What did that do to players' wallets? In 1920, the average salary was $5,000 a year. It took 50 years for salaries to reach $30,000, but with the reserve clause out of the picture the average salary was $143,000 by 1980.Today's average baseball salary is $3.3 million.The business of baseball has also changed a lot over the years, allowing teams to spend big bucks their players.t took 50 years for salaries to reach $30,000, but with the reserve clause out of the picture the average salary was $143,000 by 1980. Today's average baseball salary is $3.3 million.