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April 4, 2024
In football, player salaries often make headlines, but the compensation of referees is less transparent. While players earn substantial sums representing their clubs, the referees’ annual pay figures are often shrouded in mystery.
Being a referee is demanding and subjected to constant scrutiny and online criticism. Week after week, their decisions are dissected and ridiculed on social media. Even players can become enraged, as seen with Erling Haaland’s reaction to a controversial call by Simon Hooper in the Manchester City vs. Tottenham Hotspur match. Despite this, the financial remuneration for referees is substantial.
The Athletic has compiled a detailed breakdown of referees’ earnings across Europe’s top five leagues—Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, and Ligue 1—as well as Major League Soccer (MLS). This includes their base salaries, match fees, and performance bonuses, with all figures verified for accuracy.
Referees in the Premier League have the potential to earn the highest annual salaries among officials. However, their earnings vary based on experience and rank. They are paid on a sliding scale with three potential salary brackets: £73,191, £105,257, or £147,258.
In addition to their base salary, Premier League referees earn £1,116 per match for their on-field duties or £837 for serving as the video assistant referee. Their total compensation also includes performance-based bonuses, which are determined by the accuracy of their calls on ‘key match incidents.’
There are 20 full-time professional referees in England’s Select Group One (SG1) responsible for officiating Premier League games. Among them, Anthony Taylor and Michael Oliver are in the UEFA Elite referee category, receiving additional income for officiating European and international matches beyond their domestic duties.
| Premier League referees | Salary ranges |
| Highest | £147,258 |
| Lowest | £73,191 |
Among Europe’s top five leagues, referees in Spain’s La Liga are the highest paid on average. They earn a fixed annual salary of £124,256. In addition, they receive a £4,205 match fee, or £2,102 per game if serving as a video assistant referee. Thanks to the Wurth Group’s sponsorship of their refereeing attire, they also benefit from an additional £21,929 annually for image rights.
Historically, however, officiating in Spain was only sometimes so lucrative. Former international referee Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez has noted that in the past, being a referee in Spain was challenging, often requiring officials to juggle their refereeing duties with another job.
“We have only been the best paid for six years. We used to be sixth or seventh. It’s a struggle we started a long, long time ago. Before, in my time, we had to have another job. Now, there is more professionalism and dedication. Now referees live and think about refereeing 24 hours a day.”
In the Bundesliga, referees’ salaries are based on experience and rank. However, they are generally lower than those in the Premier League. Referees with under five years of experience earn £52,977 annually, increasing to £61,522 after five years. Elite referees in Germany receive £70,067 per year. Bundesliga referees also earn a match fee of £4,784, with VAR officials receiving an additional £1,794. Their severance package, or retirement payout, can amount to up to two years’ salary, but no performance-related bonuses exist.
In Serie A, referees earn between £76,954 and £77,345 annually, with match fees ranging from £3,420 to £3,437. VAR officials receive between £1,453 and £1,461 per game. In France’s Ligue 1, referees are paid a standard salary of £66,716 to £67,058, plus a match fee of £2,865 to £2,880. VAR officials earn between £855 and £859 per match.
Severance packages in France vary widely, depending on status and age, ranging from £8,500 to £51,000. The French officiating system has recently faced scrutiny due to strained relations, a lack of trust between clubs and officials, and internal tensions.
| Salary ranges | La Liga | Bundesliga | Serie A | Ligue 1 |
| Highest | £124,256 | £70,067 | £77,345 | £66,716 |
| Lowest | £124,256 | £52,977 | £76,954 | £67,058 |
MLS referees’ salaries are now competitive with those in Europe’s top five leagues, especially following a recent pay dispute resolution that had initially sidelined officials at the start of the season. MLS referees are seeing improved compensation thanks to a new contract between the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) and the Professional Referee Organization (PRO).
In 2024, rookie referees, or those in their first two years, earn around £67,568. Beyond this period, referees’ pay increases based on their experience and the number of matches they have officiated. Under the new contract, senior referees can earn between $125,000 and $165,000 (£98,822-£130,442) annually, including a guarantee of 15 match fees.
Referees who officiate more than 15 matches see their earnings rise accordingly. Additionally, the contract provides for annual salary increases. By the end of the contract in 2030, a senior referee who earns $165,000 (£130,242) in 2024 could see their salary grow to $211,000 (£166,552).
| MLS referees | Salary ranges |
| Highest | £130,442 |
| Lowest | £98,822 |
Even the league’s most senior officials receive a maximum of six months’ severance pay. In contrast, those with less experience receive even less. Even though MLS officials are paid handsomely when they can supervise matches.
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Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and football sportsbook app reviews. As an author for Football News Today, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for football, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.
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