Occupations · Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials
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 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 27-2023.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 87% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $48,320 | 800 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $51,210 | 580 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $53,560 | 480 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $29,920 | 400 |
| Provo-Orem, UT | $28,330 | 350 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | $42,120 | 350 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $37,300 | 340 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $37,610 | 280 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $39,790 | 270 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $40,040 | 260 |
| Lawrence, KS | $32,970 | 200 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $32,900 | 180 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Officiate at sporting events, games, or competitions, to maintain standards of play and to ensure that game rules are observed.
- Judge performances in sporting competitions to award points, impose scoring penalties, and determine results.
- 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.
- Verify scoring calculations before competition winners are announced.
- 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.
- Start races and competitions.
- Inspect sporting equipment or examine participants to ensure compliance with event and safety regulations.
- Compile scores and other athletic records.
- Verify credentials of participants in sporting events, and make other qualifying determinations, such as starting order or handicap number.
- Report to regulating organizations regarding sporting activities, complaints made, and actions taken or needed, such as fines or other disciplinary actions.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2021-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2021-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Inspect game sites for compliance with regulations or safety requirements.
O*NET 25.3 emerging tasks
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 6
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| sport official | 3422.3 | exact |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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