Top referees' stunning wages revealed including £8,500 payday for certain matches

The wages earned by some referees at the highest level have been revealed and highlight the huge money which can be made by top officials.

Referees are constantly under the microscope and receive abuse from players, managers and fans alike.

But while their salaries pale in comparison to those they are sharing the pitch with, refs can still earn a pretty penny.

A new report from L'Equipe claims that referees in Ligue One typically earn a fixed salary of €7,239 (£6,208) per month before tax comes into play.

Over a year that equates to just short of £75,000 per year, which is more than twice the average UK salary pre-tax according to latest figures.

But the refs also get €3,375 (£2,900) for every Ligue 1 match they take charge of, and a further €5,000 (£4,290) for each time they officiate a European fixture.

In addition, reaching the international stage means French officials pocket a whopping £8,580 per game.

And on top of that, there is also a tidy daily allowance of €600 (£515) for expenses in terms of meals, travel and accommodation over three days.

Information on Premier League referees' wages is not as accessible but in 2021 Goal claimed that the fixed salary at the time was between £38,500 and £42,000 - as well as £1,150 per game.

Image: Getty

In April last year, Premier League referee Michael Oliver collected a huge pay packet after serving as the man in the middle for Al Nassr vs Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia.

Oliver, a member of UEFA's elite referees group, did not referee in the Champions League that week and instead booked Cristiano Ronaldo in a win for Al Hilal.

With permission given by Howard Webb, he is reported to have been paid £3000, as well as business flights to and from Riyadh thrown in.