Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials Salary
Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials in California make a median of $44,530 a year. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $41,954 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 80.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $45K get you in California?
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What this looks like in California
Umpires, referees, and other sports officials pay in California tracks closely to the national median, $45K locally vs. $41K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 80.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level umpires, referees, and other sports officials (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $46K spread from bottom to top.
Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials salary by metro in California
7 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $56K | +26% | 310 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $51K | +15% | 550 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $44K | -1% | 110 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $42K | -7% | 110 |
| Salinas | $41K | -8% | 50 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $39K | -13% | 110 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $38K | -16% | 60 |
Compare to other states
Track umpires, referees, and other sports officials salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a umpires, referees, and other sports official afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 80.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for umpires, referees, and other sports officials in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new umpires, referees, and other sports officials typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,107/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 117% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is umpires, referees, and other sports official a high-paying job in California?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $45K locally vs. $41K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does California compare to the national average for umpires, referees, and other sports officials?
California pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $41K — that’s +9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do umpires, referees, and other sports officials make in California?
The median is $44,530 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,110, and experienced umpires, referees, and other sports officials can clear $80,750. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,071/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 80.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a umpires, referees, and other sports officials salary go in California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median umpires, referees, and other sports officials salary is worth about $41,954 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do umpires, referees, and other sports officials get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.