Most people know that hockey is one of the most popular sports in North America. However, few people know how much money hockey refs make. Here’s a look at the average salary and benefits of a hockey ref in the United States.
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High School Hockey Refs
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average salary of a high school hockey referee was $28,000 in 2018. But you have to get past the minor salaries to see the big bucks. Mid-major hockey refs can expect to pull down roughly $42,000 per year. Top-notch officials can make more than $50,000 per year.
However, the average salary for a high school hockey referee is just the beginning. The real money comes in the form of benefits. Per the U.S. Department of Labor, most high school hockey referees enjoy excellent benefits, including health insurance, vision insurance, and life insurance.
College Hockey Refs
The next stop on the pay scales for most hockey officials is college. The average salary of a college hockey referee is roughly $36,000 per year. Again, the big bucks are in the benefits. The same U.S. Department of Labor report listed the benefits for a college hockey referee as including health insurance, vision insurance, and life insurance.
After college, you can look forward to a career in the pros. The National Hockey League (NHL) and the American Hockey League (AHL) both have a minimum salary requirement of $25,000 per year for their officials. Don’t be shy about adding some excitement to your social calendar. Helping out with the community is also an important part of a hockey ref’s job. The U.S. Department of Labor lists many benefits for a professional hockey referee, including health insurance, vision insurance, and life insurance.
The Pros
The top-level of hockey officiating can be found in the National Hockey League (NHL). The salary and benefits of an NHL referee are quite similar to the ones for a college or high school hockey referee. However, in the pros, you’ll rarely find officials that work alone. Most of the time, you’ll see them working with a partner or in a committee alongside a linesman and a coach’s assistant.
In the NHL, the average salary is quite high at roughly $59,000 per year. The benefits for an NHL official include paid vacations, paid sick leave, health insurance, vision insurance, and more.
The NHL uses a three-tier system of officiating. At the top rung are the general managers, who oversee all aspects of a team’s operations. Next come the head coaches, who are responsible for putting in practice what their teams learn in theory. Finally, there are the referees, who are responsible for keeping the puck out of their net and making sure that all the rules are followed.
Because NHL referees are such an integral part of the game, fans sometimes have trouble relating to their emotions. However, officials are quite accessible to fans, and many NHL teams encourage their fans to contact them directly regarding games or other events. Simply go to the official’s website or social media accounts, and you’ll find all the contact information you need.
The American Hockey League (AHL)
The American Hockey League (AHL) is the official minor league for the National Hockey League (NHL). The AHL uses approximately the same salary structure as the NHL, with the average salary being about $36,000 per year. The benefits for an AHL referee are quite comparable to those for an NHL official. However, in case you’re curious, the minimum wage and overtime rates for an AHL official are $15,000 and $20,000 per year, respectively.
The American Hockey League (AHL) also offers a degree of flexibility that the National Hockey League (NHL) doesn’t. Officials in the AHL can work with a team through the season or during game weeks only. Some also work on call when there is an NHL game on the schedule, so they can switch over to the professional side when the puck drops.
What About the Other Sports?
If you’re curious about what other sports have to offer in terms of salaries and benefits, you can start with the refereeing in other sports. The National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) also use referees to maintain order on the field. As with most other jobs, the salary and benefits for a sports official depend on the level of play.
The National Football League (NFL) uses a three-tier system of officials. At the top rung are the head coaches, who are in charge of putting in practice what their teams learn in theory. Next come the general managers, who oversee all aspects of a team’s operations. Finally, there are the referees, who are responsible for keeping the score down and making sure that all the rules are followed.
The average salary for an NFL official is approximately $69,900 per year, with the top paid officials pulling in about $100,000 per year. The benefits for an NFL official include paid vacations, paid sick leave, health insurance, vision insurance, and more.
Major League Baseball (MLB) also uses a three-tier system of officials. At the top rung are the general managers, who oversee all aspects of a team’s operations. Next come the head coaches, who are responsible for putting in practice what their teams learn in theory. Finally, there are the field officials, who are responsible for keeping the game safe and making sure that all the rules are followed. The average salary for an MLB official is around $78,000 per year, with the top paid officials pulling in roughly $110,000 per year.
As with most other jobs, the salary and benefits for an MLB official depend on the level of play. The lowest rung of officials in MLB are the field officers, who earn $60,000 per year and enjoy some excellent benefits, including health insurance and vision insurance. But the most influential officials are the game managers, who earn $85,000 per year and have all the trappings of a high-class travel agent. In between are the scorekeepers and umpires, who each earn $70,000 per year and have a mix of pension and health insurance.
The same U.S. Department of Labor report mentioned before stated that most sports officials enjoy excellent benefits, including health insurance, vision insurance, and life insurance. They also get to travel overseas a lot, since the major sports leagues have international connections. Some also get to work outside of the norm, and a few even make a lot of money.
But the majority of their time is spent working within the system, since they have to deal with fans quite often. The job can be quite stressful, especially when you’re dealing with a lot of games on the schedule. However, most sports officials understand that they’re working for a living, and they don’t take the job for granted.
How Do I Get Started In Sports Refereeing?
If you’re interested in getting into sports refereeing and want to know where to begin, the first thing you should do is to figure out what level you’re prepared to handle. It would be best to start at the top and work your way down. The U.S. Department of Labor’s report listed these positions and the requirements to qualify:
- General Manager (you must have a high school diploma, some college, and two years of experience)
- Head Coach (you must have a high school diploma, some college, and at least two years of experience)
- Referee (you must have a high school diploma, some college, and at least two years of experience)
- Assistant Coach (you must have a high school diploma, some college, and two years of experience)
- Practice Coordinator (you must have a bachelor’s degree and two years of experience)
Depending on where you start, you’ll have to decide whether you want to work in the summer or winter, and whether you want to work evenings or weekends. The NHL and the American Hockey League, as well as most major sports, have a regular schedule, so weekends and evenings are usually a part of the job. Some work during the summer only, while others may work through Christmas week. It really just depends on where you want to be at in life. But don’t just take our word for it; see for yourself what kind of job opportunities are available in the sports world.