Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials Salary
Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials in Illinois make a median of $49,070 a year. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $87K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $52,286 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,407/month, about 42% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $49K get you in Illinois?
About umpires, referees, and other sports officials
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What this looks like in Illinois
Illinois sits well above the national pay line for umpires, referees, and other sports officials, local pay runs about 21% higher than the U.S. median of $41K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,407/month, which is 43.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level umpires, referees, and other sports officials (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $87K or more, a $56K spread from bottom to top.
Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials salary by metro in Illinois
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $52K | +5% | 540 |
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Track umpires, referees, and other sports officials salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a umpires, referees, and other sports official afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 43.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new umpires, referees, and other sports officials typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,872/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 75% 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 Illinois?
Local pay is 21% above the national median — $49K here vs. $41K nationally.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for umpires, referees, and other sports officials?
Illinois pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $41K — that’s +21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do umpires, referees, and other sports officials make in Illinois?
The median is $49,070 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,200, and experienced umpires, referees, and other sports officials can clear $86,860. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,253/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 43.3% 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 Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median umpires, referees, and other sports officials salary is worth about $52,286 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.