Aside from the players, the referees also play a vital role in the National Football League (NFL), check out their salary breakdown and other details below per game and year in 2023
NFL referees play a significant role in enforcing the rules of the game and maintaining the right order.
NFL referee salary details per game, year and in the Super Bowl for 2023
All-time bad take by PFT. The average NFL referee salary in 2019 is scheduled to be $205,000. Not bad for working weekends less than half the year. There are NFL scouts spending 175 nights per year away from their families making $50-75k. pic.twitter.com/48knSJdCXs
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) April 3, 2019
Average NFL referee salary: $205,000 a year
Average Teacher salary:
$61,730 a year🤔
— Retired (@ChrisWorthy_) November 2, 2020
Aside from playing an important role in the game, referees also earn a good amount depending on their position and seniority.
Role of NFL referees in games
Notably, there has to be 7 official referees on the field throughout any NFL or college game. All the seven referees have their own particular duties and names as per the position. There are different positions including referee, umpire, field judge, head linesman, and more.
NFL referee salary breakdown
While details about the salary of NFL referees are generally not disclosed, the previous NFL CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) revealed that referees do earn a substantial income per game. According to various reports, the average salary of an NFL referee is over $205,000. However, following a new CBA, referees will now earn even more money along with pension plans of $401,000.
The reports also state that NFL referees usually earn a payment per game every season. Up until now, the highest per-game salary for NFL referees is $1,500. Notably, their jobs are not full-time as the league doesn’t take place all-year-round. Meanwhile, referees outside the NFL earn around $16.26 per hour.
NFL referee salary during playoffs and Super Bowls
While NFL referees earn a decent salary amount during the regular season, they get to earn even more during a postseason game, playoffs, or Super Bowl games. According to reports, and NFL referee can earn a bonus between $1500 – $5000, for every playoff match. However, since the Super Bowl is the most important game in the league, only the most experienced referees get to officiate it.
The top referees can earn massive amounts of $30,000 and $50,000 for officiating just one Super Bowl game. Aside from the salary, referees who officiate a Super Bowl also get the rings for the game. The Super Bowl ring is a highly appreciated symbol in the game and only the winning teams aside from the referees receive them. Based on all the above factors, including the role that referees play in the game, the NFL referees do deserve the high salaries they receive.