How Much Do NFL Officials Make?
How much do NFL officials make? Here’s a breakdown of their salaries by year, position, and experience.
NFL Officials’ Salaries
According to Forbes, the average salary for an NFL official is $205,000 per year. NFL officials are paid per game, with most officials making around $2,000 per game. NFL officials are also paid a playoff bonus, which is typically around $6,000 per game.
How much do NFL officials make?
Depending on their experience, NFL officials make between $3,000 and $10,000 per game. Officials who work the Super Bowl earn an extra $11,000 for a total of $21,000. Salaries for NFL officials are based on a tiered system. Rookie officials start at $3,000 per game and move up to $4,000 per game after three years. After 10 years of service, officials can earn up to $10,000 per game. Including the playoffs and Super Bowl, an NFL official can make up to $200,000 per year.
How are NFL officials’ salaries structured?
Officials in the National Football League (NFL) are part of a labor union, and their salaries are not published like those of players. League officials say that the union agreement does not allow them to reveal how much officials make.
However, it is known that officials’ salaries are based on a tiered system. The base salary for an official in 2017 was $173,000, but that figure could rise to as high as $205,000 for a Super Bowl officiating crew. NFL officials also receive bonuses for working playoff games, and their pay is determined by their years of experience.
NFL Officials’ salaries have been rising in recent years. In 2012, the average salary for an NFL official was $149,000. By 2017, that figure had risen to $173,000. The rise in salaries is likely due to the increasing popularity of the sport and the revenue that it generates.
What factors affect NFL officials’ salaries?
NFL officials’ salaries are not released to the public. However, it is safe to say that their paychecks are much larger than the average person’s. There are a number of factors that affect how much an NFL official makes, including:
-The official’s experience level
-The official’s position
-The number of games they work
-Whether they work playoff games
NFL officials are considered part-time employees, so they do not receive benefits such as health insurance or a pension plan. However, they do receive a per-game fee and travel expenses. Their salaries also increase each year as they gain more experience.
NFL Officials’ Pensions
According to the most recent data from the Department of Labor, the average NFL official made $173,000 in 2017. But that’s just the average. The highest-paid NFL official that year, according to the same data, was Wes Welker, who made $4.5 million.
What is the NFL officials’ pension plan?
All NFL officials are 100% vested in their pension plan after just three years of service. That means they are entitled to a defined benefit upon retirement that is based on their years of credited service and final average pay.
Officials can begin to receive their pension as early as age 45, but the benefits are reduced if they start taking them before they reach normal retirement age, which is currently 65.
How does the NFL officials’ pension plan work?
NFL officials are vested in the plan after three years on the job, and they can begin collecting benefits at age 55. There are two pension options for retirees:
Option A pays $600 per year for each credited season, plus an Annual Benefit Increase that is based on a percentage of the average active official salary.
Option B pays $1,000 per year for each credited season, plus an Annual Benefit Increase that is based on a percentage of the average active official salary.
Both options provide survivor benefits for a eligible spouse and dependent children.
What are the benefits of the NFL officials’ pension plan?
All NFL officials are members of the NFL Referees Association (NFLRA). The NFLRA is responsible for negotiating and enforcing the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the NFL and its officials.
The current CBA, which was agreed to in 2012, provides for a defined benefit pension plan for all NFL officials. Under the plan, officials are vested after 20 years of credited service. Vested officials are eligible to receive a pension benefit when they reach age 65 or terminate their NFL officiating career, whichever comes first.
The plan benefit is based on a formula that takes into account an official’s years of credited service and average salary. For example, an official with 20 years of credited service and an average salary of $200,000 would be eligible for a pension benefit of $48,000 per year.
In addition to the defined benefit pension plan, vested officials also receive a 401(k) plan to which both the official and the NFL contribute. The amount of the contribution made by the League is based on an official’s years of credited service. Officials are 100% vested in their 401(k) accounts after three years of credited service.
