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

$38,820median annual wage, May 2024

15,080people employed, United States

▲ 5.7%projected change, 2024→2034

4,600openings a year, incl. replacements

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

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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
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO	$42,120	350

BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 5 areas with the most people in this occupation

Your metro area, and where it ranks

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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.

Speaking3.6

Critical Thinking3.4

Active Listening3.2

Monitoring3.1

Reading Comprehension3.0

Learning Strategies3.0

Active Learning3.0

Writing2.8

Mathematics2.5

Science1.4

O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale

Software and tools

A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.

Adobe Acrobat●Microsoft Excel●Microsoft Office software●Microsoft Outlook●Microsoft PowerPoint●Microsoft Word●Database softwareEmail softwareVideo editing softwareWeb browser software

O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag

What your tools are worth

Occupation-based, not posting-based: how much employment, pay and projected growth sit behind each tool. It is not a count of job ads.

Tool	Value	Spread across occupations
Microsoft PowerPoint	69	400 → 629 occupations since 2015
Microsoft Outlook	68	348 → 642 occupations since 2015
Microsoft Word	67	646 → 784 occupations since 2015

What your tools are worth

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What this work is actually like

Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.

2 / 5Some preparation — a school diploma and a few months of on-the-job training.

O*NET 30.3 Job Zones

Working conditions that stand out

Indoors, Environmentally Controlled−1.8 below average

Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls−1.8 below average

Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals−1.1 below average

Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions+1.1 above average

Spend Time Sitting−1.0 below average

In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment−0.9 below average

Spend Time Walking or Running+0.9 above average

O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2021-08

How people actually get in

Share of workers by the education they hold.

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)43%

Less than a High School Diploma24%

Bachelor's Degree14%

Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)10%

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.

Enterprising5.8

Conventional4.5

Realistic4.3

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.

Judgment and Decision Making3.2

Social Perceptiveness3.0

Complex Problem Solving3.0

Coordination3.0

Instructing2.9

Time Management2.9

Service Orientation2.8

Persuasion2.8

O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale

Knowledge the work draws on

English LanguageEducation and TrainingAdministration and ManagementCustomer and Personal ServicePsychologyCommunications and Media

Abilities it leans on

Far VisionOral ExpressionOral ComprehensionNear VisionSpeech ClarityProblem Sensitivity

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.

ScorerUmpireRefereeClockerMarshalStarterTimekeeperStewardessScorekeeperPit StewardHandicapperTest ScorerRace StarterDance Critic

O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation

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Which of these skills do you have

Essential skills for this occupation per the ESCO classification, most specific first. The report shows what you have and what separates you from the occupation's profile.

optionalAdds to the report: the section “Your cut” — what you have and what is missing

assess the quality of sport competitionscommunicate information during sport gamecreate relationships with sport competitorsinterpret sport games ruleslisten actively to sport playersmonitor own performance as a sports officialapply sport games rulesdevelop professional network

Which of these do you use

Flagged by O*NET as frequently requested in this occupation. The report shows what you have and what is missing.

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$29Occupation reportPay where you are, conditions, preparation, education, what you carry into another job.$49Professional reportAdds two decades of pay, industries, geography, what changed, adjacent occupations and what to study.$99International offerAdds named employers and their actual rates from visa filings, the seniority pay ladder and the cities that hire.

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What you learn	$29	$49	$99
What it pays in your city and industry	✓	✓	✓
Working conditions, preparation, education	✓	✓	✓
What you carry into another occupation	✓	✓	✓
What this job is called in postings	✓	✓	✓
How pay changed over the years	brief	✓	✓
Where the industry changes the number	—	✓	✓
Where the work actually is	—	✓	✓
What appeared and disappeared in the job	—	✓	✓
How long it takes to become competent	—	✓	✓
Where to move next and what to learn	—	✓	✓
What AI is already changing in this job	—	✓	✓
What your tools are worth on the market	—	✓	✓
What to study to get in	—	✓	✓
What the same work pays in Britain	—	—	✓
What the same work pays in Canada	—	—	✓
Who hires, by name, and at what rates	—	—	✓
The money ladder by skill level	—	—	✓
Cities that actually sponsor visas	—	—	✓
Sections in the report, typically	73–7	155–16	198–23
Who it is for	If you are deciding whether this work is worth your time.	If you are in the occupation and deciding where to move next.	If you are aiming for an offer abroad.

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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

+Microsoft Office software+Microsoft PowerPoint+Microsoft Excel+Microsoft Outlook+Microsoft Word+Adobe Acrobat

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”.

O*NET 30.3 related occupations

Also called

JudgeUmpireScorerMarshalStarterClockerRefereeStewardessTimekeeperHandicapperPit StewardTest Scorer

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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Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials

What it pays

Pay over time

Where the jobs are

Your metro area, and where it ranks

What people in this job actually do

Skills that matter most

Software and tools

What your tools are worth

What your tools are worth

What this work is actually like

Working conditions that stand out

How people actually get in

What kind of person the work suits

Tasks O*NET flags as emerging

What you take with you

Knowledge the work draws on

Abilities it leans on

How this job is advertised

Get this as a personal report

Free page vs. the $29 report

The questions that change the report

This is what we will put in your report

Compare the three reports

What changed since 2015

Now listed 6

Related jobs

Also called

The same work in Europe

See labor-market evidence in motion.

Watch this occupation