How Much Does The Average AAA Baseball Player Make In Salary? (Explained!)

Last Updated on October 22, 2023 by Alex PT

The average salary for a AAA baseball player is $95,000 per year. According to ZipRecruiter, the salary range for AAA baseball players is typically between $40,000 and $95,000 per year. However, the top 25% of earners can make up to $120,000 per year.

How Much Does The Average AAA Baseball Player Make In Salary?

Here is a table showing the average salary for AAA baseball players by position:

PositionAverage Salary
Pitcher$100,000
Catcher$90,000
First baseman$85,000
Second baseman$80,000
Third baseman$80,000
Shortstop$85,000
Outfielder$90,000
Designated hitter$95,000

It is important to note that these salaries are just averages, and individual salaries may vary depending on a number of factors, including:

  • Experience: Players with more experience tend to earn more money.
  • Performance: Players who perform well tend to earn more money.
  • Position: Some positions, such as pitchers and catchers, tend to earn more money than others.
  • Team: Players on top teams tend to earn more money than players on bottom teams.
  • Location: Players in high-cost-of-living areas tend to earn more money than players in low-cost-of-living areas.

In addition to their salary, AAA baseball players also receive a number of other benefits, such as:

  • Housing allowance
  • Meal allowance
  • Transportation allowance
  • Health insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision insurance
  • Life insurance
  • Retirement savings plan

AAA baseball players are also eligible for performance bonuses and other incentives. For example, a player may receive a bonus if he is called up to the major leagues or if he wins a minor league championship.

What Is The Basic Salary Of Minor League Baseball Players? 

Basic Salary Of Minor League Baseball players

We all know that minor leaguers are not paid well, but the exact amount they receive will leave you jaw-dropping. In 2018, an average AAA baseball player made about $15,000 according to The Athletic. The average single-A baseball player makes $6,000, while an average double-A baseball player makes $9,350. As we said earlier, there has been a plan to increase the minimum salary of Rookies and Short-season level players

For instance, the  Rookie’s minimum weekly pay will be raised from $290 to $400. Players at the single-A rank will have their minimum weekly pay go from $290 to $500. The Double-A players earned the most after Triple-A players, with their minimum weekly pay going from $350 to $600. As you know Triple-A players are at the top of the list with the highest pay going from $502 to $700 weekly. 

What Is The Minor League Pay At Different Levels?  

1. Rookie & Short-Season: $400 minimum weekly pay

2. Single-A: $500 minimum weekly pay

3. Double-A: $600 minimum weekly pay

4. Triple-A: $700 minimum weekly pay

That might look like moderate pay to you, but it isn’t! Let’s do some calculations. If a rookie earns $400 per week, he’ll go home with $1,600 per month. So, if the season only lasted for 5 months, it means he’ll earn just $8,000 in a whole year. Since offseason training and practice are not financially covered by the teams they’re signed to, they’ll have to pay for it themselves. That’s why you’d normally see them have another side hustle aside from professional baseball.

We weren’t exaggerating when we said that these players earn less than a high school janitor. It might sound odd to you, but it’s the basic truth! For the record, janitors in education systems go home with nothing less than $28,000 every year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Clearly, a Minor Leaguer won’t make as much as a janitor even if he’s paid throughout a year of a Minor League season. They work, train, and practice for at least 12 hours per day and still don’t get paid for springtime training. It’s just ridiculous! 

What Is The Average MLB Salary? 

Major League Baseball players earn hundreds of millions of dollars for playing on the field and also go home with massive endorsements and Major League contracts. Here, we are not referring to big-money (free agents) players who are employed to be displayed on the Opening Day of the regular season.

What we are about to look into now is the average salaries of the top MLB players. These players earn far better than the Minor Leaguers. The average salary of a Major League Baseball player is around $4 million a year. It was in November of 2020 that the minimum salary of Major League Baseball players was increased from $555,000 to $570,500 per year.

What Is The Lowest Salary In The MLB? 

In 2017, the minimum salary agreement that Major League Baseball had with players was $535,000 which was later increased to $545,000 in 2018 and $555,000 in 2019. The good news is that these players will now take home nothing less than $570,500 in the next season. 

Which Is Better – AA Or AAA? 

The highest MiLB level is the Triple-A or AAA rank. Any player at this rank has a great likelihood of being signed to play in the Major League team. It is way better than the double-A or AA rank. 

Which Position In Baseball Makes The Most Money?

The highest-paid position in the MLB is the Designated Hitter. Players in this position earn more than their teammates. This is just to tell you that players in the MLB don’t earn the same amount of money. 

Final Words

Minor League Baseball players don’t get good pay even if people think that Baseball is a lucrative sport in America. Unlike their Major League Baseball counterparts who are well paid in millions of dollars each year, Minor Leaguers receive a squat salary. We’ve reached the end of this informative article. We hope that this article helped you find resources in your quest to know the average salary of a AAA baseball player. Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or comments. Thanks!

References:

https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Minor-League-Baseball-Player-Salary
https://www.zippia.com/answers/how-much-do-triple-a-baseball-players-make/

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