Scottish Premiership
How Rangers and Celtic’s wage bills compare with one side clearly outspending rival
Celtic and Rangers are the top spenders in the SPFL, with a lot of top players in the squad earning millions – but who spends the most in wages?
Compared to other teams in the Scottish Premiership, Rangers and Celtic have much higher wage bills; some players take home almost £2 million a year.
Henrik Larsson and Paul Gascoigne are just two of the many well-known players who have had successful careers at Ibrox and Parkhead. The teams have been bitter rivals for the league title for a long time.
Both teams are reducing their rosters by offloading players and adding new ones during the summer transfer window, but which team is currently spending more than the other? According to reports, Rangers manager Phillipe Clement requested a salary of £2.5 million annually to assume control during the 2023–2024 campaign, whereas Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers, who is in his second stint as manager, earns more than £3 million annually over the course of a three-year contract.
However, which Glasgow team spends more money annually and who is the highest paid individual at each club? The top earners, biggest spenders, and prospective earnings for reserve players without a regular starting spot are broken down in detail below.
Top earners for Rangers and Celtics: a tale of leadership
Callum McGregor, the captain of Celtic, is the highest paid employee at Parkhead, earning £37,000 a week, according to Salary Sport. With a contract that runs until 2028, when he will be 35 years old, this comes to a substantial £1.9 million per year for the homegrown midfield player.
American defender Cameron Carter-Vickers, who earns £24,000 a week, comes in second on the pay scale. TransferMarkt reports that the 26-year-old centre back, who is under contract through 2029, makes £1.2 million a year at Parkhead.
With a weekly salary of £37,000, Connor Goldson, the centre-half and vice captain of Rangers, is reportedly the highest paid employee in Govan. The 31-year-old English defender earns £1.9 million a year, but that figure may soon drop as he is expected to leave Ibrox this summer after six years there.
According to reports, Goldson is having a medical in Cyprus in preparation for a possible transfer to Aris Limassol, a team that bitterly disappointed Gers supporters during the team’s elimination from the Europa League group stage the previous year.
The next player on the payroll if Goldson leaves is veteran captain James Tavernier, who is also rumoured to be leaving Ibrox in the summer. According to Salary Sport, the British defender who holds the record for the most goals scored in a game earns £30,000 per week at Ibrox, or £1.5 million annually.
Among Rangers and Celtic, who spends more on their yearly payroll?
Rangers are currently spending a few million pounds more than their rivals Celtic, according to Salary Sport. The Ibrox side’s annual wage bill will be an astounding £20.5 million if the squad stays the same until the transfer deadline on August 31. In comparison, the Bhoys pay £17.3 million annually for all players.
Each of the Glasgow giants has seen eight players leave during the summer transfer window. Liel Abada, Joe Hart, Oh Hyeon-Gyu, Paulo Bernardo, Alexandro Bernabei, Rocco Vata, and Nat Phillips are on the Hoops roster.
The Rangers have lost Steven Davis, Kemar Roofe, Borna Barisic, Abdallah Sima, Jon McLaughlin, Robby McCrorie, Ryan Jack, and John Lundstram.
The salary budgets of both teams now have a substantial amount of space—£4.8 million for Celtic and £5.4 million for Rangers—after these departures.
Rangers currently have 58 players registered in their roster, while Celtic have 63 players total, including reserve and youth players. These numbers are subject to fluctuate as new players are brought on board and as current players may depart in search of better opportunities.
Celtic’s annual wage bill – top earners
| Name | Weekly salary | Annual wage |
| Callum McGregor | £37,000 | £1,924,000 |
| Cameron Carter-Vickers | £24,000 | £1,248,000 |
| Kyogo Furuhashi | £19,000 | £988,000 |
| James Forrest | £19,000 | £988,000 |
| Daizen Maeda | £18,000 | £936,000 |
| Alistair Johnston | £17,000 | £884,000 |
| Reo Hatate | £16,000 | £832,000 |
| Greg Taylor | £15,000 | £780,000 |
| Benjamin Siegrist | £15,000 | £780,000 |
| Matt O’Riley | £14,000 | £728,000 |
| Gustaf Lagerbielke | £14,000 | £728,000 |
| James McCarthy | £14,000 | £728,000 |
| Anthony Ralston | £14,000 | £728,000 |
| Maik Nawrocki | £12,000 | £624,000 |
| Stephen Welsh | £8,600 | £447,200 |
| Yuki Kobayashi | £8,300 | £431,600 |
| Mikey Johnston | £7,900 | £410,800 |
| Tomoki Iwata | £7,600 | £395,200 |
| Scott Bain | £7,600 | £395,200 |
Total wage bill – £17,305,080
Rangers’ annual wage bill – top earners
| Name | Weekly salary | Annual wage |
| Connor Goldson | £37,000 | £1,924,000 |
| James Tavernier | £30,000 | £1,560,000 |
| Ben Davies | £27,000 | £1,404,000 |
| Cyriel Dessers | £27,000 | £1,404,000 |
| Danilo | £26,000 | £1,352,000 |
| Jack Butland | £25,000 | £1,300,000 |
| Rabbi Matondo | £23,000 | £1,196,000 |
| Todd Cantwell | £22,000 | £1,144,000 |
| Tom Lawrence | £22,000 | £1,144,000 |
| Dujon Sterling | £22,000 | £1,144,000 |
| Nicolas Raskin | £19,000 | £988,000 |
| Sam Lammers | £18,000 | £936,000 |
| José Cifuentes | £16,000 | £832,000 |
| Kieran Dowell | £16,000 | £832,000 |
| Rıdvan Yılmaz | £12,000 | £624,000 |
| John Souttar | £8,100 | £421,200 |
| Leon Balogun | £8,000 | £416,000 |
| Leon King | £8,000 | £416,000 |
| Scott Wright | £5,600 | £291,200 |
Total wage bill – £20,534,800
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