How Much Do These 30 Star Athletes Pay in Taxes?

It’s easy to loath sports stars and their giant salaries, but come tax time, professional athletes pony up a big portion of their proceeds to help keep their local, state and federal governments up and running. In fact, the highest-taxed athletes in sports forfeit half their income or more to their civic duty of paying the government.

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To find out which athletes have the highest tax bills, GOBankingRates used salary data from Spotrac to identify the MLB, NFL and NBA players with the highest salaries, then used its own internal tax calculators to assess the rates and dollar amounts that those athletes paid in state and federal taxes.

Read on to learn about the enormous tax bills your favorite basketball, baseball and football stars have to contend with thanks to the supersized salaries they earn.

• Team: Dallas Cowboys
• League: NFL
• Salary: $22,000,000
• Federal taxes paid: $8,098,164
• State taxes paid: $0
• FICA taxes paid: $524,054
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $13,377,782
• Total taxes paid: $8,622,218
• Effective tax rate: 39.19%

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• Team: Las Vegas Raiders
• League: NFL
• Salary: $22,125,000
• Federal taxes paid: $8,144,414
• State taxes paid: $0
• FICA taxes paid: $526,991
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $13,453,595
• Total taxes paid: $8,671,405
• Effective tax rate: 39.19%

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• Team: Dallas Cowboys
• League: NFL
• Salary: $25,000,000
• Federal taxes paid: $9,208,164
• State taxes paid: $0
• FICA taxes paid: $594,554
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $15,197,282
• Total taxes paid: $9,802,718
• Effective tax rate: 39.21%

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• Team: Seattle Seahawks
• League: NFL
• Salary: $32,000,000
• Federal taxes paid: $11,798,165
• State taxes paid: $0
• FICA taxes paid: $759,054
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $19,442,781
• Total taxes paid: $12,557,219
• Effective tax rate: 39.24%

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• Team: Texas Rangers
• League: MLB
• Salary: $33,000,000
• Federal taxes paid: $12,168,164
• State taxes paid: $0
• FICA taxes paid: $782,554
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $20,049,282
• Total taxes paid: $12,950,718
• Effective tax rate: 39.24%

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• Team: Houston Rockets
• League: NBA
• Salary: $44,310,840
• Federal taxes paid: $16,353,174
• State taxes paid: $0
• FICA taxes paid: $1,048,358
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $26,909,308
• Total taxes paid: $17,401,532
• Effective tax rate: 39.27%

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• Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
• League: NFL
• Salary: $25,910,000
• Federal taxes paid: $9,544,864
• State taxes paid: $795,437
• FICA taxes paid: $615,939
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $14,953,760
• Total taxes paid: $10,956,240
• Effective tax rate: 42.29%

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• Team: Kansas City Chiefs
• League: NFL
• Salary: $25,800,000
• Federal taxes paid: $9,504,164
• State taxes paid: $1,392,340
• FICA taxes paid: $613,354
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $14,290,142
• Total taxes paid: $11,509,858
• Effective tax rate: 44.61%

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• Team: St. Louis Cardinals
• League: MLB
• Salary: $35,000,000
• Federal taxes paid: $12,908,164
• State taxes paid: $1,889,140
• FICA taxes paid: $829,554
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $19,373,142
• Total taxes paid: $15,626,858
• Effective tax rate: 44.65%

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• Team: Atlanta Falcons
• League: NFL
• Salary: $26,912,500
• Federal taxes paid: $9,915,789
• State taxes paid: $1,547,032
• FICA taxes paid: $639,497
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $14,810,182
• Total taxes paid: $12,102,318
• Effective tax rate: 44.97%

• Team: Green Bay Packers
• League: NFL
• Salary: $27,073,568
• Federal taxes paid: $9,975,384
• State taxes paid: $2,066,248
• FICA taxes paid: $643,282
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $14,388,654
• Total taxes paid: $12,684,914
• Effective tax rate: 46.85%

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• Team: Milwaukee Bucks
• League: NBA
• Salary: $39,344,900
• Federal taxes paid: $14,515,780
• State taxes paid: $3,005,005
• FICA taxes paid: $931,659
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $20,892,456
• Total taxes paid: $18,452,444
• Effective tax rate: 46.90%

• Team: New York Mets
• League: MLB
• Salary: $34,100,000
• Federal taxes paid: $12,575,164
• State taxes paid: $2,984,398
• FICA taxes paid: $808,404
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $17,732,034
• Total taxes paid: $16,367,966
• Effective tax rate: 48.00%

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• Team: New York Yankees
• League: MLB
• Salary: $36,000,000
• Federal taxes paid: $13,278,164
• State taxes paid: $3,151,978
• FICA taxes paid: $853,054
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $18,716,804
• Total taxes paid: $17,283,196
• Effective tax rate: 48.01%

• Team: New York Mets
• League: MLB
• Salary: $36,000,000
• Federal taxes paid: $13,278,165
• State taxes paid: $3,151,978
• FICA taxes paid: $853,054
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $18,716,803
• Total taxes paid: $17,283,197
• Effective tax rate: 48.01%

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• Team: Brooklyn Nets
• League: NBA
• Salary: $42,018,900
• Federal taxes paid: $15,505,157
• State taxes paid: $3,682,845
• FICA taxes paid: $994,498
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $21,836,400
• Total taxes paid: $20,182,500
• Effective tax rate: 48.03%

• Team: New York Mets
• League: MLB
• Salary: $43,333,333
• Federal taxes paid: $15,991,497
• State taxes paid: $3,798,778
• FICA taxes paid: $1,025,387
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $22,517,671
• Total taxes paid: $20,815,662
• Effective tax rate: 48.04%

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• Team: Brooklyn Nets
• League: NBA
• Salary: $44,310,840
• Federal taxes paid: $16,353,174
• State taxes paid: $3,884,995
• FICA taxes paid: $1,048,358
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $23,024,313
• Total taxes paid: $21,286,527
• Effective tax rate: 48.04%

• Team: Washington Nationals
• League: MLB
• Salary: $35,000,000
• Federal taxes paid: $12,908,165
• State taxes paid: $3,126,902
• FICA taxes paid: $829,554
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $18,135,379
• Total taxes paid: $16,864,621
• Effective tax rate: 48.18%

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• Team: Minnesota Vikings
• League: NFL
• Salary: $31,000,000
• Federal taxes paid: $11,428,164
• State taxes paid: $3,047,658
• FICA taxes paid: $735,554
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $15,788,624
• Total taxes paid: $15,211,376
• Effective tax rate: 49.07%

• Team: Portland Trail Blazers
• League: NBA
• Salary: $39,344,900
• Federal taxes paid: $14,515,777
• State taxes paid: $3,893,542
• FICA taxes paid: $931,659
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $20,003,922
• Total taxes paid: $19,340,978
• Effective tax rate: 49.16%

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• Team: San Francisco 49ers
• League: NFL
• Salary: $26,400,000
• Federal taxes paid: $9,726,164
• State taxes paid: $3,485,351
• FICA taxes paid: $627,454
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $12,561,031
• Total taxes paid: $13,838,969
• Effective tax rate: 52.42%

• Team: San Diego Padres
• League: MLB
• Salary: $32,000,000
• Federal taxes paid: $11,798,164
• State taxes paid: $4,230,151
• FICA taxes paid: $759,054
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $15,212,631
• Total taxes paid: $16,787,369
• Effective tax rate: 52.46%

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• Team: Los Angeles Angels
• League: MLB
• Salary: $36,571,428
• Federal taxes paid: $13,489,592
• State taxes paid: $4,838,151
• FICA taxes paid: $866,482
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $17,377,203
• Total taxes paid: $19,194,225
• Effective tax rate: 52.48%

• Team: Los Angeles Angels
• League: MLB
• Salary: $37,116,666
• Federal taxes paid: $13,691,330
• State taxes paid: $4,910,667
• FICA taxes paid: $879,295
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $17,635,374
• Total taxes paid: $19,481,292
• Effective tax rate: 52.49%

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• Team: Los Angeles Clippers
• League: NBA
• Salary: $39,344,900
• Federal taxes paid: $14,515,778
• State taxes paid: $5,207,022
• FICA taxes paid: $931,659
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $18,690,441
• Total taxes paid: $20,654,459
• Effective tax rate: 52.50%

• Team: Los Angeles Clippers
• League: NBA
• Salary: $39,344,900
• Federal taxes paid: $14,515,779
• State taxes paid: $5,207,022
• FICA taxes paid: $931,659
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $18,690,440
• Total taxes paid: $20,654,460
• Effective tax rate: 52.50%

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• Team: Los Angeles Lakers
• League: NBA
• Salary: $41,180,544
• Federal taxes paid: $15,194,965
• State taxes paid: $5,451,163
• FICA taxes paid: $974,796
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $19,559,620
• Total taxes paid: $21,620,924
• Effective tax rate: 52.50%

• Team: Los Angeles Lakers
• League: NBA
• Salary: $44,211,146
• Federal taxes paid: $16,316,288
• State taxes paid: $5,854,233
• FICA taxes paid: $1,046,016
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $20,994,609
• Total taxes paid: $23,216,537
• Effective tax rate: 52.51%

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• Team: Golden State Warriors
• League: NBA
• Salary: $45,780,966
• Federal taxes paid: $16,897,121
• State taxes paid: $6,063,019
• FICA taxes paid: $1,082,906
• Take-home salary (after taxes): $21,737,920
• Total taxes paid: $24,043,046
• Effective tax rate: 52.52%

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Methodology: For this piece, GOBankingRates first sourced the top ten highest-paid players in the NFL, NBA, and MLB and sourced each player’s (1) current or upcoming season’s salary. With these 30 athletes isolated, GOBankingRates then used our in-house federal and state income calculators to find each athlete’s: (2) federal income taxes paid; (3) state income taxes paid; (4) FICA taxes paid; (5) income after taxes; (6) total income taxes paid; and (7) effective tax rate for each athlete. All income tax calculations were made assuming a single filer, filing their taxes in the state in which their team/employer is located. GOBankingRates used 2022 federal tax brackets and standard deductions and 2021 state tax brackets and standard deductions, all sourced from Tax Foundation. All data was collected and is up to date as of December 8, 2021.