Top 8 EFL Championship clubs with the highest wage bills | OneFootball

Football League World takes a look at the eight Championship clubs with the division's highest estimated wage bills ahead of the 2026/27 campaign

Championship clubs are forking out ever-increasing expenditure on salaries in order to chase the dream of promotion to the Premier League and its corresponding riches, and those who spend more handsomely typically enjoy a greater chance of achieving success.

Generous parachute payment packages from the Premier League equip relegated sides with the ability to retain a significant wage bill and a litany of high-earners despite having to naturally make certain cuts, and it's those outfits that often find themselves in contention to seal a swift escape route out of the second-tier.

Although there is an undeniable concentration of wealth in the higher echelons of the second-tier, clubs throughout the division are beginning to amplify spending and that may only increase following the expansion of the promotion places to form a newly-initiated top-eight - making a play-off spot more viable for sides who could have previously found such a finish to be out of reach.

It had Football League World thinking, then - ahead of the upcoming 2026/27 Championship campaign, who is actually spending the most money on wages right now?

With that in mind, FLW has decided to take a look at the EIGHT highest wage bills in the division right now courtesy of Capology, where, it must be stressed, all listed figures are purely estimates.

8 ? ? Wrexham AFC

It was always a question of where, rather than if, upwardly-mobile Wrexham were going to feature - and it's the North Walians who get the ball rolling with what Capology estimates to be the Championship's eighth-highest wage bill at £18.9 million annually.

Equating to a weekly wage expenditure of £365,200, Wrexham's top-earner is Kieffer Moore on an estimated per-week salary of £30,000 and it would be no surprise to see Phil Parkinson's side hand out even greater contracts throughout what could be a busy and exciting summer at the StoK Cae Ras.

Wrexham have spent heavily in recent years under Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, and have long had superior financial and general pulling power over many divisional counterparts.

7 ? ? Birmingham City

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From one Hollywood-backed Championship side to another - albeit with Tom Brady's backroom role much more modest as opposed to Reynolds and Mac in North Wales - Birmingham City's annual wage bill of £22.1 million is believed to be among the steeper salary sheets in the Championship.

Once again, Blues' ambitious and lavish spending over the last couple of years means that should come as little surprise. Birmingham, much like Wrexham, missed out on a top-six spot last season after achieving promotion from League One but will aim to enjoy a promotion-competing campaign much more reflective of their expenditure and aspirations,

Spanish winger Carlos Vicente, who moved to the Second City in January of this year, is up there with the Championship's highest-earning players on a weekly wage of £50,000, and it will be interesting to see if any other acquisitions put pen to paper on similarly-eye-watering deals this summer.

It may be more of a surprise to see Norwich City feature so high, with Capology estimating the Canaries to possess the division's sixth-highest wage bill despite having not played Premier League football in four years.

The East Anglian outfit have only secured one top-six finish in that time, too, but there is a feeling that continued investment could finally be vindicated in what will be Philippe Clement's first full campaign in charge after enjoying a blistering start to life at Carrow Road throughout the second-half of the previous season.

Norwich are estimated to have a total wage bill of £23 million, although it is worth noting that some of the club's higher listed earners have since left the club.

5 ? ? Sheffield United

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Sheffield United, meanwhile, could well fall some way down this list by the time that the summer transfer window wraps up, as it is well-documented that the Blades must compensate for the loss of parachute payments after a disappointing 2025/26 season by sanctioning high-profile player sales.

Andre Brooks has already left for Norwich and more could follow, but for the time being, Chris Wilder's side have an estimated wage bill of £27 million - which Capology believes to be setting them back by more than £500,000 on wages each week.

The likes of Japhet Tanganga, Gus Hamer and Patrick Bamford lead the way with estimated salaries at, or in excess of, £30,000 per week, which means further financial cuts may be in order at Bramall Lane.

4 ? ? Southampton

Southampton squandered their chances of returning to scale the dizzying financial heights of the Premier League at the first attempt last season when they were booted out of the play-offs for spying on multiple opponents including semi-finalists Middlesbrough, but their wealth still eclipses most at this level and that is reflected in the payrolls.

The Saints, who can still call upon second-year parachute payments, are estimated to be spending £38.5 million annually and £740,000 weekly on player wages.

Aaron Ramsdale is the Championship's second-highest earner according to Capology, and though the £120,000 per-week shot-stopper is likely to leave, there are a host of other high-earners under Tonda Eckert's watch such as Cameron Archer, Finn Azaz, Ben Brereton Diaz and Tom Fellows.

3 ? ? Burnley

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It was only a matter of time before one of the three newly-relegated in Burnley, Wolves and West Ham United featured, and as all three sides look to trim the fat and shave their respective wage bills to differing degrees this summer, it's the Clarets who are the first to make the cut.

Their payrolls dwarf those of the sides below them here, and while Burnley's may also be some way off the salary expenditure churned out by Wolves and West Ham, it's still significant at £50.7 million annually - or just shy of £1 million per week.

Notably, Kyle Walker is estimated to be earning £75,000, although his salary will have naturally taken a post-relegation reduction even if the ex-Manchester City and England full-back's pedigree means he will still be up there with the higher earners in the division.

2 ? ? Wolves

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Wolves' estimated annual wage bill of £60.9 million represents the second-highest salary spending at this level, which is perhaps no surprise considering that the Old Gold are preparing for a first Championship campaign since 2017/18.

Cesar Peixoto's side will be looking to make their return a short one indeed, helped by the additions of Raul Jimenez and Kieran Trippier - who haven't been accounted for in Capology's figures but will each no doubt be earning handsome salaries at Molineux.

At the moment, it's the likes of Toti Gomes, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Hee-chan Hwang and Marshall Munetsi who are estimated to be bringing home the biggest pay-packets, although you get the impression that Wolves' summer exodus hasn't really kicked into gear just yet and that wage bill could drop dramatically come the end of August.

No Championship wage bill really comes close to matching West Ham's, which is estimated to sit at £76.9 million with an expenditure of close to £1.5 million alone on wages each week.

The Hammers' significant revenue and funds raised through summer sales already means that they can afford to keep certain high earners around for a Championship title bid, even if Nuno Espirito Santo will want to part company with others who played a part in the club's shock relegation.

Talismanic captain Jarrod Bowen is listed as West Ham's top earner on a weekly wage of £150,000 and we now know that he will be remaining at the London Stadium next term - even if the winger's actual salary will likely be somewhat lower - whereas less-popular players such as Edson Alvarez, Alphonse Areola and Max Kilman are also collecting extremely-healthy pay-packets.