NEW YORK — David Beckham tops Major League Soccer's salary list again at $6.5 million — more than 43 times the league's average — even though he'll remain on loan from the Los Angeles Galaxy to AC Milan until midseason.

Beckham's guaranteed income dwarfs the league average, which rose 14 percent to $147,945 from the start of last season following a 12 percent rise in 2008. As part of Sunday's agreement to extend his loan through the end of the Serie A season, the 33-year-old midfielder and AC Milan are jointly paying the Galaxy in a "multimillion dollar deal," according to the MLS team.

Just seven players in MLS top $500,000, according to figures released by the league's players union. Chicago's Cuauhtemoc Blanco remained second at $2.94 million and New York's Juan Pablo Angel third at $1.8 million.

Freddie Ljungberg of the expansion Seattle Sounders is fourth at $1.31 million and Galaxy forward Landon Donovan, just back with the Galaxy following a winter loan to Bayern Munich, is fifth at $900,0000.

The only other players over the half-million mark are Columbus' Guillermo Barros Schelotto at $775,000 and D.C. United's Luciano Emilio at $758,857.

The median income — the point at which an equal amount make above and below — was $88,000 for 323 players listed.

Forty players make the minimum $34,000 and 12 more make the developmental minimum of $20,100.