The 2022 MLS salary budget cap was $4.9 million per team. This represented the maximum amount each MLS club could spend on player salaries during the 2022 season, not including designated players who count only $612,500 against the budget regardless of their actual salary.
The salary budget includes General Allocation Money (GAM) and Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) that teams can use to buy down player salaries or acquire additional roster spots. Teams could also trade allocation money with other clubs to manage their roster construction more effectively.
This $4.9 million cap was part of MLS's roster rules designed to maintain competitive balance across the league while allowing teams flexibility through mechanisms like designated players, allocation money, and homegrown player discounts.