Almost every Counter-Strike 2 fan has dreamed of becoming a pro player. Big events, huge crowds, and big paychecks sound like a perfect life. But how much money do CS2 organizations actually spend on their teams every month? Let’s break it down with real numbers and expert opinions.

Team salaries in 2024

In 2024, analyst Alex “Mauisnake” Ellenberg shared salary estimates for top CS2 rosters. He didn’t name his sources, but said that these numbers are widely known in the scene. These numbers include all five players and their coach. Here's what teams were reportedly paying per month:

• Vitality — $220,000
• Falcons — $195,000
• FaZe — $190,000
• G2 — $180,000
• Liquid — $175,000
• Astralis — $165,000
• Heroic — $160,000
• NAVI — $155,000
• FURIA — $105,000
• Spirit — $100,000
• Virtus.pro — $100,000
• MOUZ — $95,000
• Complexity — $95,000
• ENCE — $92,000
• BIG — $75,000
• Eternal Fire — $50,000
• The MongolZ — $30,000

These numbers were true for 2024. But things have changed in 2025.

2025: The salary gap is even bigger

In 2025, coach and analyst Aleksandar "kassad" Trifunović revealed even more surprising details. After GamerLegion destroyed Team Falcons 26-3 at PGL Bucharest 2025, he shared how much each team spends:

“A single Falcons player makes more per month than the entire GamerLegion team in two months.”

GamerLegion's players have small salaries. According to kassad, GamerLegion’s five players together probably make under $30,000 a month.

On the other hand, players in Falcons each make about $30,000 individually. Despite this, Falcons still lost badly to a cheaper team.

Kassad also revealed at the Hot Take Point Made podcast show that Nikola "NiKo" Kovač's salary was over €60,000 a month back in 2023, and it likely went up since then. With performance bonuses and inflation, he probably makes closer to €70,000 now.

Lower tier salaries: Big skill, small pay

You might think all pro players make huge money—but that’s not true for everyone. Kassad explained how much some younger or tier-2 players make:

• Oldřich "PR" Nový (GamerLegion) was earning €2.5k at MOUZ NXT
• He was about to sign for €3.5k with BLEED before the deal fell through
• Erik "ztr" Gustafsson, Henrich "sl3nd" Hevesi, and others likely earn less than €5k each

Even when sl3nd was bought out from Endpoint for over $100,000, he didn’t get a huge salary. The entire GamerLegion roster together doesn’t reach €30,000, according to kassad.

Owen "smooya" Butterfield also claimed at the HLTV Confirmed podcast that Ilya "Perfecto" Zalutskiy was making at least $50,000 a month while sitting on Cloud9’s bench with a reduced salary.

Best and worst investments

• Best value teams:
• Spirit ($100k) won IEM Katowice 2024
• NAVI ($155k) won PGL Major Copenhagen 2024
• MOUZ ($95k) won ESL Pro League Season 19

These teams delivered big results for what they’re paid.

• Worst value teams:
• Falcons ($195k) and Liquid ($175k) both failed to qualify for the Major in early 2024, despite massive spending.

Final thoughts

Salaries in CS2 vary a lot. Some teams invest smart and get results. Others spend millions and crash out early. A big name doesn’t always mean big results. At the same time, young and hungry teams with low salaries—like GamerLegion or The MongolZ—can still beat the top dogs.

Money helps, but it doesn’t guarantee victory. Talent, teamwork, and preparation are still the most important parts of success in Counter-Strike 2.