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Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials in Florida

Thinking about a career as an Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials in Florida? Here’s what you need to know. Officiate at competitive athletic or sporting events. Detect infractions of rules and decide penalties according to established regulations. Includes all sporting officials, referees, and competition judges.

What do Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials Make in Florida?

For umpires, referees, and other sports officials working in Florida, the median annual wage is $30,190 per year.Pay can range from $26,830 at the 10th percentile to $56,750 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$26,830	n/a
25th percentile	$27,810	n/a
Median (50th)	$30,190	$0.00
75th percentile	$45,060	n/a
90th percentile	$56,750	n/a

Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in Florida compared to the national average — is 0.56, suggesting fewer umpires, referees, and other sports officials per worker than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, umpires, referees, and other sports officials earn a median of $42,670 per year ($20.51/hour), below the Florida median.

Employment Outlook

National employment for 283,978 umpires, referees, and other sports officials in the U.S.. In Florida alone, around 540 people work in this role. That’s more than the typical state, which employs around 190 umpires, referees, and other sports officials.

Top Florida Metros for Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials

These are the Florida metros with the most umpires, referees, and other sports officials in Florida.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	140	$29,610
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	120	$27,890
Jacksonville, FL	60	$33,570
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	60	$33,760
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL	40	$47,040
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL	40	$32,900

Top States for Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials Employment

The table below shows the states where the most umpires, referees, and other sports officials work.

State	Number Employed
California	2,830
Utah	960
Colorado	910
Illinois	820
New York	710
Missouri	690
Texas	650
Kansas	620
Florida	540
Ohio	500
North Carolina	480
Washington	430
New Jersey	420
Virginia	380
Pennsylvania	340
Michigan	310
Wisconsin	280
Idaho	270
Louisiana	260
Massachusetts	210

Highest-Paying States for Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials

Where umpires, referees, and other sports officials earn the most: umpires, referees, and other sports officials.

State	Annual Median Salary
Massachusetts	$83,570
Kentucky	$57,450
South Carolina	$57,390
Minnesota	$52,630
New Hampshire	$52,580
Louisiana	$52,320
Maryland	$50,720
Maine	$48,400
New Jersey	$47,620
Illinois	$47,010

Skills

The most important umpires, referees, and other sports officials skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

The abilities that matter most for umpires, referees, and other sports officials, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, umpires, referees, and other sports officials typically:

• Officiate at sporting events, games, or competitions, to maintain standards of play and to ensure that game rules are observed.
• Inspect game sites for compliance with regulations or safety requirements.
• Resolve claims of rule infractions or complaints by participants and assess any necessary penalties, according to regulations.
• Signal participants or other officials to make them aware of infractions or to otherwise regulate play or competition.
• Teach and explain the rules and regulations governing a specific sport.
• Inspect sporting equipment or examine participants to ensure compliance with event and safety regulations.
• Report to regulating organizations regarding sporting activities, complaints made, and actions taken or needed, such as fines or other disciplinary actions.
• Confer with other sporting officials, coaches, players, and facility managers to provide information, coordinate activities, and discuss problems.
• Judge performances in sporting competitions to award points, impose scoring penalties, and determine results.
• Verify scoring calculations before competition winners are announced.
• Start races and competitions.
• Compile scores and other athletic records.

Work Activities

• Getting Information
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
• Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Training and Teaching Others
• Documenting/Recording Information

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Adobe Acrobat

Related Careers

Other careers like umpires, referees, and other sports officials include:

• Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary
• Education Administrators, Postsecondary
• Compliance Officers
• Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners
• Training and Development Specialists
• Self-Enrichment Teachers

Also Known As

Athletic Events Scorer, Baseball Coach, Baseball Umpire, Basketball Manager, Basketball Referee, Basketball Scorekeeper, Clerk of Scales, Clocker, Dance Critic, Diving Judge, Dressage Judge, Equestrian Events Judge, Flag Football Referee, Football Referee, Handicapper.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 27-2023.00