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5 of the Highest Paying Referee Jobs in 2026
The best Referee jobs can pay up to $98,500 per year.
A referee is an official who monitors a sport, such as football games, on the field of play to enforce rules, determine scores, and ensure fair play. Referees can be found at all levels of competition, beginning at the youth recreational level all the way up to the college and professional leagues. As a referee, your job duties also include monitoring player safety, assessing penalties for rules infractions, and keeping up with the amount of game time left to play in the match. You often work with a team of other officials to cover the entire field of play.
To become a referee, you typically need a high school diploma or GED certificate and training through a sport-specific referee program. This specialized training teaches you the rules of the game, the techniques to get you in the right position to make calls, and the proper signals to make when assessing penalty infractions. Experience playing the sport you officiate is not necessary but may be helpful. You may also need to improve your skills by refereeing at lower levels of competition and working your way up. Some employers, such as academic institutions, require candidates to obtain state registration, which may involve passing a written exam and field test. Additional qualifications include strong communication and decision-making skills, as well as excellent vision and physical stamina.
High Paying Referee Jobs
Sports Statistician
Salary range: $57,500 - $98,500
There are two broad categories of sports statistician: academic statisticians and recorders. If you are an academic statistician, your responsibilities are to track players and team data and analyze this information to develop unique insights about the team, a specific athlete, or the effectiveness of a strategy or tactic. You then make recommendations to team management staff based on your analysis. If you are a recorder, your duties are to record statistics of games in real time. The data you collect provides insights for the team, academic statisticians, and news and media outlets that report on sports.
Umpire
Salary range: $34,000 - $55,500
An umpire enforces the rules of play in a baseball game. Job duties include handling disputes, determining whether a player is on base, applying rules, communicating with players and coaches, and ensuring the playing field is safe. This job is available at all levels of baseball; youth organizations, high school and college athletic programs, and professional organizations, including the major and minor leagues, all require umpires. An umpire must be familiar with the rules and regulations of baseball, especially those of the league that employs them.
Basketball Court Monitor
Salary range: $28,500 - $42,000
The majority of Basketball Court Monitor salaries across the United States currently range between $28,500 (25th percentile) and $42,000 (75th percentile) annually. This moderate range of salaries suggests pay in this role will be consistent, regardless skill level, location and years of experience, though some advancement is possible. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Basketball Court Monitor job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.
Soccer Referee
Salary range: $31,000 - $39,000
The majority of Soccer Referee salaries across the United States currently range between $31,000 (25th percentile) and $39,000 (75th percentile) annually. This moderate range of salaries suggests pay in this role will be consistent, regardless skill level, location and years of experience, though some advancement is possible. Based on recent job postings on ZipRecruiter, the Soccer Referee job market in the United States is somewhat active, with a few companies hiring.
Scorekeeper
Salary range: $20,000 - $33,000
A scorekeeper is responsible for keeping an accurate score at sporting events. In this career, your job duties include keeping the scoreboard accurate during contests, keeping accurate statistics about the players, and working with game officials to ensure a fair contest. There are no formal qualifications needed for a career as a scorekeeper, but experience and knowledge of the rules of the sport are beneficial. You also need excellent multitasking skills and a keen eye for detail.