Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials Salary
Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials in Pennsylvania make a median of $44,200 a year. The range runs from $21K at the entry level to $107K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.97), which stretches that salary to about $46,541 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,351/month, about 44% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Pennsylvania. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $44K get you in Pennsylvania?
About umpires, referees, and other sports officials
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What this looks like in Pennsylvania
Umpires, referees, and other sports officials pay in Pennsylvania tracks closely to the national median, $44K locally vs. $41K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,351/month, which is 44.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pennsylvania
Entry-level umpires, referees, and other sports officials (10th percentile) start around $21K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $107K or more, a $87K spread from bottom to top.
Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials salary by metro in Pennsylvania
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | $45K | +2% | 60 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $28K | -37% | 50 |
Compare to other states
Track umpires, referees, and other sports officials salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Pennsylvania numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a umpires, referees, and other sports official afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pennsylvania?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 44.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,351/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 Pennsylvania?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new umpires, referees, and other sports officials typically earn — is $21K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,248/month. At HUD’s $1,351/month FMR, rent would take 108% 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 Pennsylvania?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $44K locally vs. $41K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Pennsylvania compare to the national average for umpires, referees, and other sports officials?
Pennsylvania pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $41K — that’s +9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do umpires, referees, and other sports officials make in Pennsylvania?
The median is $44,200 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $20,800, and experienced umpires, referees, and other sports officials can clear $107,360. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in Pennsylvania?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,016/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,351/month, which eats 44.8% 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 Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has a Regional Price Parity of 94.97 (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 $46,541 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.