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Best states for a referee
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for referees in the United States. Referee positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for referees.Our research found that West Virginia is the best state for referees, while Pennsylvania and Virginia are ranked highest in terms of median salary. West Virginia has a median salary of $72,206 and Pennsylvania has the highest median salary among all 50 states for referees.
The median salary for referees in West Virginia is $72,206. Compare that to the median salary in Mississippi of $32,508, which ranked worst for referees, and you can see how your location is important for your career.If you are currently seeking employment as a referee, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for referees in 2026
1. West Virginia
Total referee jobs: 1 Average annual salary: $72,206 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 2.79
2. Pennsylvania
Total referee jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $77,920 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 0.73
3. Arizona
Total referee jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $72,096 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 1.46
4. Virginia
Total referee jobs: 1 Average annual salary: $76,753 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 0.45
5. Michigan
Total referee jobs: 1 Average annual salary: $72,090 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 0.55
6. Connecticut
Total referee jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $74,660 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 0
7. Massachusetts
Total referee jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $65,975 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 1.86
8. Vermont
Total referee jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $69,649 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 0
9. Maine
Total referee jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $65,483 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location Quotient: 0
10. Rhode Island
Total referee jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $65,713 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 0
Referee jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a referee
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a referee
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | $72,206 | $36,000 | 1,815,857 | 1 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $77,920 | $39,000 | 12,805,537 | 2 |
| 3 | Arizona | $72,096 | $35,000 | 7,016,270 | 2 |
| 4 | Virginia | $76,753 | $38,000 | 8,470,020 | 1 |
| 5 | Michigan | $72,090 | $36,000 | 9,962,311 | 1 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $74,660 | $37,000 | 3,588,184 | 0 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $65,975 | $32,000 | 6,859,819 | 4 |
| 8 | Vermont | $69,649 | $34,000 | 623,657 | 0 |
| 9 | Maine | $65,483 | $31,000 | 1,335,907 | 0 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $65,713 | $31,000 | 1,059,639 | 0 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $61,641 | $31,000 | 4,454,189 | 1 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $65,572 | $32,000 | 10,273,419 | 0 |
| 13 | Washington | $65,491 | $31,000 | 7,405,743 | 1 |
| 14 | Delaware | $64,672 | $31,000 | 961,939 | 0 |
| 15 | Maryland | $64,547 | $31,000 | 6,052,177 | 1 |
| 16 | California | $66,380 | $31,000 | 39,536,653 | 3 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $63,885 | $30,000 | 1,342,795 | 0 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $55,326 | $30,000 | 755,393 | 1 |
| 19 | Indiana | $57,245 | $29,000 | 6,666,818 | 1 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $59,179 | $28,000 | 2,088,070 | 0 |
| 21 | Oregon | $61,600 | $29,000 | 4,142,776 | 0 |
| 22 | Nevada | $58,794 | $27,000 | 2,998,039 | 0 |
| 23 | District of Columbia | $62,824 | $30,000 | 693,972 | 0 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $56,172 | $28,000 | 579,315 | 0 |
| 25 | Iowa | $54,867 | $29,000 | 3,145,711 | 0 |
| 26 | Utah | $49,566 | $24,000 | 3,101,833 | 2 |
| 27 | Ohio | $54,458 | $26,000 | 11,658,609 | 0 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $49,686 | $25,000 | 5,795,483 | 3 |
| 29 | Montana | $47,381 | $24,000 | 1,050,493 | 2 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $50,710 | $26,000 | 3,004,279 | 0 |
| 31 | Alaska | $52,273 | $27,000 | 739,795 | 0 |
| 32 | Idaho | $50,493 | $24,000 | 1,716,943 | 0 |
| 33 | Kansas | $46,285 | $24,000 | 2,913,123 | 1 |
| 34 | South Dakota | $47,385 | $25,000 | 869,666 | 0 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $48,010 | $25,000 | 5,576,606 | 1 |
| 36 | Illinois | $47,170 | $24,000 | 12,802,023 | 2 |
| 37 | New Jersey | $48,679 | $23,000 | 9,005,644 | 0 |
| 38 | New York | $48,766 | $23,000 | 19,849,399 | 0 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $46,972 | $23,000 | 4,684,333 | 0 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $39,594 | $20,000 | 6,715,984 | 3 |
| 41 | Florida | $42,887 | $22,000 | 20,984,400 | 5 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $45,215 | $23,000 | 5,024,369 | 0 |
| 43 | Texas | $36,211 | $18,000 | 28,304,596 | 12 |
| 44 | Georgia | $37,724 | $19,000 | 10,429,379 | 6 |
| 45 | Alabama | $38,034 | $19,000 | 4,874,747 | 2 |
| 46 | Colorado | $32,691 | $16,000 | 5,607,154 | 6 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $40,582 | $26,000 | 1,427,538 | 0 |
| 48 | Missouri | $34,043 | $17,000 | 6,113,532 | 3 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $40,179 | $20,000 | 3,930,864 | 0 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $33,798 | $17,000 | 1,920,076 | 0 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $32,508 | $16,000 | 2,984,100 | 0 |
Highest paying states for referees
| Rank | State | Avg. Referee Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | $72,206 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $77,920 |
| 3 | Arizona | $72,096 |
| 4 | Virginia | $76,753 |
| 5 | Michigan | $72,090 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $74,660 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $65,975 |
| 8 | Vermont | $69,649 |
| 9 | Maine | $65,483 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $65,713 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $61,641 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $65,572 |
| 13 | Washington | $65,491 |
| 14 | Delaware | $64,672 |
| 15 | Maryland | $64,547 |
| 16 | California | $66,380 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $63,885 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $55,326 |
| 19 | Indiana | $57,245 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $59,179 |
| 21 | Oregon | $61,600 |
| 22 | Nevada | $58,794 |
| 23 | District of Columbia | $62,824 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $56,172 |
| 25 | Iowa | $54,867 |
| 26 | Utah | $49,566 |
| 27 | Ohio | $54,458 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $49,686 |
| 29 | Montana | $47,381 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $50,710 |
| 31 | Alaska | $52,273 |
| 32 | Idaho | $50,493 |
| 33 | Kansas | $46,285 |
| 34 | South Dakota | $47,385 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $48,010 |
| 36 | Illinois | $47,170 |
| 37 | New Jersey | $48,679 |
| 38 | New York | $48,766 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $46,972 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $39,594 |
| 41 | Florida | $42,887 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $45,215 |
| 43 | Texas | $36,211 |
| 44 | Georgia | $37,724 |
| 45 | Alabama | $38,034 |
| 46 | Colorado | $32,691 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $40,582 |
| 48 | Missouri | $34,043 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $40,179 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $33,798 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $32,508 |
Referee best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025