The PWHLPA's release of all 2025-26 salaries was a major step forward, but showed how far the PWHL still has to come in pay equity for a league whose lowest paid employees are the professional athletes themselves.
Earlier this year, The Hockey News published all PWHL salaries from the 2024-25 season. Today, the PWHLPA made public salaries for all players for the 2025-26 season. It's the first time a professional women's hockey league has ever collectively disclosed all salary information.
It was a major step forward for the rights of players, and showed, on the eve of rapid PWHL expansion to 12 teams, doubling the size of the league in just three years, just how far the league must come to pay players equitably.
This year the league minimum climbed to $37,131.50. Of the 194 salaries the PWHLPA disclosed, 21 players made that amount, or 50 cents more as it was for a few players. 45 players in the PWHL made less than $40,000, and 91 players made $45,000 or less.
65% of the PWHL made less than the $58,349.50 league average this season, equal to 128 players.
It's a stark reality for a professional sports league whose lowest paid employees are quite often the players themselves.
With hirings ongoing in Detroit, San Jose, Hamilton, and Las Vegas, some of those harsh examples were on full display. For example, the PWHL is advertising the role of social media manager for teams paying $65,000-$75,000 per year. It's a rate that several members of the league's top 20 scorers can only envy.
Team equipment managers are paid $80,000-$90,000. At the top of that scale, it means the team equipment manager will make more than 85% of the players in the league. The assistant athletic trainer, will make between $70,000-$78,000.
The league is also advertising roles like Director of Business Operations for each franchise earning $140,000 - $155,000/year.
The PWHLPA's timing to reveal all salaries could coincide with the opening phases of the unions move to reopen the collective bargaining agreement, or open communication lines with the league regarding elements of the document that were lacking.
Some of the main points in the collective bargaining agreement where players missed an opportunity for revenue include merchandise, broadcasting, and any form of revenue sharing. The players also locked themselves into a minimal 3% annual increase in salaries through 2031.
But collective bargaining agreements can be renegotiated at any time as shown by the work done in the WNBA and NWSL recently.
Other Leagues Making Major Strides
This year, the WNBA took to the court with a renegotiated CBA that was revolutionary in terms of salary for women's sport.
The WNBA average salary rose to $583,000 this season, with a league minimum of $270,000. The max league salary is $1.4 million, which is more than the 23-player salary cap in the PWHL this season of $1,342,038.
The NWSL is far lower at a league minimum of $50,500, which will rise to $82,500 by 2030. Maximum salary in the NWSL is $500,000. The league does not disclose its average salary.
In 2031 when the PWHL's current CBA expires, unless they renegotiate earlier, the league minimum salary will be only $43,045. The PWHL's average salary at that point will still be less than the NWSL's average this season sitting at $67,643. Both numbers represent a 3% annual increase from the PWHL's inaugural $35,000 league minimum and $55,000 league average.