Key Takeaways
- • Many of the NFL's 121 officials hold full-time jobs outside football, including Clete Blakeman as a personal injury attorney in Nebraska, Brad Rogers as a senior lecturer at Texas Tech University's business school, and Shawn Hochuli as a California-based financial advisor.
- • Referees earned an average of $205,000 a year in 2025 according to Sports Illustrated, with a reported 10% increase in per-game pay in 2026.
- • NFL officials spend more than 30 hours a week during the season studying video and the rulebook, according to the NFL, making officiating function as a second full-time job.
- • Adrian Hill, a 16-year NFL official, works as a principal software engineer at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, and describes the two roles as requiring very different decision-making approaches.
- • The NFL requires at least 10 years of officiating experience, including five years at the varsity college or minor professional level, for prospective officials.
Summary
Despite earning substantial incomes from officiating, many NFL referees maintain demanding full-time careers in law, academia, finance and engineering. From August to January, NFL officials travel weekly to oversee high-profile games, but many return to other professions the following morning. Clete Blakeman is a personal injury attorney in Nebraska, Brad Rogers is a senior lecturer at Texas Tech University's business school, and Shawn Hochuli is a California-based financial advisor. The combinations recently drew attention on social media.
According to Sports Illustrated, referees earned an average of $205,000 a year in 2025, and the NFL reportedly raised per-game pay by 10% in 2026. Many officials built careers in other fields before joining the league and continue to pursue them alongside football rather than treating them as side hustles for supplemental income. Shawn Smith joined the NFL in 2015 and has spent three decades in auditing; he currently works at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Smith told Detroit news affiliate WXYZ that auditing and officiating share demands for objectivity, independence and discipline.
The commitment extends beyond game days. According to the NFL, officials spend more than 30 hours a week during the season studying video and the rulebook, meeting with crews and reviewing supervisor evaluations. Adrian Hill, a 16-year officiating veteran, works as a principal software engineer at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. He told CBS Baltimore in 2021 that football requires split-second decisions, while spacecraft work involves measured deliberation. He said the football field carries more pressure, noting that roughly 20 million people may be watching.
The NFL requires prospective officials to have at least 10 years of football officiating experience, including at least five years at the varsity college or minor professional level. Candidates must be in excellent physical condition and belong to an accredited football officials association or have prior experience as a player or coach. Applicants are invited to submit their collegiate officiating schedules for the past three seasons to the league's Manhattan headquarters.
The pattern reflects a broader trend of multiple careers. Comedian Ken Jeong practiced medicine while pursuing comedy before moving to comedy full-time. Several U.S. Olympians have also worked outside sport, including alpine skier Keely Cashman, who works as a barista, and curling medalists Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin, who work as a lab technician and real estate agent respectively. A study from EY found that 39% of Gen Z held both a job and a side hustle.
According to Sports Illustrated, referees earned an average of $205,000 a year in 2025, and the NFL reportedly raised per-game pay by 10% in 2026. Many officials built careers in other fields before joining the league and continue to pursue them alongside football rather than treating them as side hustles for supplemental income. Shawn Smith joined the NFL in 2015 and has spent three decades in auditing; he currently works at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Smith told Detroit news affiliate WXYZ that auditing and officiating share demands for objectivity, independence and discipline.
The commitment extends beyond game days. According to the NFL, officials spend more than 30 hours a week during the season studying video and the rulebook, meeting with crews and reviewing supervisor evaluations. Adrian Hill, a 16-year officiating veteran, works as a principal software engineer at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. He told CBS Baltimore in 2021 that football requires split-second decisions, while spacecraft work involves measured deliberation. He said the football field carries more pressure, noting that roughly 20 million people may be watching.
The NFL requires prospective officials to have at least 10 years of football officiating experience, including at least five years at the varsity college or minor professional level. Candidates must be in excellent physical condition and belong to an accredited football officials association or have prior experience as a player or coach. Applicants are invited to submit their collegiate officiating schedules for the past three seasons to the league's Manhattan headquarters.
The pattern reflects a broader trend of multiple careers. Comedian Ken Jeong practiced medicine while pursuing comedy before moving to comedy full-time. Several U.S. Olympians have also worked outside sport, including alpine skier Keely Cashman, who works as a barista, and curling medalists Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin, who work as a lab technician and real estate agent respectively. A study from EY found that 39% of Gen Z held both a job and a side hustle.
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