Careers / Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials
Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$40,710
United States, 2025
Employment
15,780
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Officiate at competitive athletic or sporting events. Detect infractions of rules and decide penalties according to established regulations. Includes all sporting officials, referees, and competition judges.
- O*NET code
- 27-2023.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- None
Typical tasks
- Officiate at sporting events, games, or competitions, to maintain standards of play and to ensure that game rules are observed.
- Inspect game sites for compliance with regulations or safety requirements.
- Resolve claims of rule infractions or complaints by participants and assess any necessary penalties, according to regulations.
- Signal participants or other officials to make them aware of infractions or to otherwise regulate play or competition.
- Teach and explain the rules and regulations governing a specific sport.
- Inspect sporting equipment or examine participants to ensure compliance with event and safety regulations.
- Report to regulating organizations regarding sporting activities, complaints made, and actions taken or needed, such as fines or other disciplinary actions.
- Confer with other sporting officials, coaches, players, and facility managers to provide information, coordinate activities, and discuss problems.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$26,540
25th percentile
$32,260
75th percentile
$57,160
90th percentile
$82,960
Most important skills
- Speaking3.6
- Critical Thinking3.4
- Active Listening3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Monitoring3.1
- Active Learning3.0
- Coordination3.0
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Learning Strategies3.0
- Complex Problem Solving3.0
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Instructing2.9
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 11 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
11
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 3.4 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Speaking | 3.6 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Active Listening | 3.3 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports OfficialsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Bay, WI | $77,670 | 40 | 2025 |
| NJ | $67,600 | 420 | 2025 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $65,230 | 120 | 2025 |
| ND | $63,920 | 180 | 2025 |
| Bismarck, ND | $63,920 | 70 | 2025 |
| Fargo, ND | $63,190 | 40 | 2025 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $62,400 | 80 | 2025 |
| SC | $61,290 | 50 | 2025 |
| Columbus, OH | $58,240 | 100 | 2025 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $57,190 | 230 | 2025 |
| Cleveland, OH | $57,140 | 160 | 2025 |
| WI | $57,000 | 300 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $56,330 | 310 | 2025 |
| Akron, OH | $56,200 | 40 | 2025 |
| OH | $55,040 | 580 | 2025 |
| Chicago, IL | $51,600 | 540 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $51,230 | 550 | 2025 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $50,250 | 160 | 2025 |
| LA | $50,080 | 310 | 2025 |
| Boulder, CO | $49,460 | 80 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.