Following another weekend littered with intense controversy over the standard of officiating, we pose the question – how much do Premier League referees get paid?
- Becoming a referee at the highest level requires years of experience and course-taking
- Premier League referees are rewarded handsomely, with leading on-field officials taking home as much as £200,000-per-year
Both Wolves and Arsenal were the latest sides to be left feeling hard done by, with contentious refereeing once again taking centre stage in gameweek 11.
The latter have come out in strong support for their manager Mikel Arteta, whose impassioned response to Newcastle’s winner on Saturday – which he labelled a ‘disgrace’ and ’embarrassing’ – will almost certainly land him in hot water with PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited).
A tempestuous storm has since raged across social media, with the events at St James’s Park over the weekend likely to be the most opinion-splitting referee call of the season so far.
Further calls for genuine accountability have been made, not only from the outraged Arsenal and Wolves faithful, but also rival fans and pundits alike.
With fans still reeling and the fallout from the weekend continuing to boil, we put the figures at the centre of the controversy under the microscope, to see the level of renumeration they receive in their respective roles.
How Much Do Premier League Referees Get Paid?
For all their recent transgressions, there is no doubting the level of pressure the comes with being a Premier League referee – it is both the highest possible level of domestic club football, and the most watched sporting league on the planet.
Recent controversies have threatened to undermine the league’s integrity, and although VAR was introduced to provide further clarity, the human element of PGMOL’s system will continue to lead to contentious calls.
At this moment in time, that is occurring more than it should. This has sparked our interest in regards to how much they are paid, but also the level of sanctions in place for referees.
The most recent Premier League referee salary figures were divulged in the 2020/21 season, with Sportekz reporting that leading officials can earn anywhere from £70,000 to £200,000-per-year, based on experience.
Those at the top end of the spectrum, such as Michael Oliver, officiate in European competition as well which is reflected in their superior salary.
Referees £1,500 £70,000-£200,000 Assistant Referees £850 £30,000 Video Assistant Referees £850 £30,000 As the table above also shows, assistant referees, along with those in the VAR room at Stockley Park, also earn around £30,000. For context, the Office for National Statistics released figures as of November 2023, which revealed the average pre-tax UK salary stood at around £38,000. According to GOAL, Premier League referees actually earn considerably less per match than their counterparts across Europe’s top five leagues. Some Premier League referees are also Champions League officials, as mentioned – this is deemed the very top level of officiating, and as such, commands the highest level of pay at £5,500 per game. As for the rest of the continent, top referees get paid the following amounts per match: As is evidenced by the figures above, Premier League referee’s pay pales in comparison to the rest of Europe’s top five leagues. This question is somewhat of a grey area by all accounts. Reports in the past have suggested that the annual bonuses for Premier League referees can take a hit, if they have been found to make a significant error. There are no official guidelines for financial sanctions, but the Premier League has been known to reprimand officials in other ways. Not least removing them from refereeing duties for upcoming fixtures – this of course happened to Darren England after the offside debacle between Tottenham and Liverpool in September, and so too Simon Hooper after Manchester United vs Wolves in August. It is no secret that Premier League referees have been freelancing in Saudi Arabia this season, which PGMOL chief Howard Webb has allowed after claiming the experiences overseas will help them develop. The likes of Andrew Madley and Craig Pawson also took up assignments in Japan’s J-League towards the end of the Premier League season last year. As has been well-documented, this jam-packed itinerary has been called into question, with elite level referees sometimes officiating in the Champions League, Saudi Arabia and then returning for Premier League duty, often with less than a 24-hour gap. Several reports has claimed that Michael Oliver receives around £2,500 per match to officiate in the Saudi Pro League, who have sounded out several of the Premier League’s top officials for a permanent role, believed to pay around £330,000-per-year, tax-free. Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
Premier League Referee Salaries
Per Match
Basic Salary Per Annum
How Much Do Premier League Referees Get Paid in Comparison to Europe’s Top Leagues?
Are Premier League Referees Fined For Making Mistakes?
Can Premier League Referees Make Money Elsewhere?
