Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media · SOC 27-2023
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 27-2023 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 45/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $40,710
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 3,400
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +5.7%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 0
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 3,780 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~31.3% of this role but only ~0% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Officiate at competitive athletic or sporting events. Detect infractions of rules and decide penalties according to established regulations. Includes all sporting officials, referees, and competition judges.
Common titles: Basketball Referee, Diving Judge, Dressage Judge, Football Referee, Horse Show Judge, Major League Baseball Umpire (MLB Umpire)
Representative Tasks
- •Officiate at sporting events, games, or competitions, to maintain standards of play and to ensure that game rules are observed.
- •Inspect game sites for compliance with regulations or safety requirements.
- •Resolve claims of rule infractions or complaints by participants and assess any necessary penalties, according to regulations.
- •Signal participants or other officials to make them aware of infractions or to otherwise regulate play or competition.
- •Teach and explain the rules and regulations governing a specific sport.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Coordinate athletic or sporting events or activities.
- •Evaluate skills of athletes or performers.
- •Inspect facilities, equipment or supplies to ensure conformance to standards.
- •Inspect work sites to identify potential environmental or safety hazards.
- •Verify accuracy of data.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 18.3% |
| Outlook | Average | 18% Bright |
| Median Salary | $40,710 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |