Amid the high-stakes match-up between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks at Super Bowl LX, the NFL has assigned Shawn Smith as the referee of the biggest game of the year, taking place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Even though he joined the league in 2015 and has 11 seasons in his resume, this will mark his first Super Bowl assignment. Let’s take a deeper look into Shawn Smith’s personal life, including his net worth, salary, and more.

Is NFL Ref Shawn Smith Married?

There is no reliable public information confirming whether the 54-year-old veteran NFL referee is married or not.

What is Shawn Smith’s Net Worth?

Shawn Smith’s net worth is likely to be between $2 and 2.5 million, though his financial records are private. It’s an estimated amount based on his lengthy NFL career, which spanned 11 seasons, including the first three as an umpire.

Before officially joining the league, Smith officiated games at the junior level from high school to college football. Aside from the National Football League, each of those games at the junior level contributed to his overall net worth.

Shawn Smith’s Career Earnings

In his rookie year in the NFL, Smith worked as an umpire. After producing high-level performances over three seasons, he was promoted to referee in 2018, and since then, he has officiated many regular-season and postseason games.

As of 2026, an NFL referee is compensated approximately $205,000 each season. While this is the base salary of referees, they also get bonuses to officiate each game, based on their experience level. A referee can earn about $11,000-$12,000 in each regular-season game.

However, the bonus is increased for the playoff games. An NFL referee could earn from $15,000 to $18,000 for postseason games. But the largest bonus compensation rewards are for officiating Super Bowl games, ranging from $30,000 to $50,000.

Considering Shawn Smith’s 11 seasons with the NFL, his career earnings should be approximately $2 million to 2.5 million.

Shawn Smith’s Professional Career

Smith’s refereeing career began with Pop Warner games in junior high school, and then he became a referee for Eastern Michigan University. While at Ferris State University, he officiated Division II games, laying the groundwork for his path to the National Football League. In his pre-NFL days, he officiated major conference games, including Big Ten, MAC, and Conference USA.

Across his NFL career, Smith has gained experience managing postseason games, including one this season. He officiated the NFL Divisional Round game between the New England Patriots and the Houston Texans. Smith has officiated 10 postseason games—five Wild Card, three Divisional, and two Conference Championship matchups. Additionally, he has served as the referee in 130 NFL games to date.