How Much Does a Football Referee Earn?

Information regarding the amount of money paid to NFL referees and other NFL game officials is not released to the public. According to an interview with NFL referee Gene Steratore in the "Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel," the officials are paid based on seniority and not on their position within the crew.

Features

According to AskMen.com, the annual salary for an NFL on-field official can range from $25,000 per year up to $70,000 per year.

Identification

Each NFL officiating crew consists of 7 officials including the referee. There is a total of 119 active NFL officials that work on 17 different crews.

Earnings Compared

Major League Baseball umpires make an average of $141,000 per year; NBA referees earn approximately $128,000 per year; and NHL officials earn an average of $139,000 per year. This places NFL referees at the very bottom of the professional sports official pay scale.

Expert Insight

Prior to the 2001 season, the NFL referees demanded higher pay and were denied by the league. The league prepared to start the season with replacement referees rather than meet the demands of their existing officials.

Fun Fact

The first African-American NFL referee was Johnny Grier who made his regular season debut on September 4, 1988.

Resources

• Job-Employment-Guide.com
• PayScale.com
• AskMen.com
• "New York Times"
• "Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel"

Who Can HelpSponsored

• Tired of Being Tired? Fight Fatigue and Try FRS for FREE!