Howard Webb reveals how much Premier League referees earn a year and it's stunned everyone

Former Premier League referee and current Professional Game Match Officials Limited chief Howard Webb has revealed how much top flight referees earn.

Webb, 53, officiated in the Premier League between 2003 and 2014 and also worked as a FIFA international referee from 2005 to 2014 - a period in which he took charge of the 2010 World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands.

He has since undertaken roles as General Manager and Head of VAR of the Professional Referee Organisation for Major League Soccer before he landed the role of Chief Operating Officer for the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) and is now Chief Refereeing Officer.

Referees are often the topic of conversation, especially since the introduction of VAR in the Premier League at the start of the 2019/20 campaign.

There’s no denying that certain referees make mistakes, but given the pressure put on them, this is expected.

Match officials put up with abuse both inside stadiums and online. So, considering the aforementioned points, are their efforts compensated well?

Webb, accompanied by current Chief Operating Officer Danielle Every, recently delivered a presentation to EFL clubs across all three divisions, outlining the finances involved with officials.

He revealed that the PGMOL could lose £23.1m over the next five years, according to the Mail, and made a plea for more funding.

Howard Webb gave his thoughts (Credit:Getty)

In the presentation, the Rotherham-born 53-year-old explained how Select Group Referees are expected to earn around £240,000 this season – an amount which includes the total cost to the PGMOL including National Insurance.

Match fees and performance-related bonuses likely increased the figure significantly.

In the Championship, Webb revealed that 18 Select Group referees earn around £120,000, with assistant referees on £110,000.

This comes after The Athletic published a report on referee wages in April 2024, in which they explained how La Liga refs are the best paid on average with a fixed seasonal salary of £124,256 plus a £4,205 match fee to add to £21,929 in image rights.

Serie A refs earn between £76,954 and £77,345 while Ligue 1 officials pocket from £66,716 to £67,058.

Bundesliga refs earn between £52,977 and £70,067.