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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Wolverhampton Wanderers top the 2026/27 Championship wage-bill estimates at about £1.304 million per week. That figure is an estimate: it converts SalaryLeaks’ published annual total of £67.8 million into a weekly equivalent by dividing by 52. The ranking below applies the same calculation to all 24 clubs.
Estimated weekly wage bills for all 24 Championship clubs
The table ranks clubs by SalaryLeaks’ estimated annual wage bills for the 2026/27 Championship, converted to approximate weekly equivalents. Weekly figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000. SalaryLeaks publishes the annual estimates, not these calculated weekly amounts; its page says the data is compiled from public reports but does not provide an auditable calculation for each club. See SalaryLeaks’ Championship estimates.
| Rank | Club | Estimated annual wage bill | Approx. weekly equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | £67.8m | £1.304m |
| 2 | West Ham | £61.2m | £1.177m |
| 3 | Burnley | £60.9m | £1.171m |
| 4 | Southampton | £53.6m | £1.031m |
| 5 | Birmingham City | £33.7m | £648,000 |
| 6 | Wrexham | £29.0m | £558,000 |
| 7 | Middlesbrough | £26.5m | £510,000 |
| 8 | Norwich City | £26.0m | £500,000 |
| 9 | Swansea City | £21.3m | £410,000 |
| 10 | Blackburn Rovers | £20.5m | £394,000 |
| 11 | Cardiff City | £19.2m | £369,000 |
| 12 | West Bromwich Albion | £15.8m | £304,000 |
| 13 | Stoke City | £15.1m | £290,000 |
| 14 | Sheffield United | £12.9m | £248,000 |
| 15 | Derby County | £12.1m | £233,000 |
| 16 | Charlton Athletic | £11.4m | £219,000 |
| 17 | Bristol City | £11.3m | £217,000 |
| 18 | Watford | £11.0m | £212,000 |
| 19 | Preston North End | £10.3m | £198,000 |
| 20 | Portsmouth | £8.9m | £171,000 |
| 21 | Bolton Wanderers | £7.1m | £137,000 |
| 22 | Lincoln City | £6.6m | £127,000 |
| 23 | Queens Park Rangers | £5.9m | £113,000 |
| 24 | Millwall | £4.5m | £87,000 |
The annual figures are rounded to the nearest £0.1 million on the source page, so the weekly conversions should be read as approximations rather than precise totals.
What the figures measure—and what they do not
This is a comparison of modeled club wage bills, not a record of verified weekly payments. SalaryLeaks describes its salary data as compiled from public reports, but does not publish an auditable calculation behind each club’s total. The 24 annual estimates add up to £552.7 million on its page.
Other salary databases define payroll more narrowly. Capology describes its 2026/27 figures as estimated gross fixed first-team payroll, excluding bonuses, youth and women’s teams, other sports teams, administrative staff, and employer social security and pension contributions. It also says its estimates are not official figures. Capology’s club payroll methodology offers context for why different sources may not measure the same costs; it does not verify every figure in the table.
The EFL’s regulatory term “Basic Wage” is also narrower than a modeled total wage bill: its 2025/26 regulations define it as a player’s “minimum guaranteed weekly pay before receipt of any bonuses or other contingency payments.” That definition applies to the EFL rules, not automatically to third-party estimates. Read the EFL regulations.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to read the weekly comparison
Each weekly equivalent is the source’s rounded annual estimate divided by 52. It is a consistent way to compare the published totals, not evidence that each club pays that exact amount every week. Individual player contracts, bonuses, payroll scope, and estimation methods can all affect what a reported wage figure represents.
The season matters too: this ranking is for the 2026/27 Championship, which runs from 14 August 2026 to 1 May 2027. It should not be compared as if it were a ranking for another season, when the division’s membership may differ. The 2026/27 season overview lists the season dates and club changes.
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