Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for umpires, referees, and other sports officialss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Louisiana$68,800
- North Dakota$64,260
- New Jersey$62,870
- Massachusetts$62,540
- Wisconsin$59,190
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$28,810
- Oklahoma$30,050
- Idaho$34,720
- North Carolina$34,980
- Utah$35,090
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana | $68,800 | $50,080 | $33 | +29.8% | 310 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $64,260 | $63,920 | $31 | +21.2% | 180 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $62,870 | $67,600 | $30 | +18.6% | 420 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $62,540 | $48,400 | $30 | +18% | 250 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | $59,190 | $57,000 | $28 | +11.7% | 300 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $58,430 | $39,530 | $28 | +10.2% | 200 |
| 7 | Illinois | $57,360 | $49,070 | $28 | +8.2% | 690 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $56,580 | $44,200 | $27 | +6.7% | 320 |
| 9 | California | $53,960 | $44,530 | $26 | +1.8% | 1,950 |
| 10 | Virginia | $52,580 | $40,840 | $25 | -0.8% | 260 |
| 11 | Iowa | $52,480 | $43,040 | $25 | -1% | 190 |
| 12 | South Carolina | $49,960 | $61,290 | $24 | -5.8% | 50 |
| 13 | Ohio | $49,030 | $55,040 | $24 | -7.5% | 580 |
| 14 | Arizona | $47,840 | $46,440 | $23 | -9.8% | 210 |
| 15 | Colorado | $47,710 | $44,230 | $23 | -10% | 1,120 |
| 16 | Vermont | $45,570 | $46,080 | $22 | -14% | 80 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $45,370 | $46,490 | $22 | -14.4% | 50 |
| 18 | Texas | $44,740 | $42,920 | $22 | -15.6% | 650 |
| 19 | Washington | $44,730 | $41,350 | $22 | -15.6% | 400 |
| 20 | Florida | $44,270 | $37,070 | $21 | -16.5% | 280 |
| 21 | Indiana | $41,720 | $46,140 | $20 | -21.3% | 170 |
| 22 | Oregon | $41,550 | $38,730 | $20 | -21.6% | 170 |
| 23 | Michigan | $41,220 | $34,560 | $20 | -22.2% | 340 |
| 24 | Montana | $40,950 | $36,370 | $20 | -22.8% | 60 |
| 25 | South Dakota | $38,730 | $35,260 | $19 | -26.9% | 80 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $37,660 | $31,390 | $18 | -29% | 40 |
| 27 | Kansas | $37,270 | $25,780 | $18 | -29.7% | — |
| 28 | Missouri | $36,860 | $33,140 | $18 | -30.5% | 1,240 |
| 29 | Georgia | $35,640 | $28,360 | $17 | -32.8% | 280 |
| 30 | Utah | $35,090 | $31,430 | $17 | -33.8% | 1,100 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $34,980 | $26,540 | $17 | -34% | 400 |
| 32 | Idaho | $34,720 | $32,250 | $17 | -34.5% | 170 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | $30,050 | $21,900 | $14 | -43.3% | 220 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $28,810 | $27,060 | $14 | -45.7% | 60 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 82 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Green Bay, WI | $77,670 | $70,610 | 40 |
| 2 | West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area | $69,580 | $68,060 | 50 |
| 3 | Baton Rouge, LA | $65,230 | $99,980 | 120 |
| 4 | Bismarck, ND | $63,920 | $62,890 | 70 |
| 5 | Fargo, ND-MN | $63,190 | $57,730 | 40 |
| 6 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $62,400 | $61,140 | 80 |
| 7 | Columbus, OH | $58,240 | $50,730 | 100 |
| 8 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $57,190 | $64,300 | 230 |
| 9 | Cleveland, OH | $57,140 | $55,070 | 160 |
| 10 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $56,330 | $62,190 | 310 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing umpires, referees, and other sports officialss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spectator Sports | $56,210 | $59,960 | 1,780 |
| 2 | Elementary and Secondary Schools, Privately Owned | $55,290 | $55,820 | 80 |
| 3 | Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries | $52,790 | $60,010 | 3,020 |
| 4 | Elementary and Secondary Schools | $51,840 | $57,300 | 390 |
| 5 | Elementary and Secondary Schools, Local Government Owned | $51,840 | $57,840 | 310 |
| 6 | Educational Services, Local Government Owned | $50,320 | $55,800 | 360 |
| 7 | Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events | $49,930 | $56,840 | 980 |
| 8 | Sector 71 - Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | $45,940 | $51,480 | 6,420 |
| 9 | Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $44,380 | $59,090 | 9,120 |
| 10 | Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers | $41,600 | $43,930 | 1,730 |
| 11 | State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $40,990 | $58,520 | 630 |
| 12 | Cross-Industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local | $40,710 | $53,010 | 15,780 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do umpires, referees, and other sports officials make in the U.S.?
The median umpires, referees, and other sports officials salary in the United States is $40,710 per year (mean $53,010), and about 80% earn between $26,540 and $82,960.
How much do umpires, referees, and other sports officials make per hour?
Roughly $25 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $53,010 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays umpires, referees, and other sports officials the most?
Louisiana has the highest average pay for umpires, referees, and other sports officials at $68,800 per year (median $50,080).
What is the job outlook for umpires, referees, and other sports officials?
Employment is projected to change +5.7% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 4,600 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.