NRL players salary and the Australian full-time average
NRL player salaries are among the highest in Australian professional sport, but they vary widely depending on experience, position, and club. The national full-time average, as measured by the ABS Average Weekly Earnings (May 2026), is $2,083.70 per week or $108,352 per year. This page looks at how NRL pay sits against that benchmark.
Minimum NRL player salary
Under the 2023–2027 collective bargaining agreement between the NRL and the Rugby League Players’ Association, the minimum fee for a player in a club’s top 30 squad increases by $5,000 each year. In 2026, that minimum is $140,000. Players on the supplementary list (formerly the development list) earn a minimum of $80,000 per year. These figures are set by the NRL and are not tied to the national minimum wage or award rates.
Even the lowest top-30 salary is well above the Australian full-time average. The $140,000 minimum is about 29% higher than the $108,352 average. It also sits far above the national full-time median of $90,532 and the all-employees median of $74,100 (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025).
The NRL salary cap
Each NRL club operates under a salary cap that limits total spending on its 30 highest-paid players. For the 2026 season, the base salary cap is $11.55 million. Clubs can also use a $100,000 motor vehicle allowance and a $300,000 veteran and developed player allowance, bringing the total top-30 cap to $11.95 million. Clubs must spend at least 97.5% of the cap.
Dividing the base cap by 30 gives an average top-30 salary of about $385,000 per player. However, the actual distribution is uneven: star players can earn $1 million or more, while younger or less experienced players earn closer to the minimum. The NRL does not publish an official average player salary, so the cap-based average is an estimate.
What players can earn outside the cap
Players can earn unlimited amounts from corporate sponsors who are not associated with their club and who do not use the game’s intellectual property (such as club logos or jerseys). These deals must be pre-approved by the club and the NRL, and they cannot be negotiated by the club as an incentive to sign a contract. This means top players can significantly boost their income beyond the salary cap figures.
How NRL salaries compare by state
NRL clubs are based in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, and New Zealand. The full-time average earnings vary by state, according to the ABS:
- New South Wales: $109,658
- Queensland: $106,064
- Victoria: $106,137
- Australian Capital Territory: $119,090
Even the minimum NRL salary of $140,000 exceeds the average in every Australian state and territory. For example, a player on the minimum in New South Wales earns about 28% more than the state’s full-time average.
NRLW and gender pay
The 2023–2027 CBA also covers NRLW players. The NRLW salary cap and minimum wages have increased significantly in recent years, but they remain lower than the men’s competition. The national full-time average for women is about $100,594 per year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). The NRLW minimum is not directly comparable because many NRLW players are not employed full-time in rugby league, but the gap highlights broader gender pay differences in Australian sport.
Putting it on the line
If you want to see how any salary compares to the national full-time average, you can place a salary on the line. The tool uses the ABS Average Weekly Earnings figure of $2,083.70 per week and shows the distance from the average in percentage terms. You can also explore states and territories to see how averages differ across Australia.
Other benchmarks
For context, the national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week on a 38-hour week, which works out to about $52,255 per year. Award minimums rose by 4.75% from that date. Even the supplementary list minimum of $80,000 is well above the minimum wage and the all-employees median.
The full-time median earnings are $90,532 per year, meaning half of all full-time workers earn less than that. The NRL minimum is about 55% above that median.
Summary
NRL player salaries, even at the minimum level, sit well above the Australian full-time average. The salary cap ensures a high floor for top-30 players, while star players can earn multiples of the average through club contracts and external sponsorships. The exact average NRL salary is not published, but the cap structure suggests it is around $385,000, which is more than three times the national full-time average.