How much are female referees paid in the NBA?

In recent years there has been a massive uptick in female referees in the NBA. After seeing an overwhelmingly male-dominated officiating staff through the late 1990s and early 2000s, fans began to notice more female referees. Currently, there are six female referees who work NBA games, up from one, Lauren Holtkamp, seven years ago.

It's something that the NBA's senior vice president spoke about last year, pointing out how there hasn't been a concentrated effort to hire female referees. In his words, all the league had to do was hire the best people for the job.

With more female referees officiating games, fans have begun to wonder if there's a pay gap between female referees and male referees. As it turns out, there are three categories that NBA referees fall into. The first category is WNBA referees, the second is entry-level referees and the third is the top of the line senior referees – the best of the best.

Today, we're going to be taking a look at all three categories, how much each make and how a referee can climb their way up to the top level.

Before we do, check out a compilation video of every technical foul handed out last season. From coaches to players, we have it all.

How much are NBA referees paid?

The first category of referees we're going to be looking at is WNBA referees. According to Career Trend, those who officiate WNBA games earn a salary of $180,000 per year to start. With the average salary for a player in the WNBA being just $102,751, the fact that first-year referees are making so much is pretty surprising.

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The second category of referees are the Entry-level NBA referees. These officials begin with a salary of $250,000 as first-year referees. Although there's no word on what their yearly raise looks like, after three to five years of working as an entry-level referee, officials are eligible to be promoted to the next level.

Senior-level referees are the best of the best. If you've ever wondered why Finals games seem like they're officiated by many of the same people year after year, it's because those are senior-level referees. Once an individual reaches senior level, they make an average of $500,000 per year.

In addition, referees are paid bonus money for working the playoffs and NBA Finals. Depending on experience and how far into the playoffs they're working, officials can reportedly receive a per game bonus of anywhere between $800 to $5,000. Well-known referees on the high end are individuals like Tony Brothers and of course, Scott Foster – who Chris Paul is all too familiar with.

Add onto that insurance, retirement plans and the opportunity to travel the country for free, it's no wonder referees stick around for the long haul. With no big distinguishable difference between the referee pay for men and women, it's still clear that being a referee is a high-paying job.

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