NBA referee salary: What is average wage of an NBA official?

NBA referees bear the blame for blown calls and receive little praise for correct officiating. Yet, they have an invaluable role in the league.

Officials are responsible for accurately calling every violation that occurs within a 48-minute game. This includes fouls, three-second violations and out-of-bounds plays. They’re also in charge of blowing their whistles for timeouts and to conduct reviews.

With the dozens of rules they have to uphold, their job can be challenging in the fast-paced game of basketball. The stakes get higher in the playoffs, when one call can make the difference to a team’s chance at a championship.

Players, coaches, front office personnel and top brass all get paid handsomely for their hard work, but referee salaries are rarely talked about. That being said, how much do NBA referees earn each year?

What is an NBA referee’s average annual salary?

All officials take home at least six-figures, regardless of rank. Their hierarchy does determine how high that number gets, though.

Entry-level referees earn roughly $600 per game. That amounts to $250,000 per year. Veteran refs make up to $3,500 per contest, and $550,000 over a full 82-game schedule.

Every NBA game requires three referees on the floor. The lead official, known as the crew chief, is the highest-paid official on most nights. All of the league’s 10-highest earners have officiated for at least 18 years.

Inclusively, The National Basketball Referees Association serves as the official union for the league’s game-callers. Like the other unions across the NBA, the Referees Association works to negotiate favorable wages and benefits for its game-callers.

The NBRA and the NBA came to terms on a seven-year contract as part of their most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2022.

The contract, which took effect last season, stipulates the current wages that the arbiters cash in.

All things considered, referees earn sizable income. The lowest paid at their position still makes nearly five times as much as the $58,140 median annual income in the United States. Albeit, when examining the NBA alone, they pale in comparison to the roughly $1.09 million veteran minimum for players and is just a step below the baseline two-way contract of $559,782.

Their money is well earned. Aside from adhering to the NBA guidelines, referees also have to stay in good shape, abstain from biases and deal with some of the biggest stars in the world.

There’s been no strike from the officials over their earnings, so its safe to say they are satisfied with their treatment from the league.

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