Sarah Thomas’ job is clear. Keep the game clean and penalize players who break rules. Of course, to do this, she needs the utmost concentration and the ability to run up and down the field for more than three hours, braving some of the most brutal elements in every corner of the weather spectrum.
As a rare female referee, she also carries an extra level of pressure to do it correctly and with competence, and usually under a bigger spotlight. Here’s a look at everything there is to know about the female referee working the Buffalo Bills-Jacksonville Jaguars contest.
According to her Instagram profile, Thomas was the first female NFL Super Bowl referee in league history. However, she is “more than” that.
“Wife, Mother, Leader, speaker, Barrier breaker! more than the first female NFL Super Bowl Referee!” her profile reads.
According to a Feb. 10, 2021, CBS Sports report, Thomas was also the first full-time female referee to work a playoff game in 2019. She reportedly “never set out to be a football official.”
“I couldn’t say I ever set out to be a football official, but I ended up falling in love with it,” Thomas said. “I often joke about I hated the officials when I was playing, and they hated me, but as you pursue this career and you fall in love with what you are doing and to be a part of such a strong fraternity and they let a little sister in, and I know there’s going to be some more women following me.”
What is Sarah Thomas’ Salary?
Sarah Thomas carries a salary that would make most do a double-take. Thomas draws the typical referee salary of roughly $205,000 per year, according to a Feb. 11, 2025 report by Front Office Sports.
A typical referee draws their earnings on a per-game basis of up to $3,000 based on experience. They also receive an officiating bonus of about $3,000 during the playoffs and a $10,000 bonus if they work the Super Bowl.
The NFL requires ten years of officiating experience, so one does not luck into the job. The pay also increases depending on how long one officiates for the league. One’s salary can increase by more than 2.5x between year one and year five.
- Starting: $100,000-$150,000
- 1-3 Years: $150,000-$200,000
- 3-5 Years: $200,000-$205,000
- 5-8 Years: $205,000-$250,000
- 8+ Years: $250,000
Thomas, who has worked NFL games since 2015 (NFL Media), is likely in line with the highest-paid referees in the sport.
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