Do You Make More Than a Seattle Sounder?

You and a Seattle Sounder probably don’t share much in common physically or athletically. But you may share a tax bracket.

The Major League Soccer Players Union made every MLS player’s salary public on Saturday, so you can compare your take home with that of the guy you’re going to scream at this weekend.

For some comparison, the minimum salary in Major League Baseball is $414,000. The minimum NFL salary is $325,000. Five Sounders will make just $32,604 in 2011. Roger Levesque, who has scored some of the most exciting goals in the Sounders’ short history, is due just $44,000 this year. Osvaldo Alonso, one of MLS’ top midfielders, will get $140,000.

The Mariners just cut a guy, Milton Bradley, who’ll now make $12 million this year for one month of work. The Sounders entire payroll is just $3.5 million.

The MLSPU releases player salaries as part of their ongoing effort to point out how wildly low they are compared to other American pro sports. The MLS argues that, despite these low salaries, many teams still do not make money.

Unlike Major League Baseball or the NFL, the MLS does not have a lucrative TV contract. As recently as 2006, the MLS paid networks to carry their games. Now they’re in the black, but just barely, by pro sports standards. The MLS makes $20M/year from its TV contract. The NFL’s annual take is $3.5 billion. The reason is simple: ratings. MLS games on ESPN average around 250,000 viewers, or about what WNBA games attract. Until that changes, player salaries will stay where they are.