How Much Do MLB Umpires Get Paid?

Have you ever wondered how much official MLB umpires get paid? Although it might not compare to player salary, they still make a pretty penny. Depending on the quality of the umpire, they can make up to a hefty $400,000 per season. 

Several factors go into an MLB umpire’s salary, which is why we outlined how much MLB umpires get paid, including their average pay, the highest pay, and how other factors affect salaries such as playoff games, location or rank. 

Umpires may not be the reason fans come to the ballpark, and are sometimes the focus of controversial moments, but they are crucial to the game and are paid accordingly.

Average Annual Salary of an MLB umpire

The importance of MLB umpires cannot be understated, and it’s nearly an impossible job to be perfect at. Boston University looked at four million pitches from the 2018 MLB regular season and found that MLB umpires missed 34,294 ball-strike calls in 2018. This shows how hard it is to be an umpire, which is why they’re paid accordingly.

All MLB data considered, the average annual salary for Major League Baseball umpires is approximately $59,000. It’s important to note that MLB umpire salary is not officially available, although it is known that these salaries can vary greatly. In addition to your typical annual salary, all MLB umpires are also subject to receiving postseason bonuses, travel allowances and health insurance benefits. If an MLB playoff series goes a full seven games rather than ending after just four, the umpires are potentially making twice as much if the series extends. 

All things considered, MLB umpires receive a very generous salary compared to referees in other sports, part of which can be due to the nature of the sport, where a large quantity of calls are being made rapidly throughout a long game.

Factors Influencing MLB Umpire Salaries

Multiple factors influence the various salaries of MLB umpires. Similar to other career paths, the more you umpire in the MLB, the more you’ll get paid. Additionally, MLB umpires are graded based on the MLB’s pitch-tracking system. This system allows the league to grade every umpire and award high-performing umps.

It goes without saying that the best umpires will be used in the postseason, which also leads to salary increases for those umps. As the postseason continues, only the best umpires will be found on the diamond, and they’re often rewarded heavily. On average, an MLB umpire will be paid $17,500 per postseason content plus any expenses they may incur, such as hotels, food, travel and more. 

Top Annual MLB Umpire Salaries

As we previously highlighted, experience, rank, playoff assignments, and performance all play a factor in determining the salary of an MLB umpire. With more years of service to the league and sport, the umpire’s salary will increase. Additionally, MLB umpires make more if they consistently make the correct calls on the field. 

That said, it is reported that the top-tier MLB umpires, entrusted mainly with vital playoff games, can earn a salary ranging approximately from $350,000 to $450,000 annually. This number is heavily affected by playoff games, as more experienced umpires are tasked with the larger-scale games that pay higher anyway. 

Famous umpires such as Joe West and Angel Hernandez are reported to receive a height of the $400,000 MLB salary. It may seem unfair from the perspective of others, but really, not many umpires perform as well as they do (even if fans disagree). Additionally, every MLB game needs multiple umpires, and they deserve the utmost respect in extremely high-stakes games.