How long does it take ‘Average Joe’ to earn a Premiership footballer’s weekly wage?

In recent years, the staggering incomes of elite footballers have become a topic of widespread discussion, as salaries in football have surged by over 200% since 2000.¹ 

By 2019, the average annual salary for a Premier League player had soared to over £3 million, a stark comparison to the average Briton’s yearly earnings of £35,000 as of 2023.2,3

With this in mind, Ticketgum were keen to identify the highest earning Premier League players and uncover the length of time it would take for a person with the same name in the working world to earn their footballing namesake’s weekly wage. To accomplish this, Ticketgum utilised Adzuna’s ‘Value my Name’ tool which analysed over 500,000 CV’s to reveal the average salary for 1,200 first names.

The results: How long does it take to match a Premier League player’s weekly salary?

Ticketgum can reveal that the average Premier League player on the list earns an impressive £297,500 per week, while the typical individual brings in an average of £717 weekly. This stark comparison highlights the substantial gap in income, with Premier League players enjoying a staggering 415 times more weekly earnings than the average person, taking the average person 7 years, 11 months, 2 weeks and 6 days to match it.

Individuals with the name Reece find themselves earning the least in the workplace, drawing an average weekly income of £478. This sum starkly contrasts with the substantial earnings of Chelsea’s defender Reece James, who boasts a weekly wage of £250,000, with the footballer’s income surpassing that of the average Reece by a staggering 523 times. An individual named Reece would be required to work for 10 years, 1 week, and 4 days to make up Reece James weekly salary.

Egyptian football sensation Mohamed Salah, who plays as a forward for Liverpool, brings home a weekly paycheck of £350,000 – which tops the earnings of a regular Mohamed by a whopping 490 times. It would take the ordinary Mohamed 9 years, 4 months, 3 weeks, and 4 days to match Salah’s weekly income. 

Ranking third on the list are individuals named Jack, whose average weekly earnings stand at £620. However, to match the weekly salary of midfielder Jack Grealish, who commands an impressive £300,000 weekly income from Man City – they would need to dedicate themselves to working for 9 years, 3 months, 1 week, and 6 days. 

Renowned for his expertise on the field, Man City’s midfielder Kevin De Bruyne commands the highest weekly wage among the footballers on the list. This means the average Kevin would need to invest 9 years, 3 months, and 6 days of hard work to match the impressive £400,000 earned weekly by the accomplished player.

Those with the name Marcus boast the highest weekly income of £856. However, this figure pales in comparison to the weekly income of Man United’s forward Marcus Rashford, whose weekly wage is £300,000. For Marcus’ out there, bridging this gap requires 6 years, 8 months, 2 weeks, and 6 days of work to match Rashford’s weekly salary. 

Those called Anthony earn on average £789 per week, and would have to work the shortest duration of  6 years, 4 weeks and 1 days to match the salary of Man United player, Anthony Martial. Martial earns £250,000 per week, 317 times more than the average Anthony.

A spokesperson from TicketGum.com commented: 

“Over the years, the disparity between the earnings of footballers and that of average, working people has only widened. This research has precisely highlighted the amount of time regular Joes would take to earn their footballing namesake’s weekly wage. 

There’s always discussions going on about how the wages earned by top-tier footballers not only reflect the immense financial value placed on entertainment and sports but also underscore the stark inequalities of our economic system. The findings demonstrate that most individuals would need to work excess of six to ten years just to make the one-week wage of Premier League’s most prolific players – which is truly astounding.”