How much do Premier League referees get paid? Brighton v Liverpool overshadowed by VAR controversy

Liverpool claimed an important victory over Brighton & Hove Albion this afternoon, however Luis Diaz’s opener was overshadowed by yet another VAR controversy.

As Diaz headed the ball into an empty net, Seagulls’ goalkeeper Robert Sanchez collided with the Colombian in a very dangerous challenge.

Sanchez should have undoubtedly been sent off, however Mike Dean wasn’t even told to go to the monitor to look at the foul and so the goalkeeper wasn’t even shown a yellow card.

Of course this didn’t have a huge impact on Liverpool, who went on to win anyway, however it is just one of a huge number of terrible decisions made by both VAR officials and referees this season.

The referees in the top flight have come under a lot of criticism in recent years, so how much are these professionals actually getting paid?

How much do referees get paid?

Using data collected by sportekz and Sporting Free, it is believed that Premier League referees earn £1,500 per match on top of their annual salary.

Their salary can range from £48,000 to £200,000, as well as a yearly retainer worth £38,500 to £42,000.

It is claimed that both assistant referees and video assistant referees earn a basic salary of £30,000 and another £850 per match.

Who is the highest paid Premier League referee?

Martin Atkinson, Mike Dean and Michael Oliver are currently the highest paid referees in the Premier League with a whopping £200,000 salary.

The likes of Stuart Atwell, Kevin Friend and Paul Tierney earn £70,000 a year, while Craig Pawson and Graham Scott are on £48k per year.

Even Peter Banks, who hasn’t even officiated 20 top flight matches yet, is earning almost £50,000.