WSL2 Minimum Salaries Below National Living Wage for Younger Players
Players aged under 23 in Women's Super League 2 are not guaranteed to receive pay equivalent to the national living wage for a typical full-time worker annually, despite significant pay increases for the division's lowest-paid players following the introduction of minimum salaries this season.
Minimum Salary Structure and National Wage Comparisons
WSL2 clubs are now required to pay players aged 21 and 22 a minimum of £22,200 annually, while those aged 18 to 20 must receive at least £17,500. Regulations stipulate these players must have a minimum "contact time" of 20 hours per week, excluding matchdays and mealtimes. For players aged 23 and over, the minimum salary rises to £26,900.
Under current UK legislation, any employee aged 21 or over must be paid at least £12.21 per hour, which translates to £23,810 annually based on a standard 37.5-hour working week. An 18-year-old on the national minimum wage of £10 per hour should receive £19,500 for the same hours. The real living wage of £13.45 per hour equates to £26,227 annually, with London's figure standing at £14.80 per hour.
League Commitment and Player Welfare Focus
Holly Murdoch, Chief Operating Officer of WSL Football, emphasised the league's commitment to player welfare when announcing the minimum salaries in September: "We wanted to make sure that they could focus on being a footballer, not focus on a part-time job."
These new minimums represent a substantial improvement from previous seasons, where reports indicated some clubs like Blackburn were paying players as little as £9,000 annually. Blackburn subsequently withdrew from the second tier before this season, citing "unsustainable demands placed on second-tier clubs."
Salary Cap Regulations and Enforcement
The WSL has implemented comprehensive salary-cap rules for the current season. Clubs must ensure their player wage bill does not exceed the combination of 80% of club revenue plus either £4 million or an additional 25% of revenue, whichever figure proves higher. This structure allows cash-rich WSL2 owners to invest up to £4 million in player wages without breaching the cap.
For most clubs, £4 million substantially exceeds 25% of their revenue. Deloitte analysis reveals only Arsenal (£22.2 million) and Chelsea (£22 million) among WSL clubs achieved revenue exceeding £16 million in the 2024-25 season, with Manchester City following at £11.2 million.
Clubs found breaching salary caps face significant penalties, including potential points deductions. In the top flight, teams risk losing one point for every £100,000 of overspending, with deductions of 10 points or more for overspends exceeding £900,000. WSL2 clubs face one-point deductions for every £50,000 of overspending.
Financial Performance and League Development
The company operating both WSL and WSL2 recently published its first accounts since becoming independent from the Football Association. The figures reveal an operating loss of £8.2 million between 24 April 2024 and 31 July 2025, largely attributed to costs associated with establishing the new business entity. This performance aligns with the company's business plan, with accounts showing a cash balance of £10.7 million.
Revenue reached £17.4 million and has increased substantially this season, with commercial revenue reportedly tripling since the separation from the FA. The company has drawn £6.1 million from a £20 million Premier League loan, with repayments scheduled to begin in the 2030-31 season. An additional £4.4 million has been drawn this season, with interest set at 2% above the Barclays Bank base rate at drawdown.
Executive Compensation and Future Outlook
The highest-paid director, believed to be Chief Executive Nikki Doucet, received £531,000 including pension contributions. Combined compensation for directors and senior management totalled £1.37 million.
A WSL spokesperson commented on the salary structure: "This initial floor establishes a baseline and it's a foundation we are fully committed to building upon. There was no salary floor for players up until this season, and minimum salaries have been implemented as the result of an 18-month consultative process involving key stakeholders."
Despite the minimum salaries falling below national living wage equivalents, sources indicate many WSL2 clubs are comfortably exceeding these minimum requirements, with the majority of players aged 18 to 20 receiving at least 15% above the floor level. The Professional Footballers' Association collaborated on developing these standards, which represent significant progress from previous seasons when many lower-paid players relied on secondary employment.
