A super bowl referee is a referee in charge of officiating the games during the Super Bowl, held annually in February. They are responsible for enforcing the rules and ensuring fair play while ensuring the game is entertaining. They are among some of the best-paid sports officials in America, but only a tiny fraction of them make it to the Big Game. Let’s learn about ‘Salaries For Super Bowl Referee’.
Salaries For Super Bowl Referee
Despite their low numbers, game referees earn more money than other professional referees in American football. The average salary for a game official is about $130,000 per year. Super Bowl referee salaries range from $25,486 to more than $660,000, depending on their job title, experience, and geographic location. The pay is in addition to the Super Bowl referee being awarded $5,000 for a championship ring. The Super Bowl referee and crew are known as the “real officials.” They receive officiating assignments from the league throughout the season, with their performance graded by a league representative. This grading determines whether they can be promoted to super bowl officials and affects their salary.
Referee Supervisor
The referee supervisor is paid the highest of all football referees at $660,000 annually. A referee supervisor has to officiate in at least one regular season game and one playoff game before they qualify to be an eligible candidate for the Super Bowl Referee position. A referee supervisor is also expected to officiate at least one game in the NFL Pro Bowl and one international game per year. After a referee supervisor is promoted to the super bowl, he has to work for two more years before being considered for a promotion. A referee supervisor earns an average of $25,486 per year.
Head Linesman
A head linesman earns an average of $98,000 per year. He ensures that the offensive and defensive lines are adequately marked during a play. The top linesman position makes $5,000 every time they step onto the field. He is also involved in the hiring and training of new officials. Head linesman earns less than $10,000 per year. However, if he is promoted to the super bowl, his salary shoots up to $25,486.
Line Judge
Line judges earn an average of just under $70,000 per year. They are responsible for officiating a line for both offenses and defenses. Line judge’s job responsibilities include ensuring that the official lines are set up correctly and that they are level with each other on every play. They also take care of any rules violations committed by both teams as they play out a game or while in the huddle before a snap is taken. Line judges are also expected to know the basic rules of football. Line judge’s salaries start at $11,485.
Field Judge
Field judges earn an average of $54,000 per year. Field judges ensure that the players’ shoulders are under their pads when trying to protect themselves from defenders. Also, they mark down yardage on the field with flags and determine whether a player is eligible for a forward pass or not. They also have to ensure that new rules for sports such as IR (Injured Reserve) are followed and whether the game is being played as intended. Like line judges, field judges are also expected to know the basic rules of football. A field judge’s salary starts at $12,000 per year.
Side Judge
Side judges earn an average of $48,500 per year. Their job description requires that they make sure that players are lined up correctly and that the sideline is clear before play begins. Side judges are also responsible for looking out for any illegal procedures during a game and ensuring that all substitutions made during a match are within the rules. Side judge also ensures that coaches’ boxes stay within the regulations and their salaries start at just under $13,000 per year.
Back Judge
The back judge earns an average of $43,000 per year. Their job description requires them to keep track of all game events related to their assistants and alert them if there are any possible conflicts or communication problems. Back judges also decide injuries, penalties, and illegal procedures during a game. Back judge salaries start at around $13,000 per year.
Side Judge Supervisor
The Side Judge Supervisor earns an average of $40,000 annually and is responsible for managing the side judge crew and overseeing the officials’ performance.
Tax That A Super Bowl Referee Has To Pay
A super bowl referee will have to part with 24% of their income to the government. The tax is calculated on their taxable income. It will be deducted from their gross salary and then added to the money they get from the NFL. This money is calculated as 50% of their net taxable income or gross pay before taxes. The net taxable income is the money left after taxes and deductions are made; if there are no deductions, the net taxable income is assumed to be $300,000 per year for a super bowl referee.
Factors Affecting Salaries Of Super Bowl Referees
The salary of super bowl referees is affected by several factors. They include:
- Experience – As a referee gains experience, their salaries increase. A referee will earn about $26,000 for officiating one regular season game and $5,000 for one playoff game. With experience, they get promoted to the title of Referee Supervisor and earn a lot more – $660,000 per year.
- Competition – After a referee has worked for the league for some time, other officials will be eager to get an opportunity to do their job. Competition is stiff among referees working hard and striving to get referee jobs in the league. They also want to earn higher titles and eventually officiate Super Bowl matches. This competition among officials is good because they all want to perform well during games to earn higher salaries.
- Location – As expected, referees who work in games held in big cities or popular countries earn more than those who work in matches held at sites with low demand. Although their experience determines the salary of a referee, they will also be affected when they work in certain areas. Experienced referees will get more money working in high-demand games.
Conclusion
A referee who officiates the super bowl match earns a lot more than most adults in their age group. They earn about $550,000 annually, which is enormous compared to their counterparts worldwide. In addition to their regular salary, referees get bonuses from the NFL for working in essential games and especially for officiating the Super Bowl. The incentives are so lucrative that some take up part-time jobs during the off-season to save enough money to prepare themselves for their next assignment.
