1. Christoph Klarer in 2024-25: Quick Overview
Christoph Klarer came through the youth ranks at Southampton before making his name in Austria and Germany. The Austrian Under-21 international joined Birmingham City at the start of the 2024-25 season.
Klarer spent time in the Austrian Bundesliga on loan before heading to 2. Bundesliga in Germany with Düsseldorf. The defender then had his opportunity in Germany’s top flight with Darmstadt. Birmingham City signed the defender ahead of the season in League One in the summer of 2024.
Last season, Klarer was a mainstay in the Blues side that dominated England’s third tier, ending the season with 111 points and losing just three times. The Austrian featured in 43 of City’s 46 league matches and made 54 appearances in all competitions.
The 25-year-old is now preparing for the Championship with Chris Davies’ side as they look to challenge for back-to-back promotions.
- Weekly Salary: £15,000
- Annual Salary: £780,000
- Current Club: Birmingham City
- Contract Expiry: June 2027
- Reported Bonuses: None
2. Career Earnings to Date
| Club | Years | Estimated Salary |
| Fortuna Düsseldorf | 2020-21 | £235,242 |
| Fortuna Düsseldorf | 2021-22 | £235,242 |
| Fortuna Düsseldorf | 2022-23 | £235,242 |
| Darmstadt 1898 | 2023-24 | £522,759 |
| Birmingham City | 2024-25 | £780,000 |
| Birmingham City | 2025-27 | £780,000 |
Growing up at Rapid Wien, Klarer made the move to the Southampton academy but struggled to break into the first team with the Saints. After a brief loan spell with Austrian outfit St. Pölten, Klarer made the permanent switch to 2. Bundesliga club Fortuna Düsseldorf.
Klarer signed a deal with Düsseldorf, reportedly worth £4,477 per week or £232,788 per year. The Austrian remained on that contract for the entirety of his time with the club before his switch to Darmstadt.
That move to Darmstadt brought top-flight football to Klarer again as he was now competing in the German Bundesliga. Klarer signed a £ 9,948-a-week deal with the club, giving him annual earnings of £517,308.
After 30 Bundesliga games for Darmstadt during a season that saw them relegated, Klarer made the move to England’s third tier to join Birmingham City.
Upon joining the Blues, the defender signed a three-year deal worth £15,000 a week and £780,000 per year. His first season with the club was a highly successful one, with the club winning the League One title and setting a new record for the number of points gained.
Klarer has two years remaining on his contract, which equates to £1,560,000 in gross salary. To date, Klarer’s career earnings stand at approximately £1,995,000.
3. Contract Details & History
Christoph Klarer’s move to England and Birmingham City saw his wage drastically increase from £9,948 per week to £15,000 per week.
While details of his wages at Southampton as a young player and during his time on loan in Austria are unknown, the details available show Klarer’s wage increasing significantly with every transfer.
From earning £232,788 at Fortuna Düsseldorf in 2. Bundesliga, his wage more than doubled when moving to Darmstadt, seeing him earn a gross wage of £517,308 per year.
Despite being in the third tier of English league football at the time of signing Klarer, Birmingham City were able to hand the defender a three-year deal worth £780,000 per year.
By the time his Birmingham City deal comes to an end in the summer of 2027, the defender will have earned £2,340,000 from the Blues.
4. Salary Comparison: How Christoph Klarer Stacks Up
Birmingham City’s Top Earners (2025-26):
- Cristoph Klarer – £780,000
- Seung-ho Paik – £780,000
- Lyndon Dykes – £780,000
- Ethan Laird – £702,000
- Tomoki Iwata – £650,000
- Jay Stansfield – £650,000
- Willum Willumsson – £520,000
- Ryan Allsopp – £520,000
- Scott Wright – £520,000
Comparison To Other Centre Backs In The Championship (2025-26)
- Wout Faes (Leicester City) – £2,600,000 per annum
- Jack Stephens (Southampton) – £2,080,000
- Harry Souttar (Leicester City) – £2,080,000
- Dara O’Shea (Ipswich Town) £1,820,000
- Japhet Tanganga (Millwall) – £1,820,000
- Shane Duffy (Norwich City) – £1,820,000
- Ben Gibson (Stoke City) – £1,820,000
- Luis Binks (Coventry City) – £1,560,000
- Steve Cook (Queens Park Rangers) – £1,560,000
- Ronnie Edwards (Southampton) – £1,560,000
Following the departure of Krystian Bielik to West Bromwich Albion, Klarer is Birmingham City’s top earner on £780,000 per year alongside Seung-ho Paik and Lyndon Dykes. The Blues dominated League One from start to finish last season and were aided by the financial might to sign players like Klarer.
For all of the talk surrounding the club’s big spending last season, Birmingham City’s wage bill is dwarfed by the likes of Southampton and Leicester City.
Klarer’s salary may be top of the list when it comes to his own club, but his wages are no match for other centre-backs in the Championship. Leicester’s Belgian defender Wout Faes is one of the league’s best-paid central defenders, earning a gross salary of £2,600,000 per year.
He is behind a number of players from the relegated clubs, defenders such as Jack Stephens, Harry Souttar and Dara O’Shea of Southampton, Leicester City and Ipswich Town, respectively.
5. FAQs About Christoph Klarer’s Salary
Q: What is Christoph Klarer’s weekly and annual salary?
A: Christoph Klarer earns £15,000 per week, giving him a yearly wage of £780,000.
Q: When does Christoph Klarer’s current contract end?
- A: Christoph Klarer signed a three-year deal with Birmingham City and has two years remaining on that contract.
Q: Are there any bonuses or incentives in the contract?
- A: Any bonuses in his contract are unknown.
Q: Has Christoph Klarer’s salary changed in recent years?
- A: Christoph Klarer’s salary has risen significantly since he was playing for Fortuna Düsseldorf in 2. Bundesliga. With Fortuna, he was earning £235,242 per year before seeing that more than double to £522,759 when signing for Darmstadt. His wage increased again when he signed for Birmingham, rising to £780,000.
Q: How does Christoph Klarer’s salary compare to teammates or league rivals?
- A: Christoph Klarer is Birmingham City’s highest-paid player according to the data available on Capology. However, when his salary is compared to those of others in his position in the Championship, he is some distance short of those with the most money.
Q: Does his salary affect club finances?
- A: Birmingham City pay its players an average of £473,778 per year, meaning Klarer earns significantly more than the average paid to his teammates.
