How much Sunderland AFC spend on wages every week on average (Estimated) | OneFootball

Sunderland have curated a promotion fighting team, but according to Capology, they have just the 14th highest wage bill in the league.

Sunderland AFC find themselves in with a genuine shout of automatic promotion this season, after a spectacular start to the season.

Having been out of the top-flight for almost eight years, spending half of that time in League One, they do not necessarily fit the usual profile of title contenders in the EFL Championship, despite their gigantic fan base.

The notably young squad, headlined by the teenage midfield duo of Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg, are impressively rubbing shoulders with those still receiving sizable parachute payments.

But exactly how large is the disparity of funds between the Black Cats and the second-tier financial elite?

Sunderland's highest earners

According to estimates from Capology, just eight players are currently earning a five-figure weekly salary.

Centre-back Chris Mepham joined the Mackems in late August, a season-long from AFC Bournemouth.

While it is unknown the exact percentage share of Mepham's perceived £35,000 per week Sunderland are paying, the Wales international is far and away the highest earner at the club.

The highest earning player permanently contracted to the Wearside club is fellow Britton Daniel Ballard.

Joining from Arsenal in 2022, the Northern Ireland man was signed to bolster the defense following Sunderland's long-awaited return to the Championship.

His performances since have seen his believed initial compensation of £12,692 per week almost doubled, having signed a contract extension in July this year.

Both acquired during the summer just gone, Alan Browne and Salis Abdul Samed are reportedly earning £15,000 per week. The latter, a loan signing from Lens, is yet to appear for the North-East club due to injury.

Jobe Bellingham unsurprisingly commands the highest fee among the side's teenage contingent; the 19-year-old signed an extension this summer that will see the midfielder theoretically earn ~£12,500 until 2028.

While Bellingham's salary, worth an estimated £660,000 per year, is nothing to scoff at, it may seem relatively unsubstantial when considering his older brother supposedly commands the same figure in just two weeks.

Chris Rigg is understandably low on the list, despite his overall importance exceeding many of the higher earners.

Signing his first professional contract earlier this year, despite having already played 22 times for the club, his current believed fee of £1,500 per week is presumably boilerplate for a 17-year-old scholar, regardless of potential generational talent.

Sunderland AFC's conservative, yet competitive wages

After the decade they have had, few sides need financial stability quite like Sunderland AFC.

While it is easy to say when times are good, the club, fronted by Swiss businessman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, for now, appears to be being operated sensibly and successfully from top to bottom.

Their ability to recruit and nurture elite youth prospects has undoubtedly shaved thousands off of the wage bill, maximising on-pitch talent in an economical manner.

With Chris Mepham still on loan, no permanently contracted Sunderland player features in the top 50 earners league-wide, according to Capology estimates.

If these figures are to be believed, curating a promotion fighting team while spending less than the likes of strugglers Cardiff, Hull and Stoke is a glowing testament to recent operations at the club.