Players on the Halifax Thunderbirds’ active roster have rising salaries based on experience and performance.
The franchise usually offers one or two-year deals. They sometimes lock younger players into longer contracts. Top players are often on one-year contracts at the top salary level.
The NLL has a salary cap. However, the Halifax franchise can provide top-ups from a discretionary bonus pool. Read on for the details.
How We Calculate Salaries
NLL franchises don’t publish player salaries. However, some details across the league leak out during annual negotiations between the NLL and the players association.
Our calculations are based on salary levels reported in 2018. We’ve adjusted them upwards to represent further gains by the player association since then.
We also know that each club has a $30K bonus pool that can be used to pay players more than the league maximum.
The Thunderbirds don’t have to pay out the full $30K. But they must distribute at least $16K each season.
How Much Do Players Earn At Halifax Thunderbirds?
Rookies at Halifax Thunderbirds receive a base contract of about US$13K. Their second year brings an increased contract of $15-$21K.
The minimum for veterans is $19K. The maximum base contract for the most valued veterans is $37K.
The average salary across the Thunderbirds’ playing roster is $25K.
Apart from the average, the above numbers are rounded to the nearest one thousand dollars. The raw numbers are in the table below.
The figures we’ve listed may seem low for hard-working athletes. But bear in mind that the NLL season is about six months long.
I’ve included the pro-rata monthly equivalent in the table below.
| Status | Annual (US$) | Monthly (US$) |
| Rookies | 12,408 | 2,068 |
| Second-year minimum | 14,824 | 2,471 |
| Second-year maximum | 20,215 | 3,369 |
| Veteran minimum | 18,433 | 3,072 |
| Veteran maximum | 36,626 | 6,104 |
Franchise Tag Exception
There is one exception where a player’s base contract can be above the maximum we specified above.
Every club can offer what’s known as a franchise tag to one player per season.
It ties the player from switching to another team. It also comes with the highest contract at the club.
Cody Jamieson was appointed captain for the season. The Halifax franchise values him so much that they placed the franchise tag on him in August 2022.
That means his base contract is $46K for the season.
This is the summary of all the tiers:
Which Thunderbirds Are The Top Earners?
We’ve already mentioned Cody Jamieson as a top earner. So, who else is up there with him?
Graeme Hossack has picked up the league Defensive Player Of The Year award three times in five seasons.
We expect that the veteran has a base contract at the league maximum of just under 37 thousand dollars per season.
That is likely topped up from the bonus pool to get him to around the $40K mark.
Tyson Bell signed a one-year contract in the summer of 2022. We expect him to be on similar earnings.
Which Young Thunderbirds Players Are Rising In Earnings?
Thunderbirds made Max Wilson their first pick from the 2021 Entry Draft.
Last season, the rookie was about $12,400.
The club extended the young defender’s contract with a three-year deal in August 2022. As this is now his second season, his salary falls between about $15K to $20K.
We expect him to be on the higher end at about $17K this season. This will rise over the next two years.
Which Players Are Paid The Least?
Jerry Staats was selected by Thunderbirds in the 2022 Draft. The franchise gave him a one-year deal in September, and he made the active roster.
His base contract is about $12,400 for the 2022/23 season.
But he isn’t the lowest-paid player at the club.
Players on the practice squad earn about one to two thousand dollars per season.
Thunderbirds In The PLL
Some players finish their season in the NLL and then play outdoors in the Premier Lacrosse League.
Graeme Hossack extended his income in the summer by playing in the PLL for the Archers Lacrosse Club.
Jake Withers turned out for the Waterdogs, while Lyle Thomson plated attack for the Cannons.
If you’re interested in how much additional income that brings, check out our overview of what players earn in the PLL.
Other Employment Inside And Outside The Lacrosse World
NLL players are employed by their franchise for about six months of the year.
They also don’t train full-time during the season. The standard schedule is to travel for training on Thursday evening or Friday morning.
That allows Thunderbirds players to work alongside their playing career.
David Brock is a windows and doors salesman in the Burlington Area.
Randy Staats is an account manager with a First Nations fuel supplier.
How Do Halifax Thunderbirds Afford Player Wages?
We have only talked about a few of the players, but there are a lot more.
You can see the current Halifax Thunderbirds roster here.
You may be wondering if gate receipts are enough to cover player wages now and in the future.
Fans understandably get worried about whether the franchise owners can withstand financial pressures in uncertain times.
Check out our review of the owners of the Halifax Thunderbirds.
