Sports referee earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level sports referee earnings begin at:

$29.23 per hour

$60,800 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level sports referee earnings begin at:

$23.67 per hour

$49,230 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level sports referee earnings begin at:

$15.01 per hour

$31,220 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level sports referee earnings begin at:

$9.12 per hour

$18,970 per year

10th percentile

Starting level sports referee earnings begin at:

$8.12 per hour

$16,900 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 23% less than similar careers in North Carolina. On average, they make less than physical education teachers.

Career Median Salary
Physical education teacher salary $60K
Exercise physiologist salary $46K
Athletic trainer salary $45K
Sports scout salary $35K
Fitness trainer salary $34K
Sports referee salary $31K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)