How Plymouth Argyle's wage bill compares to the rest of the Championship | OneFootball

The Greens are trying to compete against some big spenders while having one of the lowest budgets in the Championship

Plymouth Argyle continue to try to compete against the big spenders of the Championship while trying to maintain a sustainable ownership model under Simon Hallett.

Having suffered the consequences of financial misspending earlier in the century, the Pilgrims are keen to spend within their means in the current climate and continue to search for investment from further afield to compete with the big spenders of the second tier.

Having returned to the top level of the Football League last season, the Greens are battling to establish themselves in the Championship, with Wayne Rooney tasked with making them a competitive outfit in the division.

Here we take a look at how the Devon outfit compares to the rest of those in the league when it comes to the wage bill for the 24/25 campaign - using Capology’s estimates - and see what they are competing against week in, week out.

Plymouth Argyle’s highest earners, 24/25 wage bill

Argyle are said to be forking out £172,800 every week to the players on their books as it stands, with an average seven-day salary equating to £6,400.

That totals £8.98 million when added up for the entire year, with the likes of Adam Forshaw and Bali Mumba said to be the highest earners at the club, with the pair reportedly earning £15,000 a week during their time at Home Park.

That duo are followed by Andre Gray, with the former Watford striker signing a short-term deal with the club until January last month, with the Pilgrims paying him £12,500 for every week he is employed by the green half of Devon.

Only three other players break the five-figure mark in terms of payment from Monday to Sunday, with captain Joe Edwards, frontman Mustapha Bundu, and summer recruit Victor Palsson all said to have a weekly wage of £10,000.

Main man Morgan Whittaker is on £7,500 as it stands, with the Greens rejecting multiple bids from Burnley and Rangers over the summer, where he would more than likely have been able to earn a lot more than he currently does in the South West.

Plymouth Argyle’s wage bill compared to the rest of the Championship

When you see what Argyle are up against when it comes to expenditure in the Championship, it makes you realise just what a task Rooney and Hallett have on their hands, with all manner of clubs splashing the cash just to keep themselves afloat in the second tier.

Only newly-promoted Portsmouth spend less per week on players’ salaries according to Capology’s estimates, with John Mousinho’s side the lowest by some margin with just £138,500 spent every seven days.

Argyle sit second-bottom with their £172,800 weekly expenditure, with Queens Park Rangers next on the list, with their wages adding up to £208,462 every time payday comes around, while Oxford United (£211,115) and Coventry City (£212,731) also sit comparatively close.

Looking at the other end of the list and it is no surprise to see that the former Premier League sides are able to spend the big bucks in order to try and return to the top tier, with Leeds United reportedly the biggest spenders in the division.

Daniel Farke’s side are said to spend £708,000 every week on players’ wages - a whopping £36.8 million each year - which is over four times the Greens’ budget, and emphasised the battle that the Devon side face week in, week out in the second tier.

Scott Parker’s Burnley side sit in second with a weekly wage bill of £596,000, while West Bromwich Albion (441,500), Sheffield United (439,500) and Luton Town (424,500) are all spending a considerable amount compared to the rest of the division.

While the Pilgrims have made good use of the loan market in recent seasons to save themselves on wages, the considerable gap between themselves and the majority of the division is clear to see in terms of expenditure, with bargain buys from across Europe helping them to keep costs low for the 24/25 campaign.

Whether that approach is sustainable and earns results remains to be seen, but once you see what Rooney and his side are competing against just to keep Argyle in the Championship, you realise just how crafty the club have to be in the transfer market to bring quality recruits in.