AFL senior coaches typically earn between around $450,000 to over $1 million per year, depending on their experience, success, and club. For example, some top coaches, such as Damien Hardwick, have salaries near $1 million, while others like Adam Simpson earn around $450,000. There is also a soft cap on football department spending, but currently 20% of senior coaches' salaries can be paid outside this cap. From 2026, clubs can pay senior coaches up to an additional $100,000 outside the soft cap through marketing service agreements. Overall, coach salaries are significant but vary widely by club and coach standing.
Assistant coaches' salaries tend to be lower, averaging around $180,000, with development coaches earning about $125,000 on average.
Recent reports indicate ongoing discussions about increasing salary flexibility for coaches, including potential removal of some salaries entirely from the soft cap to allow richer clubs to pay senior coaches more.
