WNBA Referee Salary 2023

The average salary of a WNBA ref is $425 per game which translates to $180,000 a season. They are paid an additional bonus of 3,000 dollar for the finals.

A first-year NBA referee makes $3,000 a game whereas a WNBA only makes $425. However, the actual pay figure for an individual referee in the WNBA does not make it out to the general public.

The WNBA salary cap for 2023 is $1,420,500, while the NBA salary cap for the 2022-23 season is $123.7 million. It means that the WNBA has much less to spend on their teams, coaches and umpires than the NBA.

Premier Hockey Federation has received a significant increase in pay for the female referee which is going from $750,000 to $1.5 million per year showing the dedication towards their work.

In contrast, female referees in MLB earn an average of only $188,322 per year, while those in the NHL can earn anywhere from $200,000 to $360,000 per season.

An NBA player earns nearly 50 times more than a WNBA player. The average salary of an NBA player in 2022-23 is 7.34 million dollars whereas the average WNBA salary in 2022-2023 is $147,745. The debate about the salary difference has always been in the news.

As of 2023, the highest-paid athlete in the NBA is Stephen Curry from the Golden State Warriors. His annual salary is 48.07 million USD.

Similarly, the WNBA has Jackie Young of the Las Vegas Aces who makes $252,450 per year.

It is identified that the average salary of WNBA officials and coaches is $71,034 meanwhile an NBA coach earns about an average of 3.5 million dollars per season.

Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs is the highest-paid coach in the NBA with an outrageous annual salary of 16 million dollars. Will Hardy of the Utah Jazz is the lowest-earning coach in the NBA with a salary of 2 million dollars per year.

Among all WNBA head coaches, Becky Hammon is the highest-earning coach with a salary of 1 million dollars, and the lowest-earner is Tina Thompson of the Seattle Storm, who earns $58,262.

NBA referee earns about $3,000 to $6,100 per game with an additional $800 to $5,000 incentive in the playoffs based on their level. Rookies are paid $600 per game.

When a rookie referee joins the NBA, he earns a minimum salary amount with the range from $150,000 to $250,000 per season. After being part of many games and playoffs and collecting experience their salary and rank gradually increase.

The average starting salary for an NBA referee ranges from $150,000 to $550,000 per year. 

Additionally, after their experience in the field for five to ten years the salary and the benefits also take a hike.

James Capers is the highest-paid NBA referee. He has been an NBA referee for 28 years and earns an estimated $550,000 annually plus $9,000 in playoff game fees.

His profession spans 1500 games starting from refereeing high school basketball. He has managed 178 playoff games including 14 Finals. Capers was also selected to referee for the NBA All-Star Game in 2018 in Los Angeles, California.

Capers has been part of the NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles in 2018 and the NBA All-Star Game in Dallas in 2010. He has refereed the NBA games in London, Beijing, Johannesburg, Tokyo, and Paris among other places.

The graduate from Northern Illinois University worked for the National Basketball Referees Association Executive Board. He has been the representative referee for the Jr. NBA Board.

According to the Dunkest, the highest-earning NBA referees in 2023-2024 are:

1. James Capers    
2. Sean Corbin       
3. Tony Brothers  
4. Rodney Mott    
5. Scott Foster       
6. Ken Mauer         
7. Pat Fraher
8. Tom Washington        
9. Marc Davis   
10. Eric Lewis     
11. Michael Smith
12. Leon Wood        
13. Tony Brown       
14. Leon Wood     
15. David Guthrie
16. John Goble
17. Leroy Richardson  
18. Scott Wall  
19. Sean Wright
20. Derek Richardson

NBA games are officiated by a three-man crew consisting of the lead, tail, and center referees. Each referee has a primary area of duty on the court during a game.

The referee maintains the game order and ensures the correct call is made throughout the game so that the gameplay can be fair.

The following are current WNBA referees:

• Roy Gulbeyan
• Tim Greene
• Fatou Cissoko-Stephens
• Tiara Cruse
• Ashley Moyer-Gleich
• Lauren Holtkamp
• Natalie Sago
• Simone Jelks
• Tyler Ford
• Robert Hussey
• Dee Kantner
• Jonathan Sterling
• Mark Ayotte
• Tyler Ford
• Don Vaden
• Brandon Schwab
• Danielle Scott
• Jenna Schroeder
• Blanca Burns

Violet Palmer and Dee Kantner were the NBA's first female referees in 1997. 

It was the first time in history that women refereed regular-season games in an all-male professional league in the United States. Two female referees have never been given responsibility in the same game since.

Roy Gulbeyan has been part of the WNBA since 1998. He is the crew chief of the game who looks after the team, on and off the floor.

Ashley Moyer-Gleich is the fourth woman to be a full-time NBA referee. She refereed the 2018 WNBA season and debuted in the NBA on 22 October 2018 by refereeing the Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Ashley rejoined the WNBA in 2021.

Wearing a number 9 jersey Natalie Sago has been the fifth woman who is a full-time NBA referee. She had previously managed three full seasons in the NBA Gatorade League in 2018. Sago was associated with the WNBA in 2016.

The former William & Mary basketball star, Tiara Cruse joined the WNBA in 2022. She has been part of 11 official basketball games since her joining.