Salary of German referees increases, match fees keep the same

The salary of German referees increases again this season. Top referees Deniz Aytekin and Felix Brych will earn 75.000 euro’s in the 2016-2017 season plus fees for the matches they officiate, say German media.

Salary of German referees

Salary of German referees

That amount was 40.000 euro’s in 2013-2014 season, 60.000 euro’s in the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 seasons for Fifa referees from Germany. In the 2016-2017 the top refs will get 75.000 euro’s on their bank account. The basic fee, independent of the number of matches referees get, was introduced in July 2012 in Germany.

The president of the German FA thinks referees should have a better environment to achieve the best. Financial stability is one of them. Former German referee boss Herbert Fandel thinks this will be needed for “making refereeing more professional”.

Match fees remain the same

Not only Elite referees will get more cash. Also other referees in at first and second level in Germany will get more money or officiating football matches. The Bundesliga referees earned 20.000 euro’s in 2013-2014. In the 2014-2015 season it doubled to 40.000 euro’s and in the 2016-2017 season it will be 55.000. Bundesliga referees with 5 years or more experience will get paid 65.000 a year in 2016-2017.

Referees of the second level will get 35.000 euro’s (in 2016/2017) for refereeing. That number has increased in the last couple of years. They got 15.000 (2013- 2014) and 25.000 (2014-2015) a few years back.

The match fees remain the same: 3.800 euro’s per Bundesliga match and 2000 euro’s for a match at second level.

Salary Premier League referee can be £100,000

What a difference: my match fee: £16,00 versus match fee of Premier League referee: £1.000. And that’s not it, they also get £65.000 (basic salary Premier League referee per year).

MoneyThe Premier League referees belong to the Select Group of referees. The National Group – Football League referees – earn about 380 pounds and work on a freelance basis, says Daily Mail. The newspaper has calculated that the Football League refs will make £17,480 when they officiate 46 games per season.

In comparison, the average household income in the UK is £27,000, based on stats bythe Office for National Statistics.

I see such a salary gap also in The Netherlands. Referees on the national amateur list earn just 5 euro’s more than I get to buy lunch. Yes, they also get travel money as compensation as I do. But they sometimes move to the other side of the country (takes 3 hours sometimes, one-way). Then you’re away from home for payment of just over 25 euro’s.

The salary in German leagues is much higher on the second level. Referees of the second level will get 15.000 euro’s (now), 25.000 (next season) and 35.000 euro’s (in 2016/2017) as basic fee. For every game they ref another 2000 euro’s will be paid.

Read all about the German match fees.

How much money do you earn for refereeing your game?