Also called: MLS Referee, PRO Referee
Officiates professional soccer matches in MLS and other pro leagues.
Soccer referees run 7-10 miles per match, using hand signals and wireless headsets with assistant referees and video assistant referees (VAR). Elite refs train like athletes and may officiate international matches.
Estimate based on PRO referee pay ranges.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 10 years after high school. U.S. Soccer referee certification and years advancing through grades.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Physical Education, Kinesiology.
Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years). Small field.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. VAR and semi-automated offside tech take over some calls; on-field refereeing stays human.
Classes: Physical education, Spanish, Psychology.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-2023.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.