How Much Do NFL Referees Earn In A Year?

Laelia Yang March 18, 2022 | 19:40

How much does an NFL referee earn per year, who is the highest-paid ref, and how much do they earn for officiating in the Super Bowl each year?

Being an NFL referee is a high-pressure job, but what is the salary they earn in return for the pressure they are put under on a weekly basis?

Football officials also commonly known as referees, have specific duties and a specific name based on each of their positions. Common positions include - referee (which is the lead member of the officiating team), umpire, head linesman (or down judge), line judge, field judge (or back umpire), side judge, back judge, and center judge. The referee is sometimes referred to as head referee or crew chief as he or she is responsible for the general supervision of the game.

Salaries for everyone involved with the National Football League (NFL) remain on a steady incline, including the infamous NFL referees. Depending on role and seniority, pay for the NFL officials varies. Most of them earn a considerable amount. The NFL referees also earn a substantial pension plan on top of a base salary. Pension plans are stipulated to be converted to 401(k) programs shortly.

In addition to an NFL referee’s salary, who is the highest-paid referee, and how much does a ref make if they are selected for the Super Bowl?

What is a referee?

A referee often called a "ref," acts as an official authority figure in a variety of sports. They remain on the sidelines as a neutral party in games making quick calls and decisions about what they see. Referees enforce the rules of the sport in which they're officiating, sometimes ejecting players for poor conduct. In the realm of football, NFL referees are held to higher standards, requiring advanced experience and higher pay.

Is refereeing in the NFL a full-time job?

The NFL did experiment with making around 20% of its referee's full-time league employees. However, that program was abandoned, and instead, all of the officials on the NFL officiating roster are part-time.

Referees have what is referred to as a dark period between the end of the season and the middle of May. That time and during the summer is when they typically focus on their other job. During the season, they are essentially considered full-time employees for the league.

Each and every week, the decisions of an NFL referee draw the ire of fans and leave people wondering about the salary they are paid to make what is viewed as an incorrect call. However, the NFL reviews the performance of its referees regularly. Those results consistently find that the majority of the time, the NFL refs do a good job, demonstrating why they are paid a handsome salary.

What is the Difference Between NFL Referees and Officials?

The general term used for an entire seven-person crew that works a single game is that of "officials". For each member of the squad, specific duties are outlined by the NFL operations site. Referees, umpires, down judges, line judges, field judges, side judges, and back judges have unique responsibilities in correspondence with the action. Referees manage these crews and make the final calls on infractions. They are responsible for game flow and generally oversee their group of officials. These managers have more earnings than the other six members of their crew.

How does someone become an NFL official?

The NFL requires that an official have at least 10 years of officiating football before being considered to be an NFL official. Out of those 10 years, at least five of them must include major college games.

But before then, there is a ton of training that goes into it. You can take classes and attend programs to study the game of football and get tips on officiating football. From there, most will register with their state so that they are certified to officiate games.

From there, it is about gaining as much experience as possible. Whether that’s Pop Warner football or high school, officials only will learn if they are out there in the action. Getting certified to officiate higher levels will help with reaching the NFL level.

The final step is to get noticed. Believe it or not, there is such a thing as getting scouted as a football official. These scouts attend college football games in order to see who can get brought up to the big lights

What is the average salary of an NFL referee?

Photo: 6abc

Starting in 2019, the average NFL referee salary was set at $205,000 per year. This was an increase of around $56,000 from their previous amount. After a series of lockouts and protests, the NFL and the Referees Association agreed-upon upon this higher compensation for all game officials. In comparison, the average referee outside of the NFL makes around $16.26 per hour.

Why does the NFL pay so much?

The National Football League might be a national sports provider, but it's also a business. Their products are the games, the players, and the officials. Due to the success of the league, those involved earn celebrity status, adding additional value to the league itself. They also earn media access and are paid additional money for brand promotion. Consider these individuals as salesmen, as they play a role in selling both products and the league. Incorporate business, salesmen are often compensated for the amount of revenue they generate. As the NFL generates billions in revenue, their players and officials have compensated accordingly.

Who is the highest-paid NFL referee?

The NFL referees who were paid the most in the 2020-2021 season were Brad Allen and Walt Anderson, but their salaries have not been disclosed. The highest-paid female referee was Sarah Thomas, who was the first woman to officiate a major college football game, the first to officiate a bowl game, and the first to officiate in a Big Ten stadium.

How much do NFL referees make a year?

Officially, an NFL referee’s salary is undisclosed. However, for context, we can estimate how much an NFL ref earns based on the pay figures in the expired NFL CBA. From these figures, it has been found that an NFL referee earned an average of $205,000. The year before where officials earned $149,000 on average, this was actually a substantial increase from the salary.

The league pays its officials a flat-base rate plus a payment per game. Typically, on multiplying by 16 through the year, one can calculate in-season game check totals. The average official banks a six-figure salary in part-time work through the season, according to Tom Gerencer of MoneyNation. Referees, by earning more than half a million dollars after a 16-game slate on an average, stand atop the financial food chain. Beyond games, officials attend functions and practices to improve their in-season performances by gaining a better understanding of existing rules and new regulations approved every year, which justifies the base payment. Referees also receive large bonuses for officiating postseason games, which are more than double their per-game pay.

When comparing roles within the NFL ranks, the average referee ($550,000) makes nearly three times the salary of average officials as a whole ($188,322).

How much do NFL referees make for Super Bowl?

Although the official figures are not usually revealed publicly, after the last agreement between the league and the NFL Referees Association it was known that in the 2019 season, referees received earnings of $205,000 on average. This equates to around $12,000 per game, a pretty significant figure.

This number has not been disclosed either, but it is known that besides the regular salary, referees do in fact, get a special bonus for a Super Bowl game. Money.com reports that in some cases, a couple of NFL referees earned up to $50,000 for working the Super Bowl before. The number tends to average between $40,000 and $50,000.

Finally, in one of the most recent negotiations, referees managed to get around $18,000 a year deposited into their pension fund, which far exceeds many other professionals in the United States. So yeah, becoming a man on stripes doesn't sound that bad.

How much does the NFL female referee make?

Photo: edition.cnn

There is one female NFL referee, Sarah Thomas. A native of Mississippi, Thomas’ officiating career began in 2007 as a high school football referee.

Sarah Thomas would make history in the 2015 NFL Season when she became the first female referee that was hired by the NFL full-time. Although Sarah wasn't the first female to ref an NFL game. She is the first female ref to be hired on as a full-time official.

Full-time contracted NFL officials make between $4,000-$5,000 per game. If they were to officiate in the playoffs of the Super Bowl they would make $10,000 per game.

Sarah Thomas is the highest-paid female referee bringing in close to $250,000 per year as an NFL official. Which is a lot more than the average Female NFL Referee. The average annual salary for a female NFL official is $75,000 a year.

Comparing NFL Official Salaries to Other Leagues

When comparing roles within the NFL ranks, the average referee ($550,000) makes nearly three times the salary of average officials as a whole ($188,322). That figure lags behind counterparts in the other three American sports leagues, per Gerencer:

Sport	Average Salary
NFL Official	$188,322
NHL Official	$212,500
MLB Official	$235,000
NBA Official	$375,000

Nonetheless, the full-time employees will even the playing field. It's also worth noting the other leagues' season schedules require officials to work multiple games in a week. Finally, with a seven-person crew, the referee takes home a game check that more than triples the payment for a line judge's work.

Nonetheless, like most companies, officials with seniority don't feel slighted in salary. For those in tier 1 of the NFL officiating ranking system, bonus opportunities will eventually come their way during the postseason.

How to become an NFL referee?

Education

Even though there are no specific education requirements for working in the NFL as a referee, a bachelor's degree in any major is generally expected at the least. And if that is in the fields Sports Health, Sports Management or a related field, it is found to be better suited for the role.

Experience

Candidates for the NFL referee role need extensive experience on the field as one of the major requirements. At least 10 years of officiating in football games are required by the NFL. Of those 10, at least five should include major college games.

Good health

Since the role requires individuals to be on their feet for long periods of time, often running, the candidates must be in good physical health. It’s an advantage if one has previous experience as a Football player or coach as they are seemingly more prepared for the role.