2012-13 NBA Rookie Salary Scale

Rookies can sign for up to 120% of the first-year amount (and almost always do), but also as low as 80% (never?). The third and fourth seasons are team options.

To get the fourth year amount, multiply the third year amount by 1.(fourth-year column percentage). Take that number and multiply by 1.(QO column percentage) to get the amount of the Qualifying Offer, the amount a team must offer in order to make the player a restricted free agent following his fourth season.

Here’s the math using the 2005-06 #1 spot as an example:

Year 1 – $4,340,520 (Year 1 * 120%)
Year 2 – $4,838,880 (Year 2 * 120%)
Year 3 – $4,991,520 (Year 3 * 120%) – Team Option
Year 4 – $6,294,307 (Year 3 *1.261) – Team Option
Qualifying Offer – $8,182,599 (Year 4 *1.3)

NOTE: The 2011-12 and 2012-13 NBA rookie salary scales begin at the same amount as the 2010-11 scale, but the increases from Year 1 to Year 2 and Year 2 to Year 3 are lower. That was part of the new collective bargaining agreement where the salary cap, luxury tax, minimum salaries, and the rookie scales were all effectively frozen at the 2010-11 levels in order for teams to stabilize their caps for the new rules.

PickYear 1Year 2Year 3Year 4QO
1$4,286,900 $4,479,800 $4,672,700 26.10%30.00%
2$3,835,600 $4,008,200 $4,180,800 26.20%30.50%
3$3,444,400 $3,599,400 $3,754,400 26.40%31.20%
4$3,105,500 $3,245,200 $3,385,000 26.50%31.90%
5$2,812,200 $2,938,700 $3,065,300 26.70%32.60%
6$2,554,200 $2,669,100 $2,784,100 26.80%33.40%
7$2,331,700 $2,436,600 $2,541,600 27.00%34.10%
8$2,136,100 $2,232,200 $2,328,300 27.20%34.80%
9$1,963,600 $2,052,000 $2,140,300 27.40%35.50%
10$1,865,300 $1,949,200 $2,033,200 27.50%36.20%
11$1,772,100 $1,851,800 $1,931,600 32.70%36.90%
12$1,683,500 $1,759,300 $1,835,000 37.80%37.60%
13$1,599,300 $1,671,300 $1,743,200 42.90%38.30%
14$1,519,400 $1,587,800 $1,656,100 48.10%39.10%
15$1,443,300 $1,508,200 $1,573,200 53.30%39.80%
16$1,371,200 $1,432,900 $1,494,600 53.40%40.50%
17$1,302,600 $1,361,200 $1,419,800 53.60%41.20%
18$1,237,500 $1,293,200 $1,348,900 53.80%41.90%
19$1,181,800 $1,235,000 $1,288,200 54.00%42.60%
20$1,134,500 $1,185,600 $1,236,600 54.20%43.30%
21$1,089,100 $1,138,100 $1,187,100 59.30%44.10%
22$1,045,600 $1,092,700 $1,139,700 64.50%44.80%
23$1,003,800 $1,049,000 $1,094,100 69.70%45.50%
24$963,600 $1,007,000 $1,050,300 74.90%46.20%
25$925,100 $966,700 $1,008,400 80.10%46.90%
26$894,400 $934,600 $974,900 80.30%47.60%
27$868,600 $907,700 $946,800 80.40%48.30%
28$863,300 $902,100 $941,000 80.50%49.00%
29$857,000 $895,600 $934,100 80.50%50.00%
30$850,800 $889,100 $927,400 80.50%50.00%