How Much Do Super Bowl Referees Make?

The Super Bowl is nearing and every football fan hopes that the game is won on the field by the players and not by a ruling made by one of the men (or women), in stripes.An NFL referee has the hardest job on the field, apart from the players of course.

The #SBLV crew:• Carl Cheffers (R) • Fred Bryan (U)• Sarah Thomas (DJ)• Rusty Baynes (LJ)• James Coleman (FJ)• Eugene Hall (SJ)• Dino Paganelli (BJ)• Mike Wimmer (RO)Sarah makes history as the first woman to officiate in a Super Bowl. https://t.co/EVvz45QgFx pic.twitter.com/tDvWZPx9JG

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Every time a questionable call seems to have positively or negatively impacted the outcome of a game, fans often ask, "How much do these refs make?" It is quite a bit, considering they only work one day a week. But for the biggest game of the season, inquiring minds want to know how much the Super Bowl refs will take home.

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The Basic Details for NFL and Super Bowl Referees

First of all, being a referee in the NFL is a part-time job. At the very most, a ref is only working one day a week, for approximately 6 to 7 months in total for that year. To add to that, they are paid on a game-by-game basis.

The most recent figures come from as recently as 2014 when it was reported that per game, refs made between $4,000 and $10,000. The range varies depending on which role in the officiating team someone had for the game. For example, Down Judges will usually make less than the Head Official, or Umpire.

NFL Officials During Video Review

In a more recent report, it was estimated that in 2019 the average total salary for NFL referees was approximately $205,000. Keep in mind, that amount only counts the time worked during the regular season.

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How Much Will The Refs Get Paid, Now?

It us loosely reported by various sources that there is extra pay by way of overtime or bonus pay as an official progresses through the postseason and into the Super Bowl. The exact figures of the extra pay are often kept very secretive, so any figures reported are likely unconfirmed by the NFL.

For the sake of curiosity, the most commonly "reported" base salary for working the Super Bowl as of 2019 was averaged between $40-50,000 for each member of the officiating crew.

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With these more recent figures, the pay will likely be the same, if not higher for this year's crew going into the upcoming Super Bowl.