How much do NFL practice squad players make?

That's probably not a question that most people wonder about, but I did.

Any time I hear about a guy who makes an NFL team "off the practice squad," I picture a guy toiling away, barely making a living, and then suddenly hitting the big time.

I did a bit of Googling and came across a very different picture. Wikipedia and Answers.com provided the following summary:

The minimum salary from 2008-2010 is $5,200 per week for 17 weeks, or $88,400 per season, in comparison to the NFL minimum rookie salary of $285,000. (Some practice squad players are paid considerably more, however. In 2006, the New England Patriots paid third-year player Billy Yates the full $425,000 he would have earned on the active roster.)

Season 06-07 $4,700/week
Season 08-10 $5,200/week

From Article XXXIV, Section 3 of the NFL collective bargaining agreement.

So next time you feel bad for the guy who "only" made the practice squad, don't worry. He's doing just fine.