Sports referee earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level sports referee earnings begin at:

$32.34 per hour

$67,270 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level sports referee earnings begin at:

$28.92 per hour

$60,160 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level sports referee earnings begin at:

$22.35 per hour

$46,490 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level sports referee earnings begin at:

$14.58 per hour

$30,320 per year

10th percentile

Starting level sports referee earnings begin at:

$8.99 per hour

$18,690 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Sports referee salary by state

State Name Average Salary
New Jersey $67,600
North Dakota $63,920
South Carolina $61,290
Wisconsin $57,000
Ohio $55,040
Louisiana $50,080
Illinois $49,070
Massachusetts $48,400
Kentucky $46,930
West Virginia $46,490
Arizona $46,440
Indiana $46,140
Vermont $46,080
California $44,530
Colorado $44,230
Pennsylvania $44,200
Iowa $43,040
Texas $42,920
Washington $41,350
Virginia $40,840
Connecticut $39,530
Oregon $38,730
Florida $37,070
Montana $36,370
South Dakota $35,260
Michigan $34,560
New Hampshire $34,300
Missouri $33,140
Alaska $32,410
Idaho $32,250
Maryland $32,160
Utah $31,430
Nebraska $31,390
Tennessee $30,770
Georgia $28,360
Minnesota $28,170
Mississippi $27,060
North Carolina $26,540
Maine $26,370
Kansas $25,780
Rhode Island $24,580
Delaware $23,710
New Mexico $23,470
Oklahoma $21,900
Alabama $17,960

How do sports referee salaries compare to similar careers?

Sports referees earn 11% less than similar careers in West Virginia. On average, they make less than physical education teachers but more than sports writers.

Career Median Salary
Physical education teacher salary $66K
Sports scout salary $52K
Exercise physiologist salary $50K
Athletic trainer salary $51K
Sports referee salary $46K
Fitness trainer salary $38K
Sports writer salary $20K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)