How Much Do NBA Referees Get Paid?

How much do NBA referees get paid? We’ll take a look at the salaries of officials at different levels of the sport.

NBA Referee Salaries

NBA referees are some of the highest-paid officials in all of professional sports. The median salary for an NBA referee is $150,000, and the top refs can earn upwards of $350,000 per year. But how do NBA referees get paid? Do they receive a salary or are they paid per game? Let’s take a look.

Rookie referees

Rookie referees in the NBA can expect to earn an annual salary of $150,000. In their second year, salaries increase to $190,000. And by their fifth year, officials can earn as much as $300,000 per season.

Seasoned referees

Seasoned referees who have worked in the NBA for at least five years can earn up to $350,000 per year, according to Forbes. In addition to their salary, they also receive benefits such as health insurance and a pension plan.

Perks and Benefits

NBA referees are some of the highest-paid officials in all of professional sports. They make an average of $150,000 per year, but the truly elite refs can make upwards of $500,000. In addition to their salary, NBA referees also receive a number of perks and benefits. These can include travel benefits, health insurance, and a pension plan.

Travel

One of the biggest benefits of being an NBA referee is the travel. NBA referees travel with the teams and stay in nice hotels. They get to see different parts of the country and the world.

Housing

NBA referees are given a hotel room for every game they officiate. For regular season games, they are also reimbursed for any incidental expenses related to the use of the hotel room, like laundry or dry cleaning services. When traveling to games outside of their normal geographic region, referees are also given a per diem allowance to help cover the costs of meals.

Post-retirement benefits

After years of dedicated service, NBA referees are eligible for a number of post-retirement benefits, including a pension plan and health insurance. The NBA Referee Retirement Plan is a defined benefit plan that provides eligible retirees with a monthly pension payment for life. The amount of the pension is based on length of service and highest salary. In addition, the NBA Referee Group medical plan provides health insurance coverage for eligible retirees, their spouses, and dependent children.

How to Become an NBA Referee

Becoming an NBA referee is a long and arduous process. First, you must have experience officiating at lower levels of basketball. Once you have officiated for a few years and have gained some experience, you can then apply to become an NBA referee. The application process is very competitive, and only the best of the best are selected to become NBA referees.

Education and training

In order to become an NBA referee, you must first complete a training program approved by the NBA. You must also be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or equivalent. Once you have completed the training program, you must pass a written exam and an on-court practical exam.

If you are interested in becoming an NBA referee, you should contact your local basketball league or the NBA for more information about their training program.

Certification

There are two ways to become an NBA referee: either through the NBA’s training program or by spending five years officiating in another professional basketball league.

The NBA trains new officials through a week-long referee camp held every summer. The top performers at this camp are then selected to participate in the NBA’s referee development program.

This program includes training at the NBA’s talent development center, as well as mentorship from current NBA referees. Officials who complete the development program are then eligible to be hired by the NBA.

Those who choose to take the alternate route of becoming an NBA referee must first spend five years officiating in another professional basketball league.

After this, they must attend the NBA’s annual preseason officiating clinic, and pass an extensive written exam. Those who pass these steps are then eligible for consideration to become an NBA official.

NBA tryouts

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a major professional basketball league in North America. It is widely considered to be the premier men’s professional basketball league in the world. The NBA has 30 teams, 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada.

Each NBA team plays 82 regular season games, 41 each home and away. The season starts in late October and ends in mid-April. At the end of the regular season, 16 teams qualify for the playoffs.

To become an NBA referee, you must attend an officiating camp and undergo a rigorous tryout process.