The average wage for a sports referee in the United States is around $15.73 per hour.
Avg Wage
Sports referees earn an average hourly wage of $15.73.
Salaries typically start from $10.09 per hour and go up to $24.52 per hour.
48% below national average Updated in 2019
Sports referee earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level sports referee earnings begin at:
$24.52 per hour
$51,012 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level sports referee earnings begin at:
$19.87 per hour
$41,332 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level sports referee earnings begin at:
$15.73 per hour
$32,715 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level sports referee earnings begin at:
$12.45 per hour
$25,895 per year
10th percentile
Starting level sports referee earnings begin at:
$10.09 per hour
$20,981 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Sports referee salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Kentucky | $46,930 |
| Washington | $37,460 |
| West Virginia | $37,270 |
| Massachusetts | $37,020 |
| Arizona | $35,472 |
| Illinois | $34,817 |
| Vermont | $34,440 |
| New Hampshire | $34,300 |
| Kansas | $34,170 |
| Florida | $32,630 |
| Alaska | $32,410 |
| Maryland | $32,160 |
| North Carolina | $31,220 |
| Virginia | $30,810 |
| Tennessee | $30,770 |
| Texas | $30,470 |
| New Jersey | $29,970 |
| Wisconsin | $29,450 |
| Iowa | $29,263 |
| Pennsylvania | $29,210 |
| Louisiana | $29,150 |
| Minnesota | $28,170 |
| Missouri | $27,880 |
| Colorado | $26,790 |
| California | $26,530 |
| Maine | $26,370 |
| Idaho | $26,163 |
| South Carolina | $25,630 |
| North Dakota | $25,350 |
| Rhode Island | $24,580 |
| Oregon | $23,950 |
| South Dakota | $23,820 |
| Delaware | $23,710 |
| New Mexico | $23,470 |
| Indiana | $22,930 |
| Michigan | $22,930 |
| Nebraska | $22,120 |
| Mississippi | $21,990 |
| Connecticut | $21,960 |
| Ohio | $21,780 |
| Montana | $19,950 |
| Oklahoma | $18,840 |
| Georgia | $18,780 |
| Utah | $18,570 |
| Alabama | $17,960 |
How do sports referee salaries compare to similar careers?
Sports referees earn 24% less than similar careers in the United States. On average, they make less than athletes but more than sports writers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Athlete salary | $49K |
| Athletic trainer salary | $49K |
| Exercise physiologist salary | $49K |
| Fitness trainer salary | $40K |
| Sports scout salary | $35K |
| Sports referee salary | $33K |
| Sports writer salary | $25K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)