The Canadian Football League (CFL) may not have the same budget or visibility as the NFL, but it demands just as much in terms of game integrity, discipline, and officiating accuracy. As professional football in Canada continues to evolve, so does the role—and compensation—of those responsible for enforcing the rules on the field.
In this 2025 guide, we’re taking a clear, data-driven look at what CFL referees earn, how compensation is structured, and what working life looks like for the league’s officiating crews.
Unlike major U.S. leagues, the CFL does not offer full-time contracts to its referees. All officials in the CFL are contracted on a per-game basis. These include the referee (crew chief), umpire, head linesperson, line judge, side judge, field judge, and back judge.
Depending on the role and experience level, the standard per-game payment in 2025 ranges from:
Game assignments are competitive and based on evaluations throughout the season. While some officials are given consistent workloads, others may only officiate a handful of games, depending on performance and availability.
The average official works 12 to 16 games per season, including regular season and potential playoff appearances. Based on the current pay rates:
This doesn’t include taxes or travel stipends. While the compensation isn’t negligible, it’s clear that officiating in the CFL is a supplementary income source, not a full-time job. Most officials maintain full-time careers in other fields—law enforcement, education, and business are common.
Officials selected for playoff games or the Grey Cup receive additional compensation. Though the CFL does not publicly release those figures, industry estimates suggest a 25–50% bonus per game during the postseason. Only the highest-rated officials are considered for these assignments, which are seen as career milestones.
Postseason bonuses might add an extra $1,000–$3,000 CAD to an official’s annual income, depending on how deep they go into the playoffs.
Given the geographic spread of CFL teams—from Vancouver to Montreal—travel is an important part of the job. The league covers flights, transportation, and hotels for referees assigned to out-of-town games. This helps eliminate overhead expenses that might otherwise eat into part-time earnings.
Additionally, referees receive uniforms and gear from the league, though some personal equipment may be self-funded. There are also periodic training sessions, evaluations, and off-season clinics (some paid, some not).
CFL referees are independent contractors, not salaried employees. This means:
It also gives the league more flexibility in staffing, but creates a layer of complexity for referees—particularly during tax season, when every game payment must be reported and properly categorized.
That depends on your motivation.
If you’re looking for a full-time job with benefits and predictable income, refereeing in the CFL won’t meet your needs. But if you’re an experienced official seeking to stay involved in football at a high level—and you’re okay with part-time income—it’s a prestigious role with national exposure, high standards, and meaningful impact.
In 2025, CFL referees remain part-time, performance-evaluated contractors earning between $6,000 and $16,000 CAD per season, depending on role and game count. The job is demanding, travel-intensive, and not without pressure—but for many, it’s one of the most respected officiating opportunities in Canadian sports.
