Professional soccer players are known to earn millions and are in the public spotlight. But then there are the men who are also on the pitch and without whom the game would not be possible: referees. They do an unpleasant job, are often and willingly criticized and actually want to be the center of attention as little as possible – then, it is said, a referee has managed the game well.
Referees at the highest level often run even more than the players themselves, they have to plan time for game preparation, their own training and travel – but even the referees in the Bundesliga officially only practice the whistle as a part-time job. When they are not on the pitch, they are pursuing their actual main job. In the photo series, we show the sectors in which Bundesliga referees work – there are teachers, police officers and business people, among others.
Referee in the Bundesliga: 5600 euros per game
Making a living as a referee at this level is not bad at all. First there is the basic salary: referees with less than five years of Bundesliga experience receive 62,000 euros a year, with more than five years of experience there are 72,000 euros. Fifa referees, i.e. those who also referee international games, are paid up to 82,000 euros per year.
In addition, there are bonuses for every refereed game. In a Bundesliga game it is 5600 euros, in the 2nd league it is still 2800 euros. You can also earn money as a fourth official (1,400 euros per Bundesliga match) and as a video assistant in the Cologne basement (2,100 euros).
However: The referees are extremely dependent in their earnings on how often they are scheduled. There is also an age limit – at the age of 47 referees at the DFB have to hang up the whistle. It is therefore quite normal for referees to have another job, even if most of them focus on football. It’s completely different with the footballers – but there are still players here who have learned a normal job before their career, as we show in our photo series.
