The official 2022 MLS salary budget was $4,900,000 per team. This represented the maximum amount each MLS club could spend on player salaries during the 2022 season, as established by the league's roster rules and regulations.
The $4.9 million salary budget was part of MLS's broader roster construction framework, which also included additional mechanisms like General Allocation Money (GAM) and Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) that teams could use to buy down player salaries or acquire additional roster flexibility. Teams could exceed the base salary budget through these allocation money pools and other roster rule provisions.
This salary budget amount was a key component of MLS's efforts to maintain competitive balance while allowing for strategic roster construction. The 2022 figure represented an increase from previous years as the league continued to grow its investment in player compensation and overall roster quality.