Saloons, school and specialty coffee: NWSL players enjoy new era of side hustles
Five years after NWSL players launched the "No More Side Hustles" campaign to protest poverty-level wages that forced many into second jobs, a new collective bargaining agreement has transformed players' off-field lives. Rather than working out of financial necessity, athletes are now pursuing passion projects, further education and entrepreneurial ventures, reflecting how far the league's pay standards have improved since the campaign highlighted the plight of players such as World Cup winner Jessica McDonald, who packed Amazon boxes for ten hours a day.
Under the NWSLPA's first CBA in 2022 and a subsequent deal in 2024, the league minimum salary has risen to $50,500 for 2026, close to the maximum salary of $52,500 that existed in 2021. This financial security has allowed players such as Chicago Stars midfielder Bea Franklin to work as a cocktail waitress in Idaho for fun, and Washington Spirit defender Gabrielle Carle to study for her medical school entrance exam. Other players, including Chelsea captain Erin Cuthbert and Manchester United's Phallon Tullis-Joyce, have pursued an MBA and marine biology outreach work respectively, while a new NWSL partnership with Syracuse University now offers players online degrees and certificates in fields such as sports analytics and cybersecurity.
- New NWSL pay deal ends players' need for second jobs
- Minimum salary rose from $22,000 to $50,500 since 2021
- Players now pursue medicine, business and hobby side projects
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Five years ago, players in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the top professional women's football league in the United States, campaigned under the banner "No More Side Hustles" to highlight how poor their pay was. Many were forced to take second jobs just to get by, including World Cup winner Jessica McDonald, who reportedly spent hours packing boxes in a warehouse alongside her football career.
Since then, the NWSL Players Association has negotiated two collective bargaining agreements (formal contracts between players and the league covering pay and conditions), in 2022 and 2024. These have steadily raised the minimum salary a player can earn, narrowing the gap between the lowest and highest paid players in the league.
This matters because it marks a broader shift in how women's professional football is valued and funded in the United States, following years of players arguing they were underpaid relative to their male counterparts and the demands of the sport. The change in circumstances has allowed some players to take on other pursuits, such as further study or business ventures, out of choice rather than financial need.