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How much does a referee or umpire make?

Typical yearly pay for umpires, referees, and other sports officials in the United States.

$40,710

median pay per year, about $3,392 a month or $19.57 an hour.

That's more than 15% of the 100 jobs in our salary guide, ranking #85 of 100.

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Where it ranks

Photographer$44,660
Forest conservation worker$43,680
Nursing assistant$42,260
Referee or umpire$40,710
Butcher$40,140
Animal trainer$39,990
Barber$38,210

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How much does a referee or umpire make per hour?

About $19.57 an hour, if you spread the median yearly pay over a standard 40-hour week, 52 weeks a year. Actual hourly pay varies with overtime, shift work and location.

Becoming a referee or umpire

The U.S. Department of Labor's career profile covers the training, licenses and day-to-day tasks for this job.

How to become a referee or umpire

About this number

This is the national median wage for the occupation “Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials” (code 27-2023.00) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025 release, as published on O*NET OnLine. The median is the middle value: half of workers earn more, half earn less.