the same amount.

Ali McCann is one of six Lancashire players who earn £15,000 a week, alongside Michael Smith, Ben Whiteman, Daniel Iversen, Thierry Small, and Liam Lindsay.

23Matt Phillips (Oxford United)

Matt Phillips is Oxford United’s only top earner, and the club performed admirably financially by remaining in the Championship last season.

The Scot joined the U’s when they were promoted in 2024, signing a £17,500-a-week contract that put him ahead of Cameron Brannagan’s £15,000 per week.

22John Swift (Portsmouth)

Portsmouth was also promoted in 2024, winning the League One Championship in the process.

However, John Swift did not sign at Fratton Park until last summer, when the forward agreed to a deal worth £20,000 per week, making him the club’s top earner.

21Thomas Kaminski (Charlton Athletic)

Meanwhile, Charlton secured promotion in 2025 via the play-offs under Nathan Jones.

Thomas Kaminski was signed to a £20,000-per-week contract as part of their summer preparations for life back in the second division, making him the London club’s highest earning.

20Luke McNally (Bristol City)

Luke McNally is the highest-paid Bristol City player, earning £20,000 a week.

The centre-back was a major member of the side after joining from Burnley last year, and he helped the club reach the play-offs under Liam Manning.

19Barry Bannan (Sheffield Wednesday)

Sheffield Wednesday’s financial problems are widely reported, and many high-paid employees have left in recent months.

But Barry Bannan has stayed, and he was rewarded with a £25,000-per-week deal as part of his choice to remain at Hillsborough.

18Carlton Morris (Derby County)

Carlton Morris joined Derby County last summer after the Rams had a great debut season back in the Championship.

With his move at Pride Park, the forward became the club’s highest-paid player, earning £25,000 per week.

17Luke Woolfenden (Coventry City)

After losing in the play-off semi-finals to Sunderland last season, Coventry City is back in the running for promotion to the Premier League this year.

While their summer was quieter than most, they made Luke Woolfenden their top earner by signing him from Ipswich Town for £25,000 per week.

16Cameron Burgess & Adam Idah (Swansea City)

Swansea City’s two summer additions, Cameron Burgess and Adam Idah, have become the club’s joint highest earners.

The couple earns £25,000 per week, with Lawrence Vigouroux coming in second at £15,000 per week.

15Luke Ayling (Middlesbrough)

Middlesbrough will also be striving for promotion this season under Rob Edwards.

The Teesside club will be hoping to benefit from Luke Ayling’s experience, as the defender is their highest earner at £30,000 per week.

14Kieffer Moore (Wrexham)

Wrexham spent substantially in the summer after getting promoted from League One, with Kieffer Moore being one of the notable signings.

The Red Dragons agreed to pay the Welshman £30,000 a week to make him their top earner.

13Steve Cook (QPR)

Steve Cook is one of the most experienced figures at QPR, earning him the title of top earner at a weekly salary of £30,000 for the London club.

12Todd Cantwell (Blackburn Rovers)

Todd Cantwell’s weekly pay of £30,000 is more than double that of Sean McLoughlin, Blackburn Rovers’ second highest earner at £15,000.

11Joe Bryan (Millwall)

Joe Bryan is now in his third season with Millwall and is an essential member of the squad under Alex Neil.

The defender has earned the title of highest earner at the Den, earning £32,500 a week.

10Dara O’Shea (Ipswich Town)

Dara O’Shea joined Ipswich Town after their promotion to the Premier League in 2024, and he has remained despite their relegation back to the Championship.

By staying at Portman Road, he has become the club’s highest-paid player, with a weekly salary of £35,000.

9Ben Gibson (Stoke City)

Ben Gibson is now in his second season with Stoke City, however his playing time has been limited under Mark Robins since his arrival as manager.

Despite this, he remains the Potters’ highest earning at £35,000 per week, with his contract not slated to expire until 2027.

8Kyogo Furuhashi (Birmingham City)

Kyogo Furuhashi stood out as possibly the biggest name addition to the Birmingham City squad last season, so it’s no surprise his £35,000 per week salary is the highest at the club.

7Shane Duffy (Norwich City)

Norwich City will be trying to improve on their disappointing 13th-place finish last season, but Shane Duffy is unlikely to play much of a role given his limited playing time.

However, with a weekly salary of £35,000, he is currently the highest earner at Carrow Road.

6Ryan Giles (Hull City)

Ryan Giles is Hull City’s highest paid player, earning £35,000 per week, ahead of Brandon Williams (£30,000) and summer acquisition Oli McBurnie (£25,000).

5Japhet Tanganga (Sheffield United)

Sheffield United reportedly paid £7 to 8 million to sign Japhet Tanganga from Millwall this summer.

As part of the deal, he will become the Blades’ highest-paid player, earning £35,000 per week.

4Nat Phillips (West Brom)

Nat Phillips joined West Brom in the summer to be a part of Ryan Mason’s new project, with a £40,000 per week contract enticing him to make the switch.

3Moussa Sissoko (Watford)

Moussa Sissoko returned to Watford in the 2024 summer transfer window, having previously played at Vicarage Road in the 2021/22 season.

As part of his comeback, the midfielder agreed to a £45,000-per-week deal.

2Joe Aribo (Southampton)

2Joe Aribo (Southampton)

Joe Aribo is currently Southampton’s highest-paid player after Aaron Ramsdale’s departure, earning £70,000 a week.

1Harry Winks (Leicester City)

Harry Winks is the highest-paid player in the Championship, following Leicester City’s relegation from the Premier League last season.

The midfielder earns £90,000 per week, significantly higher than the second name on the list. Martí Cifuentes’ team is looking for promotion back to the top flight this season.