What a Premier League referee earns in 2026/27 is the sum of a basic retainer, match fees, and bonuses that amount to an average salary per season of up to £180,000.
Premier League referees sit at the top of the PGMOL structure, and the busiest or most experienced officials can add more through UEFA and FIFA appointments.
Of course, even this rather large average salary pales in comparison to Premier League player salaries, but still ranks higher than most other referees in world football. Here’s how referee earnings in the Premier League look to shake out for this season.
Salary Table
The Premier League referee salary picture is built around PGMOL referee pay bands, and the headline figures differ depending on role and level. Select Group 1 is the elite pool for Premier League matches, while Select Group 2 covers Championship appointments and can also assist in the top flight.
- Group 1 referees - £180,000
- Group 2 referees - £120,000
- Assistant referees - £110,000
- VAR officials - Not publicly fixed as a single average
The Premier League referee salary for Group 1 is the number most fans will have heard, but that figure only tells part of the story. They also get a fee for officiating Premier League matches and get performance-related payments, which can push totals higher, especially for officials who are trusted with the biggest fixtures.
Assistant referees are also well paid by football standards, and the best-known names in the middle and on the touchline often work across several competitions. That wider workload helps explain why referee salaries 2026/27 remain one of the more closely watched parts of the game.
Match fees explained and how many games top referees take
Match fees are the extra payments officials receive for each appointment on top of their base salary. In the Premier League, that fee has been reported at around £1,150 per match, which means the final season total depends on how often a referee is selected and whether they also pick up European and international work.
That is why the answer to how much do Premier League referees earn is never just a single neat number. A referee with fewer league appointments can still earn well if they are heavily involved in cup, UEFA, or FIFA duties, while a busier league schedule naturally boosts the total.
The most active Premier League referees in 2025/26 were Anthony Taylor with 31 games, Chris Kavanagh with 30 games, and Michael Oliver with 29 games. Those figures matter because they show how the biggest names in the pool are trusted most often, and each appointment adds another match fee to the annual total.
Top referees and their estimated earnings
The leading Premier League names usually sit close together on earnings because their base pay is similar, but the difference comes from the number of matches and the competitions they are assigned. Here is a simple look at the main names and their estimated earnings.
- Anthony Taylor - estimated at around £180,000 to £200,000, with the upper end linked to his match volume and extra appointments.
- Chris Kavanagh - estimated at around £180,000 to £195,000, helped by a heavy domestic workload.
- Michael Oliver - estimated at around £180,000 to £200,000, with room to rise if he is used in UEFA or FIFA fixtures.
- Stuart Attwell - estimated at around £180,000 plus match-fee uplift, depending on fixture count.
- Samuel Barrott - estimated at around £180,000 plus match-fee uplift, with fewer games than the busiest elite officials.
- Darren England - estimated at around £180,000 plus match-fee uplift, based on his position in the top-flight referee pool.
Those estimates are exactly why searches for Premier League referee salary keep drawing attention. The headline number is strong, but the final season pay packet depends on availability, selection, and whether an official is also judged suitable for the biggest continental games.
How Premier League referee pay compares
Premier League officials are well paid, but the top-flight figure sits in a broader international market where some leagues reportedly compensate referees differently. Championship officials are generally below the Premier League bracket, while elite European and North American leagues have their own structures and fee scales.
- Premier League - Up to £180,000 average season total
- Championship - Around £120,000
- La Liga - Varies by role and appointment, often lower than Premier League total pay
- Serie A - Varies by role and appointment, often lower than Premier League total pay
- MLS - Varies by role and appointment, often below Premier League elite totals
The broad takeaway is that the Premier League referee salary is among the strongest in domestic football, especially once match fees are added in. The gap is most obvious when comparing top-flight English officials with second-tier referees, because PGMOL referee pay rises sharply once a referee reaches the Select Group 1 level.
Even so, when compared to players, some top-tier referees are earning about as much as the average National League weekly earnings before bonuses and additional payments are factored in. Referee salaries appear even more askew compared to the rest of the industry when you factor in agent earnings in football.
Extra earnings
The best Premier League officials can take their earnings higher by working UEFA and FIFA competitions, which are known to pay well. Those assignments are usually reserved for referees who have built a strong domestic record and are trusted to handle the highest-pressure matches on the international stage.
Premier League referees have also been linked with earnings near £250,000 a year when those extra appointments are added in. That is the real ceiling in the conversation about Premier League referee salary, because elite European and global work can turn a very good domestic season into a much larger one.
How to become a Premier League referee
Most officials reach the top through years of training, assessment, and steady promotion through the refereeing pyramid. The path usually starts with entry-level courses and county football experience, followed by regular appointments at youth, amateur, and semi-professional level before moving into the professional game. Progress depends on fitness, laws-of-the-game knowledge, match control, and formal certification.
For anyone tracking Premier League referee salary figures closely, the key point is simple: the headline amount is only the starting line. Match fees, performance reviews, and continental appointments all shape what the top officials actually take home, which is why the 2026/27 conversation is really about total earning power rather than a single fixed wage.
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FAQ
Do Premier League referees work full-time?
Yes. Premier League referees are full-time officials employed within the PGMOL structure, which oversees training, development, mentoring, and appointments across the professional game.
Do Premier League referees get bonuses?
Yes. Premier League referees can receive bonuses linked to performance and selection, in addition to salary and match fees.
In the Premier League, is there pay parity for female officials?
Female officials in the elite assistant referee pool are paid on the same structure as their peers in that group, with salary based on role, experience, and performance rather than gender. The same PGMOL framework applies across the professional tier.
