Who would want to be a referee? Is the constant abuse from fans, players, and coaches worth it?Well, actually, yes. It turns out it is. Elite sport is big business, so it’s only fair that the men and women tasked with keeping global sporting superstars in check get paid accordingly.

NBA Refs Fly HighThe highest-paid referees of any sport are those in the NBA, the world’s biggest basketball league. Elite NBA refs like James Capers have a reported salary of $550,000, with the chance to earn more by officiating playoff games. Even without post-season games included, the average salary of an NBA ref is $375,000. Capers, who was the officiating crew chief for Game 4 of the 2022 NBA Finals, has over 24 seasons refereeing in the NBA and has worked on 135 playoff games in total, so he has more than earned his stripes.

The Referees With Ice In Their VeinsThe NHL has some of the most fast-paced, physical action in all professional sports, so referees have their work cut out. Base salaries for NHL refs range from $200,000 to $430,000, with an extra $27,000 per round worked in the playoffs. NHL refereeing veteran Kevin Pollock has over 20 years of experience in the NHL and has officiated over 200 playoff games throughout his career. His estimated salary is a cool $500,000, but this doesn’t come without risk.

Home Run For MLB OfficialsThird on our list of highest-paid sports officials are umpires in Major League Baseball. They take home an impressive average salary of $235,000. Joe West, the highest paid MLB umpire, takes home a huge annual salary of $450,000. Impressive, right? But before you start applying to the Professional Baseball Umpire Corporation about their training program, you might want to think it through.

Soccer’s Leading RefsSoccer is undoubtedly one of the biggest sports in the world. In terms of global viewership of sporting events, the FIFA World Cup comes second only to the Summer Olympics. So, it makes sense that soccer referees are some of the highest paid in the world, right? Well, a lot of the time, no. But, there are some exceptions, like in La Liga, Spain. The elite division of Spanish football reportedly pays referees a basic salary of €250,000 ($245,000) with a match fee of €6,000 ($5,900). This makes them the highest-paid soccer referees in the world. In the 2021-22 season, Spanish ref Carlos del Cerro Grande took 19 games in La Liga, which would have given him a domestic salary of €358,000 ($351,000). However, this isn’t the only chance European soccer referees get to earn.

America’s Game But Not America’s Best Paid RefsAlthough the NFL has never officially released referee salary information, it was reported in 2019 that referees made an average of $205,000 per season. This number was a $50k increase on reported salaries in 2018, so there is a possibility it has risen again ahead of the 2022/23 NFL season. Experienced referees earn big bonuses for taking extra post-season games, including the Super Bowl. Officiating legend Walt Anderson made an estimated $250,000 in 2019, his final year of refereeing. Not bad, right? Even considering some of the explosive atmospheres that refs face.

The Bottom LineCompared to average salaries, referees in elite sports worldwide get paid exceptionally well. Even starting salaries for refs run into hundreds of thousands of dollars, so we can see the appeal. But, just like elite athletes, making the cut as an elite referee is tough. It takes a lifetime of dedication and commitment to a sport, and significant financial rewards exist for those who make it to the big leagues.