How Much Does an NFL Referee Make? (2024)

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What Is an NFL Referee’s Salary?

The reported average annual salary of $205,000 for NFL refs is likely not too far off the mark. It is estimated that Brad Allen, the 2nd highest-paid ref in the NFL during the 2021-2022 season, earned $250,000, which includes his per-game bonuses. Byron Boston, the 10th highest-paid NFL referee, reportedly makes $205,000 annually.

How Much Do NFL Refs Make per Game?

Sporting News says refs are not paid per game. Instead, they earn a flat salary for the seasonand may receive per-game bonuses and bonuses for officiating playoff games and the Super Bowl. The average pay-per-game bonus for a ref is estimated to be $2,500.

How Much Do Super Bowl Refs Get Paid?

A report from Money.com in 2018 said the bonus officials receive for working the Super Bowl could be between $30,000 and $50,000, although it is a well-kept secret and has been the subject of much speculation.

Who Is the Highest-Paid NFL Referee?

The highest-paid NFL referee reportedly is Brad Allen. Walt Anderson did top the list up until the end of the 2021-2022 season when he retired. Both refs made about $250,000 for the 2021-2022 season.

Is Being an NFL Official a Full-Time Job?

Field officials are part-time employees, and many hold other jobs. Veteran referee Ronald Torbert, for example, juggled his work as an attorney with his long career as an official in high school, college and finally the NFL, until he retired from practicing law in 2019. He was the referee for Super Bowl LVI.

NBC Sports said that, as part-time NFL employees, officials do not receive insurance benefits. They are members of the NFL Referees Association, have a collective bargaining agreement and can enroll in a 401(k) plan with a partially matching contribution.

What Experience Does an NFL Official Need?

The NFL has155officials on its roster —from the referees to judges to replay officials— and it’s a select group. The league’s officiating department is charged with working with local, state and collegiate officiating groups to develop a pipeline to the NFL, but it’s a long process.

The NFL has scouts across the country looking for officials at lower levels of the game who have the potential to advance, and about 4,000 officials have been identified. Once they have caught the eye of the NFL office, their progress is monitored, and they might be invited to take part in the NFL Officiating Development Program. Officials in major college conferences seem to have the best chance of moving up.

What Do NFL Referees Do Besides Officiate?

A common question is, “how much do NFL refs make?” A better question is, “how much do NFL refs work?” Fans may assume officials only work on game days through the football season. But NFL refs and all other officials also work during the preseason and between regular season games.

During the off-season, officials must attend training clinics to prepare for the upcoming season. This preparation includes both written and physical evaluations. Officials also attend preseason training camps to practice officiating practices and games.

During the season, officials review the previous week’s game footage. Referees, also known as the crew chiefs, often have preparation to do on top of reviewing the previous week’s game. They scout the two teams they will face in the coming week to report back to the other officials on things to watch for during game time.

NFL Officials Work Hard for Those Coveted Positions

On average, an NFL referee oversees 154 plays in an NFL game. The NFL Officiating Department reviews every call an NFL official makes or fails to make. Officials who make too many erroneous calls or miss a high percentage of calls may be demoted. But the best-performing officials get the privilege of officiating the playoff games and possibly the Super Bowl while earning attractive bonuses.

Jami Farkas contributed to the reporting for this article.

Information is accurate as of Oct. 17, 2022.

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The Sporting News. 2021.
The Sporting News. 2022. "NFL referee salary: How much money do refs, other officials make in 2022?"
Gazette Review. 2022. "Top 10 Highest Paid NFL Referees of [Year]."
Money.com. 2019. "Here’s How Much NFL Refs Get Paid — for Super Bowl 2019 and the Regular Season."
The Baltimore Sun. 2022. "Hanover resident Ron Torbert to referee Super Bowl 56 in ‘highlight’ of 33-year officiating career."
NBC Sports. 2022. "Here's how much money NFL officials make working games."