Brief
NFL referees juggle full‑time careers ranging from finance to aerospace engineering
Bleacher Report details the day jobs of the 121 NFL officials for the 2026 season, including former players and average pay figures.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Bleacher Report notes that NFL referees are not league employees and therefore maintain regular full‑time jobs to earn most of their income before officiating games. The 2026 officials list includes roles such as financial advisor, aerospace software engineer, school counselor, sports‑park director and food‑safety enforcement coordinator. Several officials work in law as lawyers, law‑firm managers or magistrate judges. Four of the 121 officials are former NFL players: Nate Jones, Terry Killens, Mike Morton and Courtney Brown, with Morton having won Super Bowl 34 with the 1999 St. Louis Rams. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert is cited for an average 2025 season pay of $350,000 under a multi‑component structure, and a new seven‑year collective bargaining agreement was reached in May.
Key facts
- NFL referees hold full‑time jobs such as financial advisor and aerospace software engineer. (bleacherreport.com)
- Four of the 121 officials are former NFL players, including Mike Morton of the 1999 Super Bowl‑winning Rams. (bleacherreport.com)
- Average pay for officials in the 2025 season was $350,000, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. (bleacherreport.com)
Sources
- [1] bleacherreport.com — originally reported as “Every NFL Referee's Full-Time Job, Including Financial Advisor, Aerospace Software Engineer and More”
