Referee Salary

Sports and games are directionless without a referee or an umpire who guides and ensures a game free of foul play. In recent years, many people have started to consider the profession of a referee as an esteemed one, as it now promises a good salary. Yes, according to recent trends, referees earn competitive salaries and this is a driving factor for many people to opt for this challenging profession. Challenging in the perspective that referees work on contractual basis, that makes it mandatory for them to have another source of income. Not surprising many referees have day jobs, that opens the door for more earnings. One can call the referee profession, a mixed bag of various things, some positive and some negative.

Referee Duties
Contrary to popular belief, the job of a referee is more than just running around the field and just blowing the whistle. They, in essence, are to ensure that the spirit of the game is always maintained! Nevertheless, we frequently see disagreements and arguments between the players and referees during football matches! Sometimes leading to serious breach of disciplinary laws and rules.

The important referee duties include carrying out the laws of the game fairly. The referee is responsible for addressing any event that happens on the field during the game to the match referee. The referee may postpone or terminate the match on accounts of valid reason.

The referee can take decisions regarding any misbehavior committed by a players on the field and can dismiss the player for that match. A referee can also check out the equipment used in the game to make sure that the standard rules of the game are followed. Following are the earnings of referees in various popular leagues of sports.

Major League Baseball (MLB)
If you visit the official website of Major League Baseball (MLB), you will find that referees or umpires of Major league baseball earn a very decent salary of about USD 120,000, just at the start of the season, if they start their career in the big league. Though being a MLB referee ensures that you won't be free for the rest of the year, as the MLB umpires have a really hectic schedule. Some 162 matches are scheduled in a spring season!! However, the salaries are really good, besides, first-class air ticket, hotel accommodation and free clothing making life easier for MLB umpires. Last but not the least, the MLB umpires get four weeks of paid vacation and even some extra bucks for officiating at postseason matches, if any! A rewarding profession indeed.

National Basketball Association (NBA)
According to the sources in the National Basketball Association (NBA), referees of the NBA earn anything between USD 100,000 to USD 300,000 for a season of 82 games! Now, isn't that a good salary! It definitely is.

National Hockey League's (NHL)
People believe that hockey referees don't make good salaries. So wrong, for the hockey league referees too make a salary between USD 110,000 and USD 255,000. If you're a linesman, you can earn a salary between USD 70,000 to USD 162,000.

National Football League (NFL)
A fact: National Football League referees work only on Sundays. And so it is mandatory that they've some other work on weekdays. The salary range for NFL referees is between USD 25,000 to USD 70,000. NFL referees work as entrepreneurs, dentists, farmers and even inventors on week days.

As you can see the referee salary ranges are very decent and allow an opportunity to earn good salaries. Good decision-making skills and a strong personality are the attributes that one must have to become a referee. Nowadays, owing to the extreme competition and professionalism, referees end up in controversies for some decisions. The career opportunities in this field are good as with work experience, you will be allowed to officiate at international and world-class matches.