SOC 27-2023 · Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025United States, all industries

U.S. median annual wage$40,710
U.S. median hourly wageNot published
U.S. employment15,780

Nationally, umpires, referees, and other sports officials earned a median of $40,710 per year as of the May 2025 OEWS estimates, across 15,780 jobs. Pay varies substantially by area — look up a specific state or metro below.

National pay distribution

Pay by state

Every state and territory with a published May 2025 estimate. “Not published” means BLS suppressed the value — it never means zero. Higher medians often track higher living costs; this is not a ranking of where the job is “best”.

Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials: pay and employment by state
State
New Jersey$67,600Not published4200.1
North Dakota$63,920Not published1800.4
South Carolina$61,290Not published500.0
Wisconsin$57,000Not published3000.1
Ohio$55,040Not published5800.1
Louisiana$50,080Not published3100.2
Illinois$49,070Not published6900.1
Massachusetts$48,400Not published2500.1
West Virginia$46,490Not published500.1
Arizona$46,440Not published2100.1
Indiana$46,140Not published1700.1
Vermont$46,080Not published800.2
California$44,530Not published1,9500.1
Colorado$44,230Not published1,1200.4
Pennsylvania$44,200Not published3200.1
Iowa$43,040Not published1900.1
Texas$42,920Not published6500.0
Washington$41,350Not published4000.1
Virginia$40,840Not published2600.1
Connecticut$39,530Not published2000.1
Oregon$38,730Not published1700.1
Florida$37,070Not published2800.0
Montana$36,370Not published600.1
South Dakota$35,260Not published800.2
Michigan$34,560Not published3400.1
Missouri$33,140Not published1,2400.4
Idaho$32,250Not published1700.2
Utah$31,430Not published1,1000.6
Nebraska$31,390Not published400.0
Georgia$28,360Not published2800.1
Mississippi$27,060Not published600.1
North Carolina$26,540Not published4000.1
Kansas$25,780Not publishedNot publishedNot published
Oklahoma$21,900Not published2200.1
KentuckyNot publishedNot published2900.1
MaineNot publishedNot published1800.3
MinnesotaNot publishedNot published3200.1
New YorkNot publishedNot published6300.1
TennesseeNot publishedNot published3800.1

Pay by metro area

All 70 metro areas where BLS publishes this occupation. Sort by median wage, employment, or local concentration — or see the highest-paying metros ranked.

$21,760$40,397$59,033$77,670Oklahoma City, OK — $21,760Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH — $26,400Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA — $27,710Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA — $27,850Ogden, UT — $28,180Raleigh-Cary, NC — $29,710Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT — $29,790Springfield, MO — $30,920Boise City, ID — $31,300Salt Lake City-Murray, UT — $31,430Coeur d'Alene, ID — $32,280Charlottesville, VA — $33,340St. Louis, MO-IL — $34,360Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA — $34,370Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD — $34,680Colorado Springs, CO — $35,780Sioux Falls, SD-MN — $35,860Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL — $37,090Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT — $37,100Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA — $37,580Kansas City, MO-KS — $37,650Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL — $38,410Bend, OR — $38,730Stockton-Lodi, CA — $38,760Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX — $39,520Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC — $39,900Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA — $40,280Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV — $40,300Richmond, VA — $40,510Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN — $40,840Grand Junction, CO — $40,870Salinas, CA — $40,880Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA — $40,890Fort Wayne, IN — $41,010Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL — $41,020Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA — $41,600Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO — $42,350San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX — $42,640New Orleans-Metairie, LA — $43,040Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA — $43,570San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA — $44,200Rochester, MN — $44,230Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT — $44,890Lawrence, KS — $44,930Greeley, CO — $44,990Pittsburgh, PA — $45,300Burlington-South Burlington, VT — $46,080Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI — $46,500Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX — $46,850Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX — $47,540Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH — $49,410Boulder, CO — $49,460Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ — $50,250Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA — $51,230Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN — $51,600Akron, OH — $56,200San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA — $56,330Cleveland, OH — $57,140Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI — $57,190Columbus, OH — $58,240Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI — $62,400Fargo, ND-MN — $63,190Bismarck, ND — $63,920Baton Rouge, LA — $65,230Green Bay, WI — $77,670

Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.

Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials: pay and employment by metro area
Metro area
Green Bay, WI$77,670Not published400.2
Baton Rouge, LA$65,230Not published1200.3
Bismarck, ND$63,920Not published701.0
Fargo, ND-MN$63,190Not published400.3
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI$62,400Not published800.1
Columbus, OH$58,240Not published1000.1
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$57,190Not published2300.1
Cleveland, OH$57,140Not published1600.2
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$56,330Not published3100.1
Akron, OH$56,200Not published400.1
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$51,600Not published5400.1
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$51,230Not published5500.1
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$50,250Not published1600.1
Boulder, CO$49,460Not published800.4
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$49,410Not published1400.1
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX$47,540Not published900.1
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$46,850Not published3100.1
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI$46,500Not published500.0
Burlington-South Burlington, VT$46,080Not published500.4
Pittsburgh, PA$45,300Not published600.1
Greeley, CO$44,990Not published700.6
Lawrence, KS$44,930Not published400.8
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT$44,890Not published700.1
Rochester, MN$44,230Not published300.3
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$44,200Not published1100.1
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$43,570Not published2600.1
New Orleans-Metairie, LA$43,040Not published500.1
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX$42,640Not published400.0
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$42,350Not published4900.3
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$41,600Not published1100.1
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$41,020Not published500.0
Fort Wayne, IN$41,010Not publishedNot publishedNot published
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA$40,890Not published400.1
Salinas, CA$40,880Not published500.3
Grand Junction, CO$40,870Not published400.6
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$40,840Not published1400.2
Richmond, VA$40,510Not publishedNot publishedNot published
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$40,300Not published1600.1
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$40,280Not publishedNot publishedNot published
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$39,900Not published700.1
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$39,520Not published1000.0
Stockton-Lodi, CA$38,760Not published1100.4
Bend, OR$38,730Not published900.8
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL$38,410Not published600.0
Kansas City, MO-KS$37,650Not published4900.4
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$37,580Not published600.2
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$37,100Not published800.2
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL$37,090Not published600.0
Sioux Falls, SD-MN$35,860Not published400.2
Colorado Springs, CO$35,780Not published700.2
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$34,680Not publishedNot publishedNot published
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$34,370Not published700.2
St. Louis, MO-IL$34,360Not published5200.4
Charlottesville, VA$33,340Not published300.3
Coeur d'Alene, ID$32,280Not published701.0
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT$31,430Not published4500.5
Boise City, ID$31,300Not published700.2
Springfield, MO$30,920Not published1500.7
Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT$29,790Not published4201.4
Raleigh-Cary, NC$29,710Not published500.1
Ogden, UT$28,180Not published800.3
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA$27,850Not published500.2
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$27,710Not published1200.0
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH$26,400Not published500.1
Oklahoma City, OK$21,760Not published1500.2
Cincinnati, OH-KY-INNot publishedNot published1800.2
Lexington-Fayette, KYNot publishedNot published400.1
Madison, WINot publishedNot published400.1
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJNot publishedNot published8600.1
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDNot publishedNot published1200.0

About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.