How Much Money Does a NBA Referee Make?
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How much money does a NBA referee make? According to Forbes, the average salary for a NBA referee is $375,000. However, experienced referees can earn up to $700,000 per year.
NBA Referee Salaries
NBA referees make a lot of money. In fact, the average salary for an NBA referee is $150,000. However, the top referees can make up to $500,000 per year. The salary for an NBA referee depends on experience and performance.
Base salary
The average salary for a NBA referee is $150,000. However, experienced referees can earn up to $700,000 per year. NBA referees are paid on a per-game basis and receive additional compensation for working playoffs games and the NBA Finals.
Post-season games
The best NBA officials can make well into the six figures, but the average NBA referee salary is between $150,000 and $300,000 per year.
Those at the top of their profession often work post-season games, which means they work more than the 82 regular season games. The most well-known officials also do extensive traveling. For example, Joey Crawford earns $500,000 per year and works about 130 games.
To become an NBA referee, you need experience officiating at lower levels of basketball, such as high school or college. You must also be evaluated by the NBA Officials Department.
Per diem
Per diem is a daily allowance for living expenses incurred while traveling on business. The per diem rate for NBA referees is $340, which covers lodging, food, and other incidentals. This rate may be adjusted based on the location of the game.
In addition to their per diem, NBA referees also receive a base salary and retirement benefits. The average salary for an NBA referee is $375,000 per year. Retirement benefits are based on years of service and average salary over the course of an official’s career.
How NBA Referees are Paid
NBA referees are paid a salary based on how many games they officiate and whether they are a full-time or part-time referee. NBA referees also receive a per diem for each day they work, as well as travel expenses when they are required to travel for a game.
Game fees
NBA referees are paid a regular salary and they also receive a game fee for every game that they work. The amount of the game fee varies depending on the position of the referee. For example, the head referee who is in charge of the entire game will receive a higher game fee than a line judge who only focuses on one specific area.
The average salary for an NBA referee is $150,000 per year. However, the top referees can make much more than this amount. For example, Joey Crawford, one of the most experienced and well-respected referees in the NBA, earns an annual salary of $700,000.
In addition to their salaries, NBA referees receive playoff shares. These are determined by how far into the playoffs the team they referee for goes. The further the team goes, the larger the share. For example, in 2012, each referee on a conference championship team received an additional $10,000. Those working the NBA Finals received an extra $15,000.
TV revenue
TV revenue is the biggest factor in how much money NBA referees make. According to USA Today, during the 2016-17 season, each team received an equal share of $24 million from national TV partners. That’s a total of $1.2 billion that was split between the 30 teams. The NBA then takes 44% of that $1.2 billion and puts it into a pool for the players’ salaries. The other 56% goes to team owners to cover their expenses.
The next biggest factor is ticket sales. Each team keeps all the revenue from ticket sales for its home games. For example, during the 2016-17 season, the average ticket price for a Los Angeles Lakers game was $102.73, according to ESPN. The Lakers played 41 home games that season, so they generated about $4.2 million in ticket sales per game, or a total of $173 million in ticket revenue over the course of the season.
Finally, there are various sponsorships and partnerships that bring in revenue for NBA teams. These can include everything from advertising on jerseys to arena naming rights deals. For example, when the Golden State Warriors opened their new Chase Center arena this season, they struck a 20-year partnership with Chase Bank that’s worth a reported $300 million.
NBA Referee Expenses
NBA referees officiate games to maintain order and enforce the rules of the game. They are also responsible for making sure that the players are safe and that the game is fair. NBA referees are paid a salary and they also receive benefits. In addition to their salary, NBA referees also receive per diem expenses.
Travel
All NBA referees are required to travel to the city of the team they are scheduled to officiate. For each away game, the NBA pays for the referee’s airfare, hotel accommodations, and meals.
When a referee works an away game, they are given a per diem allowance on top of their salary to cover the cost of meals not provided by the hotel. The amount of the per diem varies by city, but is typically around $100 per day.
In addition to pay for working games, NBA referees also receive a daily allowance for each day they spend on the road. This allowance is intended to cover incidental expenses like laundry and transportation. The amount of the daily allowance also varies by city, but is typically around $50 per day.
Meals
Meal expenses are generally the most expensive line item on a referee’s expense report.
The average cost of a meal per person, including tax and tip, is $51. For a crew of three, that meal would cost the team $153.
During the playoffs, when travel is more intense and schedules are more unpredictable, referees are given a daily meal allowance of $60 per person.
Lodging
Lodging is one of the many expenses that a NBA referee has to pay for while on the job. Depending on the location of the game, the lodging costs can vary greatly.
For example, if a game is taking place in Los Angeles, California, the lodging costs will most likely be significantly higher than if the game were taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The average cost of lodging for a NBA referee is about $120 per night.
