Compensation
Median Pay
$40,710
National median annual wage for this occupation.
National Career Overview
Umpires, referees, and other sports officials
Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
National Median Pay
$40,710
Projected Growth
5.7%
Annual Openings
4,600
Career outlook
National Snapshot
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National
Employment
19,300
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Outlook
Projected Growth
5.7%
Projected employment change through 2034.
Opportunity
Annual Openings
4,600
Estimated openings created each year.
Pathway
Preparation
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
STEP 1
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
STEP 2
Experience
None
STEP 3
Training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Top Skills for Success
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Adaptability
76 / 100
76%
Physical strength & stamina
64 / 100
64%
Speaking & listening
50 / 100
50%
Interpersonal
46 / 100
46%
Leadership
37 / 100
37%
Problem solving & decision making
37 / 100
37%
Customer service
36 / 100
36%
Writing & reading
30 / 100
30%
Critical & analytical thinking
27 / 100
27%
Mathematics
27 / 100
27%
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Location Intelligence
Best Places for This Career
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
PRO
Best Metro Areas
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
- Top-paying cities
- Fast-growing markets
- Local opportunity rankings
CAREERGPS INSIGHTS
Career Analysis for Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Is Umpires, referees, and other sports officials a Good Career?
Umpires, referees, and other sports officials play a central role in keeping competitions fair and organized. Nationally, about 19,000 people work in this occupation, with a national median annual salary of $38,820. The field is projected to grow by 5.7%, with around 5,000 openings each year, indicating a steady flow of opportunities for new and experienced officials. Career prospects can vary by region, with some states and metro areas offering higher salaries or stronger overall opportunities based on CareerGPS scores. Success in this path draws heavily on adaptability, physical strength and stamina, strong speaking and listening abilities, and interpersonal skills. Officials also rely on leadership, problem solving and decision making, customer service, writing and reading, critical and analytical thinking, and mathematics. For people interested in rules-based, people-facing work connected to sports and competition, this career offers a focused way to build a long-term role. Similar occupations worth exploring include childcare workers, farm labor contractors, passenger attendants, bailiffs, and restaurant or lounge hosts and hostesses.
Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials Salary
The national median annual salary for umpires, referees, and other sports officials is $38,820, but pay can vary meaningfully by location. Among the top states by opportunity score, median salaries range from $40,840 in Virginia to $48,400 in Massachusetts, with California, Colorado, and Washington also above the national median. At the metro level, salary differences are even more pronounced. Median pay reaches $56,330 in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA area and $51,230 in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH also stands out at $49,410, while San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV offer median salaries around the low $40,000s. These figures show that choosing where to work can have a significant impact on earnings, especially in certain California and Massachusetts metro areas that report the highest median salaries among the locations listed.
Job Outlook for Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials
Nationally, about 19,000 people are employed as umpires, referees, and other sports officials. The occupation is projected to grow by 5.7%, indicating a positive employment trend over the projection period. In addition, there are an estimated 5,000 annual openings, which reflect opportunities created by employment growth as well as turnover and other job changes. This combination of a defined workforce size, measurable growth, and recurring annual openings suggests that people entering the field can expect ongoing hiring activity rather than a static job market. The same 5.7% growth rate appears across the top states and metro areas listed, suggesting consistent projected expansion in multiple regions. For job seekers, this means both current positions and future prospects are available in different parts of the country, with some areas also offering higher salaries or stronger overall opportunity scores. Individuals considering career moves can use these figures to align their plans with regions that match both their employment and earning goals.
Where Are the Best Opportunities for Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials?
Location makes a noticeable difference for umpires, referees, and other sports officials, both in pay and overall career opportunity. Among states, California leads the CareerGPS opportunity rankings with a score of 67.38, median salary of $44,530, and employment of 1,950. Massachusetts follows with the highest listed state-level median salary at $48,400 and an opportunity score of 65.87, while Colorado, Washington, and Virginia offer median salaries in the low $40,000s and solid opportunity scores between about 55 and 57. At the metro level, the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA area stands out with the highest opportunity score of 77.42, along with a median salary of $44,200. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA offers the top metro median salary at $56,330 and a strong opportunity score of 68.75. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH also combine relatively high salaries with attractive scores, giving officials multiple high-potential urban markets to consider.
Education for Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials
The typical education for umpires, referees, and other sports officials is a high school diploma or equivalent. While no additional formal education level is specified, the role depends heavily on a strong mix of skills. Adaptability, physical strength, and stamina are important for responding to changing situations and meeting the physical demands of officiating. Speaking and listening, interpersonal skills, and customer service help officials communicate clearly and manage interactions with participants and others. Leadership and problem solving and decision making support confident, consistent judgment under pressure. Writing and reading skills contribute to understanding and documenting rules and procedures, while critical and analytical thinking and mathematics provide a foundation for accurate, rules-based decisions. Together, these skills give candidates multiple ways to demonstrate readiness for the field, even without advanced degrees, and offer clear development goals for students, career changers, and professionals who want to move into sports officiating roles.
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