Soccer season is in full swing, and each weekend tens of millions of followers watch as NFL referees dash up and down the sphere making split-second calls that may determine the end result of a recreation. They’re usually the goal of boos, second-guessing, and offended tweets, however few folks cease to contemplate simply how tough and technical their job actually is. NFL referees should grasp some of the complicated rulebooks in skilled sports activities, preserve peak bodily conditioning, and make judgment calls in actual time with tens of millions of individuals watching. And whereas followers like to criticize them, statistics present that NFL officers are remarkably correct—roughly 96% of all calls made in latest seasons had been appropriate. So, with that stage of efficiency and strain, how a lot do NFL referees really make?
You may be stunned to be taught that being an NFL ref is definitely a part-time job.
That is proper. Whereas working up and down the sphere chasing males who earn an AVERAGE of $3 million per 12 months (and a few who earn as a lot as $40-60 million), NFL refs are primarily contract employees. They don’t receives a commission break day. They don’t get well being advantages. They usually even need to pay some skilled prices on their very own! For the overwhelming majority of refs, their work on Sundays is solely a aspect job outdoors of their regular Monday-Friday job.
NFL Referee Wage
In accordance with the newest knowledge and union studies, for the 2025 season, the NFL referees earn between $205,000 and $250,000 per season. Rookie referees or these of their first few seasons earn much less—normally between $100,000 and $150,000 per 12 months.
For context, again within the 2012 season, the typical referee made about $149,000. B
Since every official usually works round 18 video games (together with preseason and common season), that common works out to roughly $11,000 per recreation. In case you break the typical NFL wage of $3.2 million down per recreation, it involves $188,000 per recreation. Dak Prescott, who earns a league-leading $60 million per 12 months, makes $3.53 million per recreation.
Ed Hochuli (Al Messerschmidt/Getty Photographs)
Playoff and Tremendous Bowl Bonuses
NFL referees earn extra bonuses for working postseason video games. Wild Card and Divisional Spherical officers usually obtain $1,500 to $5,000 per recreation in additional pay. Convention Championship crews make barely extra. However the greatest single payday comes from the Tremendous Bowl, the place referees and their crews can earn a further $30,000 to $50,000 for one recreation.
These assignments are thought of the best honor within the occupation. Solely probably the most correct and constant officers all through the season are chosen, and being chosen to officiate the Tremendous Bowl is the refereeing equal of being named MVP.
Half-Time Job, Full-Time Workload
Regardless of their six-figure salaries, NFL referees are technically part-time workers. They don’t obtain year-round salaries, paid break day, or well being advantages. Most maintain full-time jobs outdoors of soccer. For instance, earlier than he retired, Ed Hochuli (pictured above) famously worked as a lawyer during the week earlier than donning the stripes on Sundays.
That does not imply the job is straightforward. Officers estimate they spend 30 to 40 hours per week getting ready for video games—finding out guidelines, reviewing movie, attending conferences, and touring. In addition they prepare bodily to maintain up with the athletes they oversee. In the course of the offseason, referees attend seminars and health packages to remain sharp for the next 12 months.
How To Change into An NFL Referee
Reaching the NFL ranks requires years of expertise. Most officers begin at the highschool or faculty stage, usually spending a decade or extra working their method up. The league recruits primarily from NCAA Division I soccer, and candidates should full intensive evaluations, rule exams, and health testing. As soon as chosen, new referees enter a growth program the place they prepare beneath veteran officers earlier than incomes common recreation assignments.
The Strain of the Whistle
Referees are graded each week on each name. Those that persistently carry out effectively get playoff assignments and higher pay, whereas those that make too many errors danger being demoted or launched. Each choice is reviewed by the league workplace, and the scrutiny might be intense. The introduction of high-definition cameras, replay programs, and social media has made the job extra seen—and extra hectic—than ever earlier than.
Bills and Commerce-Offs
Whereas the league covers journey and lodging, referees nonetheless shoulder a lot of private prices. They need to preserve health on their very own time, journey ceaselessly, and handle their second careers. Since they’re part-time workers, additionally they pay for their very own medical health insurance and don’t accrue conventional worker advantages. In different phrases, whereas the headline wage sounds beneficiant, it is compensation for a uniquely demanding and pressure-filled function that takes up almost as a lot time as a full-time job.
The Way forward for NFL Officiating Pay
The present collective bargaining settlement between the NFL and the officers’ union is ready to run out in 2026, and insiders anticipate the subsequent negotiation to incorporate pushes for larger salaries and higher advantages. Because the league’s revenues proceed to soar—because of record-breaking broadcast offers and streaming contracts—many argue that officers deserve a increase. There’s additionally rising dialogue about whether or not the league ought to lastly make referees full-time workers to additional professionalize the function.
Backside Line
NFL referees are among the many greatest on this planet at what they do. They’re anticipated to be flawless beneath excessive strain, and more often than not, they’re. In 2025, a median NFL referee earns between $200,000 and $250,000 per season, with prime officers and Tremendous Bowl assignments pushing that even larger. For a part-time job, it is a powerful paycheck—but it surely comes with the form of scrutiny and stress that solely the NFL can ship.
