10 Highest-Paid Championship Players (2025)

Despite being the second tier of English football, the Championship is widely regarded as one of the most competitive leagues in the world. Each season, 24 teams battle it out, with the promotion race, mid-table security, and relegation fight often remaining undecided until the final weeks of the campaign.

Every club in the Championship has something to strive for, but the ultimate goal is securing one of the three coveted promotion spots to the Premier League. The league has repeatedly shown that any team can make a push for top-flight football, making it one of the most unpredictable divisions in the game.

While the Championship isn’t England’s highest level, it still boasts significant financial power. Relegated teams benefit from parachute payments, and many clubs have the resources to offer competitive wages to attract top talent. But which players are earning the most in the division?

Ranking Criteria

The salary figures in this list are sourced from Capology and focus only on permanent Championship players—loan players have not been included.

10. Brenden Aaronson

£40,000 per week

Brenden Aaronson joined Leeds United from Red Bull Salzburg in the summer of 2022 but initially struggled to adapt to the physical demands of English football. At the time of his arrival, Leeds were a Premier League club, but following their relegation, the American midfielder was loaned out to Union Berlin for the 2023/24 season in the Bundesliga.

Since returning to Elland Road in the summer of 2024, Aaronson has established himself as a key figure in Daniel Farke’s squad, helping Leeds mount another push for promotion. Though his form has dipped since the start of the calendar year, Farke remains confident that the midfielder will rediscover his best performances.

Given that Aaronson was signed while Leeds were in the Premier League, it’s no surprise that he remains one of the highest earners in the Championship, reportedly collecting a weekly wage of £40,000.

9. Angelo Ogbonna

£45,000 per week

Angelo Ogbonna, best known in England for his nine-year spell at West Ham United, has enjoyed a long and distinguished career since making his professional debut with Torino nearly two decades ago. During his time with the Hammers, he made over 200 appearances and played a key role in their UEFA Europa Conference League triumph in the 2022/23 season.

In 2024, Ogbonna left the London Stadium following the expiration of his contract and soon after signed a one-year deal with Watford. Since arriving at Vicarage Road, the veteran defender has been used sparingly under manager Tom Cleverley but remains a valuable presence in the dressing room due to his wealth of experience.

Ogbonna is reportedly earning £45,000 per week, and with limited game time this season, it remains uncertain whether the former Italian international will be offered a contract extension by the Hornets.

8. Moussa Sissoko

£45,000 per week

The second Watford player to feature on this list, Moussa Sissoko, like Angelo Ogbonna, is best known in England for his time at other clubs. The French midfielder first arrived in the Premier League in 2013, joining Newcastle United after six years with Toulouse. However, he struggled to make a significant impact during his time in the North East.

Following Newcastle’s relegation in 2016, Sissoko moved to Tottenham Hotspur, where he spent five seasons as an important first-team player. In 2021, he joined Watford but left for France the following year before making his return to Vicarage Road ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

A seasoned France international with over a decade of experience at the highest level, Sissoko has been a key figure under Tom Cleverley. His £45,000-per-week wage reflects his status as one of the Championship’s highest earners.

7. Calum Chambers

£45,000 per week

Injuries have derailed what once promised to be a stellar career for Calum Chambers, who joined Arsenal from Southampton as a highly-rated teenager in 2014. Despite spending eight years in North London, persistent fitness struggles prevented him from cementing a regular spot in the first team.

A move to Aston Villa in 2022 offered a fresh start, but Chambers again found game time hard to come by, ultimately leading to his departure in 2024. Since joining Cardiff City that summer, however, the defender has finally secured a club where he can feature regularly, earning a weekly wage of £45,000.

6. Josh Brownhill

£45,000 per week

Josh Brownhill began his career at Preston North End before making the move to Burnley from Bristol City in 2020, where he has remained ever since. The midfielder, who will turn 30 at the end of 2025, has made over 200 appearances for the Clarets across all competitions, cementing himself as a key figure in the squad.

He played a pivotal role in Burnley’s most recent promotion to the Premier League, thriving under Vincent Kompany’s system as the team dominated the Championship. Now under Scott Parker, Brownhill has added a newfound goalscoring edge to his game.

Ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, Burnley confirmed an extension to Brownhill’s contract—securing his services while ensuring he remains one of the Championship’s top earners on a weekly wage of £45,000.

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5. Dan James

£50,000 per week

Dan James is one of just five Championship players earning at least £50,000 per week—exactly that amount in his case. Under Daniel Farke’s management, the winger has rediscovered his best form, adding a level of consistency to his end product that fans had long been hoping for.

The Wales international has become a vital part of Leeds United’s squad, making himself undroppable on the right flank with his performances. A fan favorite at Elland Road, James’ salary is a fitting reward for his impact as the Whites push for a return to the Premier League.

4. Pascal Struijk

£50,000 per week

Having spent his entire senior career at Leeds United, Pascal Struijk is now in his seventh season as a professional footballer. Since making his debut in 2018, he has steadily developed into a key figure for the club, often captaining the side in Ethan Ampadu’s absence.

While capable of playing as a defensive midfielder or left-back, Struijk is at his best in central defense, where he has forged a reliable partnership with Joe Rodon. His strong performances this season have even attracted interest from clubs across Europe.

As he aims to secure a second promotion to the Premier League with Leeds, Struijk is doing so on a weekly wage of £50,000.

3. Aaron Ramsey

£50,000 per week

After more than a decade with Arsenal, Aaron Ramsey left the club in 2019, embarking on a journey that took him to Juventus, Rangers, and Nice. Following a season in France, he returned to his boyhood club, Cardiff City, in 2023—15 years after first leaving for North London.

Since rejoining Cardiff, Ramsey has struggled for game time due to recurring fitness issues that have hindered him throughout his career. Signed on a two-year contract worth £50,000 per week, his future remains uncertain, with the Welsh side yet to decide whether to extend the deal of a player who has managed just eight Championship appearances at the time of writing.

2. Junior Firpo

£60,000 per week

Few players in the Championship have undergone a turnaround as remarkable as Junior Firpo’s. The former Barcelona defender endured a difficult spell in the Premier League, struggling with both injuries and consistency. However, since the start of 2024, he has finally found his rhythm at Elland Road.

Firpo has since emerged as one of the best left-backs in the division, with his relentless attacking runs playing a key role in Daniel Farke’s offensive setup. At the time of writing, the Dominican Republic international has registered three goals and nine assists in the 2024/25 Championship season.

Despite Leeds' strong form, Firpo’s future remains uncertain, as he enters the final months of his contract. With the left-back earning a reported £60,000 per week, it remains to be seen whether Leeds can persuade him to stay or if he opts for a fresh challenge elsewhere.

1. Patrick Bamford

£70,000 per week

Patrick Bamford stands alone as the highest-paid player in the Championship, earning more than £60,000 per week—an unmatched figure in the second tier. However, given his form and limited playing time in recent years, he is not the most expected name to top this list.

The striker has struggled for minutes, last completing a full 90 for Leeds in August 2024. He has featured in just 11 matches this season without finding the net, with ongoing fitness issues raising questions about his future at Elland Road.

Despite his lack of contributions on the pitch, Bamford remains the Championship’s best-paid player. Whether that remains the case for much longer, however, is uncertain.