Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials Salary
Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials in Kansas make a median of $25,780 a year. The range runs from $26K at the entry level to $55K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.54), which stretches that salary to about $28,792 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,066/month, about 58.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Kansas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $26K get you in Kansas?
About umpires, referees, and other sports officials
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Kansas
Pay for umpires, referees, and other sports officials in Kansas runs about 37% below the U.S. median of $41K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,066/month, which is 58.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.54 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for umpires, referees, and other sports officialss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kansas
Entry-level umpires, referees, and other sports officials (10th percentile) start around $26K. Mid-career wages sit at $26K. Top earners bring in $55K or more, a $30K spread from bottom to top.
Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials salary by metro in Kansas
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence | $45K | +74% | 40 |
Compare to other states
Track umpires, referees, and other sports officials salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Kansas numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a umpires, referees, and other sports official afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kansas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $26K, rent takes 58.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,066/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $500/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 Kansas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new umpires, referees, and other sports officials typically earn — is $26K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,547/month. At HUD’s $1,066/month FMR, rent would take 69% 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 Kansas?
Local pay runs 37% below the national median — $26K here vs. $41K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Kansas compare to the national average for umpires, referees, and other sports officials?
Kansas pays $26K median vs. the U.S. average of $41K — that’s -37%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.54), the purchasing-power equivalent is $29K — below the national median.
How much do umpires, referees, and other sports officials make in Kansas?
The median is $25,780 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $25,780, and experienced umpires, referees, and other sports officials can clear $55,470. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $26K enough to live in Kansas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,824/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,066/month, which eats 58.4% 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 Kansas?
Kansas has a Regional Price Parity of 89.54 (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 $28,792 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.