All 24 EFL Championship clubs' annual wage bill ranked from least to most | OneFootball

The Championship’s money table this season

The Championship is one of the most unpredictable and competitive leagues in world football - and the financial gulf between clubs only adds to the drama.

From former Premier League giants backed by parachute payments to newly promoted sides operating on tight, savvy budgets, wage bills can often tell us as much about ambition and stability as results on the pitch.

Using estimates from Capology, Football League World has ranked all 24 clubs in the 2025/26 Championship by their annual spending on player wages, from the leanest payrolls to the biggest outlays.

Here’s how each team stacks up when it comes to financial muscle this season.

The Addicks have brought a League One wage bill with them to the second tier, with their annual payroll estimated at £9,103,200.

Summer signing Thomas Kaminski tops the wage bill in receipt of almost a ninth of the overall sum - earning £1,040,000 annually between the sticks.

Portsmouth also prop up the Championship wage table as the only other team to spend less than £10 million annually on player reimbursements.

Their £9,568,000 estimated annual wage bill is topped by new acquisition John Swift, with significant wage outlays for loanees Conor Chaplin and Min-hyeok Yang following him.

22 Sheffield Wednesday - £11,515,400

It’s unsurprising the Owls fall low on the wage bill table, given their extensive issues meeting payroll obligations this year.

Wednesday have seen almost a £6 million reduction on their 24/25 spendings, with their estimated payroll this season amounting to £11,515,400.

21 Swansea City - £12,380,000

Swansea City sit 21st in the Championship’s wage bill table, with an estimated £12,380,000 spending on players.

Following the Swans’ well documented, high profile investment, they may not trail on this table for much longer.

20 Coventry City - £12,948,000

The Sky Blues are keeping things modest with an estimated £12,948,000 wage bill.

Unlike many other Championship sides with one or two standout earners, Coventry have distributed their wages fairly evenly across the squad.

19 Blackburn Rovers - £13,106,000

Rovers are spending an estimated £13,106,000 on wages, with Todd Cantwell commanding the lion’s share at £1,560,000 per year.

For a club with Blackburn's history and fanbase, this lean payroll tells the story of their notoriously tight-fisted ownership - the Venky's continue to run things on a shoestring despite supporter frustrations.

18 Preston North End - £13,322,400

Lancashire neighbours Preston are the Championship’s next biggest spenders, with an estimated £13,322,400 wage bill.

It reflects their modest approach - but given the Lilywhites’ great start to the 25/26 season, it shows smart recruitment and good management can outperform the chequebook.

The R’s are shelling out an estimated £13,500,800 annually, with their West London location not yet translating into West London wages.

Still, they’re managing to field a competitive side on what has become a modest budget by Championship standards.

16 Bristol City - £13,648,000

The Robins’ estimated £13,648,00 payroll puts them firmly in the Championship’s middle-income bracket - yet they’re another side that’s showing that wages don’t tell the whole story.

City have punched well above their financial weight in recent seasons, turning prudent spending into results on the pitch.

15 Oxford United - £13,751,400

After successfully staying up last season, the U’s have backed their survival with an estimated £13,751,400 wage bill that shows some serious ambition.

Rangers loanee Ben Davies tops their individual earners chart - taking home just over £1 million per season.