As a general rule, referee pay is very consistent and even. A new referee and an experienced referee working on the same game generally receive the same fee. However, larger organizations (for example, a youth league) will occasionally pay umpires of different experience at different rates.

Unsurprisingly, arbitrator pay varies across the country. What a referee receives for working on a 12u game in Southern California may be different than what a referee receives for a 12u game in Maine. Youth leagues will generally pay between $15 and $50 per game, per umpire. High school is typically $50-$75 per 7 inning game, per umpire. Tournaments are paid at a different rate. Baseball generally pays more than softball (mainly because baseball games are longer), and the older the age group, the higher the pay.

Typically, a junior referee can earn between $200 and $400 for a weekend’s work at a tournament. Combine that with working weekdays (2 games x 3 nights a week) and a beginning umpire can easily make $500 a week working part time. Taxes are generally not withheld and the arbitrator receives a 1099 at the end of the year.

As an example, I know of a 17-year-old umpire in the Midwest who works for a competitive youth softball league. He is mature, reliable, hardworking, and has a great attitude. The league has a 75-minute time limit on its games. This young man works Monday through Friday, two games a night. He does not work Saturday or Sunday. His pay rate is $25 per game, so he takes home $250 per week for 17.5 hours of work (5:30-9:00). That’s an hourly rate of $14.28! Sure, it beats the $7.50 an hour his friends make at the Piggly Wiggly.