NFL referee salary: How much are Super Bowl officials paid in 2023?

Bryan Murphy

NFL referee salary: How much are Super Bowl officials paid in 2023? image

In this day and age of technology, no one takes more crap than officials. 

Whether it's a missed call or a penalty given that raises some eyebrows, those in the whites constantly are under scrutiny from players, coaches and fans. 

While praise might be hard to come by, the money is not. The officials out there are coming away with a good sized paycheck for their efforts every week.

Getting selected to work the Super Bowl is no easy feat. Not only are the officials being rewarded for their work all year with the selection, but also get to walk away with their biggest single-game payment of the year. 

MORE: Watch Super Bowl 57 live with fuboTV (free trial)

How much do officials make in the Super Bowl? The Sporting News breaks it down.

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How much are referees paid for Super Bowl 57?

There is no official number out there for how much officials make at the game. Therefore, there won't be any exact number for the crew working Super Bowl 57.

However, there are estimates out there. Money.com reported back in 2018 that officials would likely make roughly $40,000, with a range between $30,000 and $50,000.

MORE: How much money do NFL players make for winning Super Bowl in 2023?

Who are the Super Bowl 57 game officials?

Below are the officials that will be on the call for Super Bowl 57 between the Eagles and Chiefs, led by Carl Cheffers.

Position Official Previous Super Bowls
Referee Carl Cheffers 51, 55
Umpire Roy Ellison
Down Judge Jerod Phillips 53
Line Judge Jeff Bergman 31, 53
Field Judge John Jenkins
Side Judge Eugene Hall 53, 55
Back Judge Dino Paganelli 47, 55
Replay Official Mark Butterworth

This officiating crew could result in a high-penalty Super Bowl. According to NFLPenalties.com, Cheffers' crew threw more flags than any others, averaging 13.94 flags per game for an average yards total of 124.06. 

How much do referees make in the regular season?

NFL officials don't work this position as a full-time job, and most have second jobs. For example, Cheffers also works a full-time job for a company that manufactures automobile batteries. 

However, the officials still make a good amount of money for a season's worth of games. Money.com reported that starting in 2019, officials made an average of $201,000.

In addition, officials also have a 401(k) plan that features an annual individual contribution of $18,000 with the league partially matching.

Bryan Murphy

Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.