The official 2022 MLS salary budget was $4,900,000 per team, representing a significant increase from previous years as part of the league's continued growth and investment in player talent. This salary budget cap was established as part of the 2022 MLS roster rules and regulations, governing how much each club could spend on player salaries during the season.
The $4,900,000 figure was the maximum amount teams could allocate toward player compensation, not including Designated Players who could exceed this cap through the Designated Player mechanism. This budget included all general allocation money (GAM) and targeted allocation money (TAM) that teams received from the league office.
This salary budget represented MLS's commitment to raising the competitive level of the league while maintaining roster parity among the 28 teams competing in 2022. The structured salary cap system, anchored by this $4,900,000 figure, helped ensure competitive balance while allowing teams flexibility to build their rosters through various allocation mechanisms.