Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials Salary
Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA make a median of $56,330 a year. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 115.61), so that salary is closer to $48,724 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,604/month, about 98% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $56K get you in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont’s Regional Price Parity (115.61). 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.
About umpires, referees, and other sports officials
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What this looks like in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont sits well above the national pay line for umpires, referees, and other sports officials, local pay runs about 38% 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 $3,604/month, which is 94.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 16% above the national average (BEA RPP 115.61), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for umpires, referees, and other sports officials in metros near San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $51K | $45K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $42K | $39K |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $44K | $40K |
| Stockton-Lodi | $39K | $37K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
Entry-level umpires, referees, and other sports officials (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $56K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $41K 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a umpires, referees, and other sports official afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $56K, rent takes 94.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,604/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new umpires, referees, and other sports officials typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,389/month. At HUD’s $3,604/month FMR, rent would take 151% 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
Local pay is 38% above the national median — $56K here vs. $41K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 16% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont compare to the national average for umpires, referees, and other sports officials?
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont pays $56K median vs. the U.S. average of $41K — that’s +38%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 115.61), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do umpires, referees, and other sports officials make in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA?
The median is $56,330 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,820, and experienced umpires, referees, and other sports officials can clear $80,810. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $56K enough to live in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,803/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,604/month, which eats 94.8% 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont has a Regional Price Parity of 115.61 (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 $48,724 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.