how much does an nfl referee make

An NFL referee typically makes between $205,000 and $270,000 per year as of the 2025 season. The average salary for a referee is around $205,000, while more experienced referees, especially head referees or crew chiefs, can earn closer to $250,000 or higher. Referees are generally paid on a per-game basis, averaging roughly $10,800 to $11,400 per regular-season game across about 18 games. They also receive additional bonuses for playoff games, with the highest bonus for officiating the Super Bowl, which can be between $30,000 and $50,000. NFL referees are part-time employees and often have other jobs during the offseason.