Here is all you need to know about how much the NFL referees and officials make and their salary per game and year in 2024
Even though they aren’t the most adored team in the league, referees are ultimately essential to the participation in (and watching) of football games.
The referee job is one of the most heavily criticised in the NFL. NFL referees are sometimes criticised for making calls that could change the course of a game, sometimes significantly, especially during the postseason.
NFL referee salary per game, playoffs and year in the 2023-2024 season
Though each role has distinct responsibilities and a name, football officials are often; and incorrectly; referred to as referees collectively: The head umpire, also known as the down judge, the line judge, the field judge, sometimes known as the back umpire, the side judge, the back judge, and the centre judge are among the frequently seen roles.
The only job the eighth official (who did not have an official position name) had for the CFL during the 2018 postseason was to keep an eye out for any head contact with the quarterback. The referee’s role is sometimes referred to as head referee or crew chief because of their broad oversight of the game.
Despite receiving a 401(k), several officials do not consider their work as referees to be a full-time profession. Even at the top level of football, however, they do not receive benefits, thus it is part-time work.
While there are a lot of players and head coaches with a huge amount of salary and net worth, here are the salaries of referees and other officials.
What is the salary of an NFL referee?
The official salary of NFL salaries are never disclosed in public. This implies that the exact salary of league officials is currently unknown. To estimate the present salary of NFL referees, however, expired collective bargaining agreements from the past can (and do) provide some useful information, at least until they negotiate a new agreement in 2026. Based on the expiring collective bargaining agreement from 2019, officials made an average of $201,000 a year, according to Money.com.
Here are the @NFL Championship Weekend referee assignments. #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/Ooy6FQJawV
— NFL Football Operations (@NFLFootballOps) January 22, 2024
For officials covering postseason games, there is an additional compensation that is reportedly worth between $1,500 and $5,000 every playoff game.
The Super Bowl is the biggest game that an official can play in and the most viewed television event of the year. Bonuses associated with this are projected by Money.com to range from $40,000 to $50,000 in 2024.