Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsBirmingham City recorded £38.9 million in total staff costs in 2024/25, the season it won League One and secured promotion. That figure was close to or above the disclosed staff costs of several Championship clubs—but it is not a first-team-only wage bill, and the comparisons are not fully like-for-like.
What was Birmingham City’s wage bill?
Birmingham’s 2024/25 accounts reported £38.910 million in total staff costs. A detailed breakdown lists £34.585 million as wages and salaries. The distinction matters: total staff costs cover payroll beyond the first team, including coaching, academy and ground staff. So £38.9 million is the useful headline for the club’s overall staff spending, not a verified figure for player wages alone. BBC Sport reported the accounts; the detailed breakdown and scope of staff costs are set out by Salary Sport.
How does that compare with Championship clubs?
Selected figures in a comparison of clubs’ latest filed accounts put Birmingham’s £38.9 million total staff costs near or above several disclosed totals. The values below are reported staff-cost figures, not estimates of first-team player salaries.
| Club | Reported staff costs | Accounts year |
|---|---|---|
| Stoke City | £33.2 million | 2024/25 |
| Bristol City | £35.9 million | 2024/25 |
| Middlesbrough | £36.4 million | 2024/25 |
| West Bromwich Albion | £37.0 million | 2024/25 |
| Birmingham City | £38.9 million | 2024/25 |
| Cardiff City | £38.8 million | 2024/25 |
| Sheffield United | £45.7 million | Latest filed accounts in comparison table |
| Burnley | £82.3 million | Latest filed accounts in comparison table |
| Southampton | £113.3 million | Latest filed accounts in comparison table |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | £161.7 million | Latest filed accounts in comparison table |
The comparisons come from a table of clubs’ latest filed accounts, which mixes reporting years and divisions; its values should not be read as one consistent Championship ranking. The comparison table also includes clubs that were not Championship peers during Birmingham’s League One campaign. Some accounts are from earlier periods, and reported staff costs may not be defined identically across outlets. The figures therefore show scale, not Birmingham’s definitive position in a same-season Championship wage league.
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What do the costs say about Birmingham’s finances?
BBC Sport reported Birmingham revenue of £35.6 million and a pre-tax loss of £34.6 million for 2024/25. The loss is close to the £34 million figure highlighted in Deloitte’s review, which found Birmingham had the highest pre-tax loss in League One. Deloitte put the division’s average pre-tax loss at £7.2 million.
One publisher’s financial table calculates Birmingham’s staff-cost-to-revenue ratio at 106.7%, using £38.910 million in staff costs and £36.453 million in revenue. The revenue denominator differs slightly from BBC Sport’s rounded £35.6 million figure, so this ratio should be attributed to that table rather than treated as a calculation from the BBC total. Salary Sport’s table provides the underlying figures.
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The wider picture is not limited to League One: Deloitte reported aggregate Championship pre-tax losses of £355 million in 2024/25, up 12%. That is context for the financial pressures in the second tier, not evidence that Championship clubs share Birmingham’s wage bill or cost structure. Deloitte’s Annual Review of Football Finance reports both divisional figures.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the comparison can—and cannot—show
- It can show scale: Birmingham’s £38.9 million in total staff costs was substantial for a League One club and comparable with several disclosed Championship totals.
- It cannot establish a player-wage ranking: the headline covers staff beyond players, and the comparison table does not provide a uniform, same-period measure for every club.
- It does not prove value or sustainability: staff costs alone do not show how effectively a club converted spending into results or whether its finances were sustainable.
Birmingham completed promotion in 2025 and returned to the Championship for 2025/26. The relevant comparison is therefore its 2024/25 League One spending against disclosed Championship club costs—not a forecast of promotion still to come. BBC Sport’s coverage of Birmingham’s 2024/25 accounts and Spark Intel’s club overview place the figures in that timeline.
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