Alright, so you wanna know how much them football refs make, huh? Well, it ain’t exactly somethin’ they go around shoutin’ from the rooftops, you know? Them NFL fellas, they like to keep things hush-hush, especially when it comes to money.
But, you know, word gets around. Folks talk, and things leak out. I heard tell that back in 2019, them refs were makin’ somethin’ like $201,000, maybe $205,000 a year. That’s a whole lotta money, ain’t it? I reckon it is. I mean, shoot, I ain’t never seen that much money in my whole life!
Now, some folks say that’s just the average. Some of them older refs, the ones who been doin’ it for a long time, they probably make more. I heard tell of a fella named Walt Anderson, he was makin’ somethin’ like $250,000 when he quit in 2019. And there’s a couple other fellas, Brad Allen and Craig Wrolstad, they say they make about the same.
But listen here, it ain’t just about the yearly money, you see. They get paid for each game too. I heard it’s somethin’ like $1,500 a game! That’s more than I make in a month, I tell you what! And if they get to work the playoffs, well, that’s even more money in their pockets. They get bonuses for that, you know.
- Yearly Salary: Around $205,000 to $270,000
- Per Game Pay: Up to $1,500
- Bonuses: For playoff games
Now, here’s the funny thing. They call these fellas “part-time” workers. Can you believe that? Part-time! But let me tell you, it ain’t like they just show up on Sundays and blow a whistle. They gotta study the rules, watch the games, go to meetin’s. It’s a lot of work, even if it ain’t all year round.
So, yeah, them NFL refs, they make good money. Real good money. But you know what? It ain’t easy money. They gotta deal with a whole lotta pressure. Them players are big and fast, and the fans, well, they get riled up somethin’ fierce. One bad call, and everybody’s yellin’ at ’em. I wouldn’t wanna be in their shoes, that’s for sure.
Think about it. You’re standin’ there on the field, thousands of people watchin’, millions more watchin’ on TV, and you gotta make a split-second decision. And if you mess up, everybody’s gonna let you know about it. Shoot, I get nervous just watchin’ ’em on TV! I can’t imagine the pressure them refs feel.
And it ain’t just the fans and the players they gotta deal with. They gotta deal with the coaches too. Them coaches, they’re always yellin’ and stompin’ their feet, tryin’ to get the refs to see things their way. It’s a tough job, I tell you what. A tough job.
But hey, at least they get paid well for it, right? I mean, $200,000 a year, that’s nothin’ to sneeze at. And like I said, the really good ones, the ones who been doin’ it for a while, they can make even more than that. So, yeah, if you’re lookin’ for a well-paid part-time job, maybe bein’ an NFL ref is the way to go. Just be prepared for a whole lotta pressure and a whole lotta yellin’!
But remember, this is just what I heard, you know? The NFL don’t like to talk about these things. They like to keep it all a secret. But like I said, word gets around. Folks talk. And that’s what I heard.
So next time you’re watchin’ a football game, and you see them refs runnin’ up and down the field, just remember, they’re gettin’ paid pretty good for it. And they’re earnin’ every penny, I tell you what. It ain’t easy bein’ an NFL ref.
Tags: NFL Refs, Referee Salary, NFL Earnings, Football Officials, NFL Pay, Walt Anderson, Brad Allen, Craig Wrolstad
