Kieran Tierney is Celtic's highest-paid player on £50,000 per week, followed by captain Callum McGregor on £39,000 and 888sport look at the squad salaries and reported wages.
That puts the shape of Celtic salaries into sharp focus: the club can still outmuscle almost everyone in Scotland, but it is not spending like an English top-flight side.
The numbers also explain why a returning hero, a free transfer, and a carefully managed wage structure matter so much at Celtic Park.
Who is the highest-paid Celtic player?
Kieran Tierney is Celtic's highest-paid player on £50,000 per week after returning from Arsenal in 2025. Celtic's highest paid players are led by a familiar name, with Callum McGregor just behind on £39,000 per week and a cluster of senior performers sitting close together beneath him.
Celtic's top 10 highest earners (2025/26)
Celtic salaries at the sharp end of the squad are headed by Tierney and McGregor, with Carter-Vickers, Jota, and Kelechi Iheanacho also among the club's best-paid names.
That mix reflects a squad built around proven regulars, returning talent, and a few expensive overseas additions that combine to make Celtic a regular favourite in the sports betting odds.
Kieran Tierney - £50,000/week
Tierney returned to Celtic in 2025 and immediately became the club's top earner. The left-back has been a major attacking outlet from deep, with 6 goals and 12 assists in 2025/26 while starting 53 of his 56 appearances.
After returning from Arsenal, he took a significant pay cut, but remains at the top of the Celtic salaries list.
Callum McGregor - £39,000/week
McGregor remains the heartbeat of the side from defensive midfield, where his tempo-setting and leadership still shape Celtic's control of games.
He has 3 goals and 4 assists in 57 appearances this season, with 57 starts showing how central he remains to the XI.
Cameron Carter-Vickers - £37,000/week
Carter-Vickers is one of Celtic's most dependable defenders and a key reason the back line stays organised.
The centre-back has made 13 starts in 14 appearances in 2025/26, adding the calm, no-fuss presence that suits Celtic's dominance of possession.
Jota - £37,000/week
Jota gives Celtic a direct threat on the left wing, with the sort of one-v-one ability that can change a tight game quickly.
He is not listed among the 2025/26 Celtic match contributors in the squad data, so his profile is best read through his place in the wage hierarchy rather than current output.
Kelechi Iheanacho - £35,000/week
Iheanacho arrived on a free transfer in 2025 and has offered goals from centre-forward areas when fit. He has 9 goals in 27 appearances this season, and the numbers suggest Celtic expected him to be a decisive option rather than just a rotational one.
With a reputation as a super sub from his time in the Premier League, Iheanacho has become a regular take in live betting markets when Celtic are on the field.
Auston Trusty - £32,000/week
Trusty is Celtic's left-sided centre-back option in a defence that has needed reliability more than flash.
He has 2 goals and 1 assist in 45 appearances, with 41 starts showing the trust placed in him across a long campaign.
Benjamin Nygren - £25,000/week
Nygren has been one of Celtic's more productive wide players in 2025/26, offering real end product from the right.
He has delivered 21 goals and 9 assists in 59 appearances, a return that helps explain why his salary sits inside the club's upper bracket.
Alistair Johnston - £25,000/week
Johnston has provided dependable width and balance from right-back, with the kind of steady all-round work Celtic value.
He has started all 11 of his league appearances in the squad data and has added 1 goal and 2 assists overall, which is tidy output for a defender.
Reo Hatate - £24,000/week
Hatate offers control and craft in central midfield, with enough mobility to connect Celtic's phases and enough quality to matter near the goal.
He has 6 goals and 3 assists in 54 appearances, while his 47 starts underline how often he has been part of the core selection.
Arne Engels - £24,000/week
Engels rounds out the top ten as a dynamic central midfielder with a bigger attacking footprint than many players in his role.
He has 7 goals and 8 assists in 47 appearances, making him one of the most productive midfielders in the squad this season.
Celtic's total wage bill in 2025/26
Celtic's annual wage bill of £26m exceeds the combined wage bills of the 8 non-Old-Firm Scottish Premiership clubs (£36m total).
That gap is the whole story in miniature: Celtic wages are enormous by domestic standards, yet still modest enough to keep the rest of the league well behind them.
The club's wage bill is built to win in Scotland, where depth, experience and a few premium salaries can separate Celtic from the pack. The same structure also leaves little room for waste, which is why top-end signings need to contribute quickly.
Celtic vs Rangers wage bill comparison
Celtic salaries sit in a different financial world from almost every Scottish Premiership rival, but Rangers are the obvious comparison point.
SalarySport lists Rangers on a weekly wage bill of $705,029 and a yearly total of $36,661,529, which converts to roughly £611,111 per week and £31.8m per year at the current exchange rate.
That still leaves Celtic well ahead in squad-spending terms, and the difference helps explain why the Old Firm dominates the title race most seasons.
Celtic can pay for proven Scottish players, returning academy products, and a handful of higher-cost recruits, while the rest of the league are forced to work with far tighter budgets.
Celtic vs European clubs: why Champions League is so hard
Celtic's wage bill is below Cagliari (Serie A), FC Köln (Bundesliga), Strasbourg (Ligue 1), Getafe (La Liga) - and far below every Premier League club. At Arsenal, Tierney earned £60,000 per week; his Celtic deal of £50,000 per week represents only a small drop, helped by a free transfer enabling Celtic's wage stretch.
That is why Celtic can be a giant at home and still feel squeezed in Europe. Celtic salaries buy dominance in Scotland, but the club is still competing against teams with far deeper financial wells when the Champions League anthem starts playing. Their finances can’t compare to those of the richest football clubs in the world.
Celtic Salary FAQs:
Who is the highest-paid Celtic player?
Kieran Tierney is Celtic's highest-paid player on £50,000 per week, after returning from Arsenal in summer 2025.
What is Celtic's wage bill?
Celtic's annual wage bill is approximately £26 million before bonuses - more than the combined total of the 8 other Scottish Premiership clubs outside the Old Firm.
How does Tierney's Celtic salary compare to Arsenal?
Tierney earned £60,000 a week at Arsenal, plus bonuses. His Celtic wage of £50,000 a week represents only a modest drop. [1]
How do Celtic's wages compare to European peers?
Celtic's wage bill is lower than mid-table clubs in Italy, Germany, France and Spain - including Cagliari, FC Köln, Strasbourg and Getafe - and far below every Premier League club. [1]
Scottish Premiership odds at 888sport
Celtic's financial edge is one reason they are usually priced as clear favourites in the Scottish Premiership market, but Safer Gambling still matters more than chasing a short price.
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