Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials Salary
Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials in Kansas City, MO-KS make a median of $37,650 a year. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $63K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.54), which stretches that salary to about $40,685 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,358/month, about 52.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $38K get you in Kansas City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Kansas City’s Regional Price Parity (92.54). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
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What this looks like in Kansas City
Umpires, referees, and other sports officials pay in Kansas City tracks closely to the national median, $38K locally vs. $41K nationwide, a 8% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,358/month, which is 52.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.54 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for umpires, referees, and other sports officials in metros near Kansas City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | $34K | $36K |
| Springfield | $31K | $35K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $52K | $50K |
| Oklahoma City | $22K | $24K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kansas City, MO-KS
Entry-level umpires, referees, and other sports officials (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $63K or more, a $34K spread from bottom to top.
Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $68K | +66% | 420 |
| North Dakota | $64K | +57% | 180 |
| South Carolina | $61K | +51% | 50 |
| Wisconsin | $57K | +40% | 300 |
| Ohio | $55K | +35% | 580 |
| Louisiana | $50K | +23% | 310 |
| Illinois | $49K | +21% | 690 |
| Massachusetts | $48K | +19% | 250 |
| West Virginia | $46K | +14% | 50 |
| Arizona | $46K | +14% | 210 |
| Indiana | $46K | +13% | 170 |
| Vermont | $46K | +13% | 80 |
| California | $45K | +9% | 1,950 |
| Colorado | $44K | +9% | 1,120 |
| Pennsylvania | $44K | +9% | 320 |
| Iowa | $43K | +6% | 190 |
| Texas | $43K | +5% | 650 |
| Washington | $41K | +2% | 400 |
| Virginia | $41K | +0% | 260 |
| Connecticut | $40K | -3% | 200 |
| Oregon | $39K | -5% | 170 |
| Florida | $37K | -9% | 280 |
| Montana | $36K | -11% | 60 |
| South Dakota | $35K | -13% | 80 |
| Michigan | $35K | -15% | 340 |
| Missouri | $33K | -19% | 1,240 |
| Idaho | $32K | -21% | 170 |
| Utah | $31K | -23% | 1,100 |
| Nebraska | $31K | -23% | 40 |
| Georgia | $28K | -30% | 280 |
| Mississippi | $27K | -34% | 60 |
| North Carolina | $27K | -35% | 400 |
| Kansas | $26K | -37% | N/A |
| Oklahoma | $22K | -46% | 220 |
Showing 1–10 of 34 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track umpires, referees, and other sports officials salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Kansas City numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a umpires, referees, and other sports official afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kansas City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 52.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,358/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/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 City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new umpires, referees, and other sports officials typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,769/month. At HUD’s $1,358/month FMR, rent would take 77% 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 City?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $38K locally vs. $41K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Kansas City compare to the national average for umpires, referees, and other sports officials?
Kansas City pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $41K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.54), the purchasing-power equivalent is $41K — below the national median.
How much do umpires, referees, and other sports officials make in Kansas City, MO-KS?
The median is $37,650 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,480, and experienced umpires, referees, and other sports officials can clear $63,160. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Kansas City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,608/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,358/month, which eats 52.1% 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 City?
Kansas City has a Regional Price Parity of 92.54 (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 $40,685 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.