How Much Do Netball Players Get Paid? The Surprising Truth Exposed!

Most netball players in the UK earn far less than you might expect. The average Netball Super League (NSL) player took home just £7,500 per season in 2024, according to The Telegraph. That figure was set to rise significantly for the 2025 relaunch, but it still puts professional netball well behind most other team sports.

What Do NSL Players Actually Earn?

The £7,500 average per season is the headline number, and it is sobering. That works out at roughly £625 a month across a 12-month year, which sits below the 2026 National Living Wage for full-time work. Most NSL players hold jobs or coaching roles alongside their playing contracts precisely because the salary alone does not cover the bills.

The NSL salary cap structure covers a squad of 10 players plus two additional members, per The Telegraph's May 2024 reporting. Clubs cannot simply pay their star players unlimited wages. The cap applies across the whole squad, which compresses the top end as well as the bottom.

Is Pay Getting Better After the 2025 Relaunch?

Yes, meaningfully so, though "better" is relative. For the 2025 NSL relaunch, average player salaries were planned to increase by 60 per cent on the 2024 season, according to SportsPro. The minimum player payment was set to more than double as part of the same reforms. If those targets held, the average would move from £7,500 towards roughly £12,000 per season. Still a part-time income by most standards.

The relaunch also brought new commercial partners and club affiliations. Nottingham Forest's involvement, reported by The Telegraph, signals that football clubs see value in the netball audience, which could accelerate sponsorship revenue and, eventually, player wages.

What About England Netball Staff Salaries?

England Netball, the governing body, employs people in coaching, development and administrative roles. Glassdoor data from 2026 puts the lowest annual salary at around £26,310, for roles such as Development Officer, with an hourly floor of £13. These are employment contracts rather than playing contracts, so the comparison is not direct. Even so, it illustrates that working in netball professionally can pay a more stable wage than playing in it.

Do Elite or International Players Earn More?

England Roses players who hold central contracts with England Netball receive additional funding on top of any club salary, though the governing body does not publish exact figures. Anecdotally, the top tier of English netball earns somewhere between £20,000 and £40,000 a year when you combine club and national contracts, but this applies to a very small number of players. The suggestion of £100,000-a-year salaries that circulates online has no credible sourcing and should be treated with scepticism.

Players in Australia's Super Netball competition and New Zealand's domestic league tend to earn more than their English counterparts, which is why several England internationals have taken overseas contracts at various points in their careers.

Why Is Netball Pay So Low Compared to Other Sports?

Broadcast revenue is the short answer. The Premier League distributed over £2.5 billion to clubs in the 2024-25 season. The NSL's broadcast and sponsorship deals operate on a completely different scale. Without large TV rights income, clubs rely on ticket sales, local sponsorship and governing body grants, none of which generate the kind of money needed to pay players a living wage from sport alone.

Women's sport more broadly has seen wage growth since 2020, particularly in football and cricket. Netball has not attracted the same level of broadcaster interest in the UK, though that may change if the 2025 relaunch builds consistent audiences.

Should You Pursue Netball Professionally?

Realistically, playing in the NSL works best as a serious part-time commitment rather than a sole income source, at least in 2026. The pay improvements coming through the relaunch are genuine progress, and the sport's profile is growing. Players who combine an NSL contract with coaching, personal training or school sports roles can piece together a sustainable income. For the very top of the England squad, a full-time living from netball is possible. For everyone else, the passion for the game has to carry a fair amount of the weight.

Tags: netball-super-leaguesports-salariesuk-athletesliving-wageprofessional-sports