How much do NBA referees make?
THE job of an NBA referee requires strong knowledge of the rules and constant awareness of the players' positions and rotations.
A good referee is a crucial part of an NBA game, and now fans want to know more about the position's salary.
How much do NBA referees make?
While their role in an NBA game is of extreme importance, referees make much less than the players.
The salary range is between $250,000 and $500,000 and is based on years of experience.
Starting NBA refs, often referred to as "rookies," typically earn a salary on the lower end, while seasoned refs take home a salary on the higher end, according to Dunkest.
This salary is broken down into $3,000-$6,100 per game during the regular season.
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NBA referees can also earn anywhere between $800 to $5,000 per game during the postseason, Dunkest notes.
Who are the NBA referees?
The 2023-24 NBA officiating staff is made up of 74 referees.
Those referees include:
- No. 3 Nick Buchert
- No. 4 Sean Wright
- No. 7 Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling
- No. 8 Marc Davis
- No. 9 Natalie Sago
- No. 10 John Goble
- No. 11 Derrick Collins
- No. 12 CJ Washington
- No. 13 Ashley Moyer-Gleich
- No. 14 Ed Malloy
- No. 15 Zach Zarba
- No. 16 David Guthrie
- No. 17 Jonathan Sterling
- No. 18 Matt Boland
- No. 19 James Capers
- No. 20 Jenna Schroeder
- No. 21 Dedric Taylor
- No. 22 JB DeRosa
- No. 23 Tre Maddox
- No. 24 Kevin Scott
- No. 25 Tony Brothers
- No. 26 Pat Fraher
- No. 27 Mitchell Ervin
- No. 28 Mousa Dagher
- No. 29 Mark Lindsay
- No. 30 John Butler
- No. 31 Scott Wall
- No. 32 Marat Kohut
- No. 33 Sean Corbin
- No. 34 Kevin Cutler
- No. 35 Jason Goldenberg
- No. 36 Brent Barnaky
- No. 37 Eric Dalen
- No. 38 Michael Smith
- No. 39 Tyler Ford
- No. 40 Leon Wood
- No. 41 Nate Green
- No. 43 Matt Myers
- No. 44 Brett Nansel
- No. 45 Brian Forte
- No. 46 Ben Taylor
- No. 47 Bennie Adams
- No. 48 Scott Foster
- No. 49 Tom Washington
- No. 50 Gediminas Petraitis
- No. 51 Aaron Smith
- No. 52 Scott Twardoski
- No. 53 Matt Kallio
- No. 54 Ray Acosta
- No. 55 Bill Kennedy
- No. 56 John Conley
- No. 58 Josh Tiven
- No. 60 James Williams
- No. 61 Courtney Kirkland
- No. 63 Derek Richardson
- No. 64 Justin Van Duyne
- No. 67 Brandon Adair
- No. 68 Jacyn Goble
- No. 70 Phenizee Ransom
- No. 71 Rodney Mott
- No. 72 J.T. Orr
- No 74. Curtis Blair
- No. 77 Karl Lane
- No. 78 Evan Scott
- No. 81 Simone Jelks
- No. 82 Suyash Mehta
- No. 83 Andy Nagy
- No. 85 Robert Hussey
- No. 86 Brandon Schwab
- No. 87 Danielle Scott
- No. 89 Dannica Mosher
- No. 91 Che Flores
- No. 96 Intae Hwang
- No. 98 Sha'Rae Mitchell
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The 2023-24 officiating staff also has eight non-staff officials, including:
- No. 76 Clare Aubry
- No. 80 Biniam Maru
- No. 90 Pat O'Connell
- No. 92 Brent Haskill
- No. 93 Jenna Reneau
- No. 94 J.D. Ralls
- No. 95 Tyler Ricks
- No. 97 Tyler Mirkovich
Who are the most famous NBA referees?
Some of the most famous NBA referees include:
James Capers
James Capers has spent more than 25 seasons officiating in the NBA.
During that time, he has worked over 1,500 regular season games.
Additionally, Capers, who served on the National Basketball Referees Association Executive Board and helped negotiate collective bargaining agreements with the NBA, has worked 178 playoff games, which includes 14 NBA Finals games, according to his NBRA biography.
Dunkest reports that James Capers was the highest-paid NBA referee in 2023, earning an estimated $550,000.
The 2023-24 season will be his 28th.
Sean Corbin
Sean Corbin has been an NBA referee for more than 25 seasons.
During that time, he has worked over 1,400 regular-season games.
Additionally, Corbin, a former Coppin State University player, has worked 90 playoff games and he also refereed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, according to his NBRA biography.
The 2023-24 season will be Corbin's 26th.
Tony Brothers
Tony Brothers has been officiating in the NBA for almost 30 seasons.
During that time, he has worked more than 1,600 regular-season games.
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Additionally, Brothers, an Old Dominion University alum, has worked 174 playoff games, including 15 NBA Finals games, according to his NBRA biography.
The 2023-24 season will be Brothers' 29th.