Wrestling Referees Salary Revealed
- February 14, 2022
- TFG Team
- Wrestling
We’ve all been there at one point or another it may be a pay-per-view event, a house show, a Monday Night Raw, or a Smackdown Live. As a fan of wrestling, you’re watching one of your favorite matches but as soon as it starts getting good a wrestling referee gets in the middle of it and forces both superstars to stop.
We understand why they do this; after all, they’re trying to keep our favorite superstars from getting seriously injured. However, that doesn’t change how frustrating it can be as fans when we want nothing but two wrestlers to fight each other.
But it is also important to understand the referee’s side: his training, practices, and the tremendous pressure they are under. And so the question arises, are they rewarded for it properly?
In this article, we’re going to be talking about how much wrestling referees make, who gets paid what, and which referee is the highest-paid.
Table of Contents
Introduction of Wrestling Referee
A wrestling referee is an individual who officiates the non-wrestling aspects of matches. They are to ensure that the wrestlers do not break any rules and act according to their assigned roles in a match.
While professional wrestling has worked under various rules, there are some general rules all referees must follow, such as maintaining communication with other officials and avoiding outside interference by other wrestlers. In the past, referees were often assigned as a for-hire position to any pro wrestling match which asked.
In wrestling, unlike boxing, a referee’s decisions are accepted as final. This means that a referee can change a match’s outcome after the initially planned finish. The only way for this to happen is for one of the participants in a match to “break the rules” or be otherwise unable to continue.
Wrestling Referee Salary
As part of our research, we were quite surprised to discover that the average wrestling referee salary is $50,000 to $75,000 USD. Keep in mind that this isn’t an easy job, as mentioned, as they are required to take all kinds of physical punishment.
They are often thrown into the ring and put in dangerous situations that most people would not want to be in.
However, there is a lot of pressure on them to do their job properly so injuries don’t occur. If they fail to accomplish this aspect, it could lead to lawsuits. They must also know all the rules of wrestling before taking the job.
Pro Wrestling Referee Salary
There are many professional referees in the WWE. To know their individual salaries, we performed extensive market research to bring you pro wrestling referee salary figures that we’ve found:
– John Cone (Smackdown Live) – He has been a WWE referee since February 14th, 2003 and his estimated net worth is $1 million USD. He has officiated over 700 matches so far.
– Charles Robinson (Smackdown Live) – He was the third African American to become a WWE referee. His estimated net worth is $1 million USD and he has been a pro wrestling referee for almost 20 years now.
– Justin Roberts (Monday Night Raw) – With a professional wrestling referee salary of $300,000 to $400,000 a year and a net worth of $500,000 to $700,000 USD. He is currently active as a WWE commentator.
– Mike Chioda (Monday Night Raw) – With an estimated wrestling referee salary of between $400,000 and $500,000 USD. His net worth is $2 million USD. He has officiated over 2000 matches so far.
– Chad Patton (Monday Night Raw) – With an estimated wrestling referee salary of $500,000 to $1 million USD, he has been refereeing for almost 15 years now and his net worth is $3 million USD.
– Brian Hebner (Smackdown Live) – He is considered to be the highest-earning WWE referee. His estimated wrestling referee salary is $600,000 to $700,000 per year and his net worth is about $4 million USD.
Which Referee Is the Highest-paid?
Mike Chioda, Charles Robinson, and Brian Hebner are some of the highest-paid referees in the WWE. As mentioned earlier, they earn $400,000 to $500,000 per year on average.
How Much Do WWE Refs Earn?
The pay is not bad at all for WWE referees considering their job is very challenging. We have to commend them for being able to deal with so much physical punishment and still come out of it in one piece. If they ever need any help or counseling, they are covered by the company’s insurance.
So how much do WWE refs earn? It depends on the referee’s experience, popularity, and so, but the salary is between $600,000 and $1 million USD per year.
If you are interested in becoming a WWE referee, the company only hires people who have experience with martial arts or amateur wrestling competitions, so our advice is that if you wish to become one, then begin training for it sooner rather than later.
How Much Do Olympic Wrestling Refs Make?
Olympic wrestling includes several wrestling types, like freestyle wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling, and women’s freestyle wrestling. The Olympic wrestling referee’s salary is between $50,000 and $75,000 a year. However, if you have been officiating matches for years, then your salary will be more than that.
How Much Does a College Wrestling Referee Make?
If you are an amateur wrestler who is interested in refereeing, don’t worry because college wrestling referees are often students who major in education. Their salary is usually between $15,000 and $25,000 a year.
– The Big Ten pays their wrestling referees a referee salary of $10 to $14 per hour.
– The Mid-American pays their wrestling referees $35 to $50 for each college wrestling match they officiate and their top officials make around $85 to $100 per the main match and $25 to $35 for each side-match.
– The South Eastern Wrestling League offers a referee salary of $20 per college wrestling match.
– The Western Wrestling Conference pays their referees between $40 to $65 per wrestling match.
– The Eastern Wrestling League’s officials are paid $25 to $50 per college wrestling match.
How Much Does a High School Wrestling Referee Make?
In high school, the pay scale is a bit lower when compared to college. However, they are still paid a decent amount for their service.
– The New York State Public High School Athletic Association pays $15 to $35 per match depending on the division and rules of the match and their top officials make around $60 to $100 per high school wrestling main match and $25 to $50 for each side-match.
– The National Federation of State High School Associations offers a wrestling referee salary of $15 to $25 per match depending on the school’s geographical location.
– The National Association of Sports Officials offers a wrestling referee salary of $15 to $25 per match depending on the school’s geographical location.
What Are the Best Paying Wrestling Companies?
Currently, there are several high-paying wrestling companies in the world. If you wish to be a wrestler, it is best for you to try out with them to see if they are offering any jobs.
– Impact Wrestling pays a wrestling referee salary of $250,000 to $350,000 per year and their top officials make more than that.
– Ring of Honor pays between $150,000 to $250,000 USD per year for referees and their top officials make more than that.
– Evolve pays their referees $150,000 to $200,000 USD per year and the top officials make more than that.
– Lucha Underground pays $35,000 to $40,000 USD per season. Referees also make money by selling merchandise.
You Might Also Like
