Starting in 2025, domestic cricket will see men and women earning the same minimum starting salaries. This change is part of a broader transformation of the women’s domestic structure, with eight first-class counties hosting Tier 1 teams next season. The number of counties will rise to nine in 2026 and 10 by 2027.
At these Tier 1 counties, players signing their first professional contract, known as a "rookie" deal, will receive a minimum salary of £20,000. Once a player reaches "senior pro" status—after a certain number of first-team appearances—their pay will increase to £28,000.
A new three-tier county system will replace the current regional model as part of the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) plan to boost investment in women’s domestic cricket. By 2027, the ECB aims to increase the annual funding for women’s cricket to £19 million.
The Tier 1 counties for the upcoming season will be Durham, Essex, Hampshire, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Somerset, Surrey, and Warwickshire, with Yorkshire joining in 2026 and Glamorgan in 2027. These counties will align with the men's teams in competitions like the T20 Blast and One-Day Cup starting next season.
Each Tier 1 county will be required to have at least 15 contracted players and allocate between £500,000 and £800,000 annually for player salaries starting in 2025. For comparison, the minimum salary expenditure for men’s teams at first-class counties is around £1.5 million, with a maximum cap of about £3 million.
Currently, regions have a budget of £250,000 for women’s salaries, and the average annual pay for women cricketers is £25,000. Unlike the men’s game, rookie contracts have not existed for women until now.
Last summer, a report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) highlighted widespread discrimination in English cricket, including gender inequality. The report revealed that women cricketers were earning just 25% of what their male counterparts made for white-ball matches and 15% for Test matches.
In response, the ECB equalised men’s and women’s match fees in August 2023. However, while the ECB has made progress, it has not fully committed to all of ICEC's recommendations, such as achieving equal salaries for international players by 2030, equal pay in The Hundred by 2025, and equal salaries and prize money in other domestic cricket by 2029.
Although the ECB cannot yet provide a timeline for full pay equality, it has opened the door to third-party investment by offering stakes in The Hundred teams. This move could lead to increased earnings for all players in the future.