How to hire a referee

How to hire a referee, step by step

Here's a step-by-step referee hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a referee job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new referee
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a referee do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a referee, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a referee to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a referee that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of referees.

   Type of Referee	Description	Hourly rate
   Referee	Umpires, referees, and other sports officials preside over competitive athletic or sporting events to help maintain standards of play. They detect infractions and decide penalties according to the rules of the game.	$12-61

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Safety Regulations
   • CPR
   • Game Rules
   • Hockey Games
   • Safety Rules
   • Intramural Sports
   • Conflict Resolution
   • Youth Sports
   • Softball Games
   • REF
   • Volleyball Games
   • Leadership
   • Game Play
   • NCAA

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage conflicts and resolutions between other umpires and coaches/parents.
   • Certify in CPR if need and remain calm in stressful situations.
   • Age groups ranging from coach pitch to NCAA.
   • Court referee- run up and down the court watching for fouls, travels, double dribbles, etc.
   • Pool and championship competitive league umpire.
   • Implement a CPR class for incoming referees.

   More referee duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your referee job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A referee salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, referees' average salary in mississippi is 58% less than in pennsylvania.
   • Seniority. Entry-level referees earn 80% less than senior-level referees.
   • Certifications. A referee with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a referee's salary.

   Average referee salary

   $56,571yearly

   $27.20 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level referee salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 22, 2025

   Average referee salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Pennsylvania	$78,501	$38
   2	Virginia	$73,128	$35
   3	Arizona	$72,059	$35
   4	North Carolina	$69,737	$34
   5	California	$68,384	$33
   6	Washington	$66,264	$32
   7	Massachusetts	$65,727	$32
   8	Oregon	$64,927	$31
   9	Indiana	$61,443	$30
   10	New Mexico	$58,877	$28
   11	Iowa	$55,624	$27
   12	Alaska	$53,049	$26
   13	Wisconsin	$49,476	$24
   14	Utah	$49,023	$24
   15	New York	$48,653	$23
   16	Minnesota	$48,060	$23
   17	Montana	$47,894	$23
   18	Illinois	$47,158	$23
   19	Kansas	$46,338	$22
   20	Florida	$44,615	$21

   Average referee salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Syracuse University	$61,766	$29.70
   2	YMCA of Metro Knoxville	$57,408	$27.60	4
   3	The University of New Mexico	$57,272	$27.53	3
   4	City of Greenville, NC	$57,141	$27.47	2
   5	Think Together	$55,714	$26.79	4
   6	Ymca Of Metropolitan Atlanta	$55,382	$26.63	13
   7	University of Pennsylvania	$51,764	$24.89	3
   8	Volo Aviation	$51,485	$24.75
   9	The State of Oregon	$50,559	$24.31
   10	University of Alaska	$50,483	$24.27	1
   11	Rink Management Services	$49,532	$23.81
   12	ZogSports	$46,680	$22.44
   13	City of Roseville Michigan	$46,435	$22.32
   14	Fairmont Schools	$46,288	$22.25
   15	City of Moorhead	$45,022	$21.65
   16	City of Racine	$40,738	$19.59
   17	Wheaton Park District	$38,954	$18.73	7
   18	Des Moines, Washington	$38,675	$18.59	3
   19	City of Medford	$35,844	$17.23
   20	City of Plymouth, MN	$33,891	$16.29	1

4. Writing a referee job description

   A good referee job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a referee job description:

   Referee job description example

   Essential Functions:
   
   * Represents the YMCA and maintains appropriate relationships with members, parents and youth.
   * Begins each game with a prayer and/or devotion and ensures game conducted reflects YMCA values.
   * Diffuses conflict situations involving players, fans, or captains.
   * Communicates any inappropriate behavior to Sports Coordinator/Director.
   * Enforces rules for particular sport and YMCA Sports philosophy.
   * Serves as a positive role model.
   * Has knowledge of emergency and safety procedures.
   * Attends all YMCA required trainings and meetings.
   * Represents the YMCA and maintains appropriate dress code.
   * Gathers all equipment, supplies, and materials for games, setting up before game and cleaning up after conclusion.
   * Monitors gym or fields during practices and reports any negative behavior to proper channels.
   
   NOTE: This job description reflects management's assignment of essential functions. It does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.
   
   YMCA Competencies (Leader):
   
   Inclusion: Works effectively with people of different backgrounds, abilities, opinions, and perceptions.
   
   Relationships: Builds rapport and relates well to others.
   
   Communication: Listens for understanding and meaning; speaks and writes effectively.
   
   Decision-Making: Makes sound judgments; and transfers learning from one situation to another.
   
   Emotional Maturity: Accurately assesses personal feelings, strengths, and limitations and how they impact relationships.
   
   Qualifications:
   
   Referee 1 Referee for sports involving youth ages 2-8 years old, no experience required, must be over the age of 16.
   
   Referee 2 Referee for sports involving youth ages 9-17 years old, 2+ years of experience, must be over the age of 16 and/or certification from governing body or prior Y e e experience
   
   Referee 3 Referee for sports involving youth/adult competitive games, must be over the age of 18, with 3-5 years' experience and certification.
   
   * Must present a professional, mature image, and have excellent interpersonal communication skills.
   * Must possess conflict resolution skills and good judgment in identifying potentially risky situations involving members and participants.
   * Completion of YMCA program-specific certifications.
   * We will train you to enforce official league rules and on the YMCA philosophy during all scheduled athletic activities.
   * Pay is determined by experience.
   
   Physical Demands:
   
   Sufficient strength, agility and mobility to perform essential functions and to supervise program activities in a wide variety of indoor and outdoor locations.
   
   al functions and to supervise program activities in a wide variety of indoor and outdoor locations.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right referee for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with referees they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit referees who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your referee job on Zippia to find and recruit referee candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting referees requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new referee

   Once you have selected a candidate for the referee position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new referee. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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