The 2022 MLS salary budget was set at $4,900,000 per team, representing the maximum amount each club could spend on player salaries during the season. This figure was part of Major League Soccer's salary cap system designed to maintain competitive balance across all teams.
The $4,900,000 salary budget worked in conjunction with other roster mechanisms including General Allocation Money (GAM) and Targeted Allocation Money (TAM), which allowed teams to buy down player salaries or acquire additional roster flexibility. Teams could exceed the base salary budget by using these allocation money tools, but the $4,900,000 figure served as the foundation for roster construction.
This salary budget amount was an increase from previous years and reflected MLS's continued growth and investment in player compensation. The league's salary cap system, including the $4,900,000 budget, was negotiated as part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between MLS and the MLS Players Association.