NFL referees’ jobs outside the league: From roughly $50,000 firefighter roles to $240,000 aerospace software careers

The NFL season lasts for roughly five to six months. During the other six months, most players spend time with their families, prepare for the upcoming season, or attend to their commercial commitments.But what happens to the referees? Nobody seems to know - or even wonder! That is, unless fans are accusing them of being biased against their team or favoring Patrick Mahomes too much.Scrutiny also cyberspace spikes when, out of the blue, a referee's behavior toward a player crosses the line. For instance, two referees were recently suspended for unprofessional conduct during Week 4 games.While suspensions like this are intriguingly rare, they raise a valid question: what do referees do during the offseason when the NFL isn’t taking up their time? As it turns out, most of them have full-time jobs.NFL referees have full time careers outside of footballNFL referees have full-time careers outside of football while officiating in the league, a fact recently reported by Bleacher Report on Instagram.Bill Vinovich is a certified public accountant, Carl Cheffers is a sales manager at a car battery company, Ron Torbet is an attorney, Adrian Hill is an aerospace software engineer, and Clay Martin is a retired high school administrator and basketball coach.Likewise, Shawn Hochuli is a financial advisor, Alex Kemp is an insurance agent, Scott Campbell is a firefighter, and Tony Josselyn is a probation officer.NFL officials bring diverse professional backgroundsPer the 2026 NFL roster, 121 officials are assigned to 17 crews, plus two swing officials for an umpire and a back judge. These two swing officials move between the crews through the season. Seven new officials replaced seven officials who retired or were otherwise not retained at the end of the 2025 season.Six new replay assistants were added for the 2026 season to replace three who were promoted to replay official and three who were not retained.The Football Zebras website particularly highlights the outside occupations of many officials, clearly underscoring how diverse their professional backgrounds and current professions are.Land Clark is a chief building official, while Alan Eck is a tax manager. Tim Podraza is a business performance consultant, while John Hussey is a nonprofit founder and CEO.Mike Carr is an athletic director, while Julie Johnson is a coordinator of intramural sports. Greg Wilson is a retired police officer, while Artenzia Young-Seigler is a college professor.Mearl Robinson is a retired U.S. Air Force instructor, while Desiree Abrams is a food safety enforcement coordinator.How much does an NFL referee make in a yearLast Word On Sports’ Founder and CEO Michael Kovacs reported in June 2026 that an entry-level NFL referee with one to three years of experience makes $100,000 to $150,000 annually. A mid-career NFL referee with three to five years of experience takes home $150,000 to $200,000.An experienced NFL referee with five to eight years of experience has an estimated annual salary of $200,000 to $250,000. A crew chief or top official has an estimated annual salary above $250,000.This gives us an idea of an NFL referee's gridiron salary. However, if we look at their full-time careers outside of football, their average earnings - regardless of experience - might be much higher than expected.For instance, Scott Campbell, Nate Jones, and Dave Hawkshaw all work as firefighters. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2025 median pay for firefighters was $59,280 per year and $28.50 per hour.For instance, take Scott Campbell: with four years of NFL experience, his annual referee salary is estimated to be between $150,000 and $200,000. When you add his firefighter earnings, his total annual income ranges from $209,000 to $259,000.As for Adrian Hill, who has 17 years of NFL experience, his estimated referee salary is over $250,000. He also works as an aerospace software engineer. According to ZipRecruiter data from October 2026, the estimated salary for that role is $147,000 per year and $70 per hour. Combining both incomes brings his yearly total to around $397,000.This dual-income reality applies to almost every NFL referee. They maintain full-time careers outside of football because the sport isn’t a year-round business - it is a six-month circus! For the remaining six months of the year, a man must earn! To keep himself busy and his family well-fed.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.