IPL Umpire Salary: Earnings, match fees, and other perks in the world’s biggest professional cricket league

The richest cricket league in the world, the Indian Premier League (IPL), is not just a goldmine for the players. Little do we know, IPL did not hesitate to spend a vast chunk of money on their umpires to ensure that the integrity and rule following in each fixture is strictly maintained. 

With every decision getting scrutinized under the fine lens of high-definition cameras and state-of-the-art technologies like the decision review system (DRS), the job of an umpire becomes no less demanding than that of a player. 

So how much do IPL umpires earn per match? per season, and other additional perks? Let’s dive in and know every small detail regarding IPL umpire salary –

IPL umpires’ salary structure: Divisions and per-match salary

IPL umpires are divided into two categories – 

1. Elite Panel Umpires – This panel consists of senior-most officials, often chosen from the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s international umpiring panel. 

2. Development Umpires – As the word ‘development’ suggests, this pool of umpires comes from India’s domestic umpiring circuit, who are groomed for bigger roles in the future. 

Salary Structure 

• Elite Panel Umpires: INR 1,98,000 per match
• Development Umpires: INR 59,000 per match

Considering the scenario that a single umpire gets to officiate 15-17 games in a season, their total earning reaches up to INR 8 to INR 12 lakhs just from the match fees. However, this is just the match fees. Umpires enjoy a wide range of other benefits as well. 

Also read, Salary of IPL commentators

How do IPL umpires earn apart from match fees?

Apart from their per-match fees, there are many other portals through which umpires cash in a good sum of money in their pockets which gives a significant boost to their total income. 

Annual Contract from BCCI

Top-performing umpires often receive an annual contract from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which ensures that the officials get a fixed salary apart from their match fees. The idea behind handing a contract to umpires is to ensure that they stay financially stable even if the IPL is not going on. 

• Elite Umpires: Upto INR 40 Lakh annually
• Development pool (domestic umpires): Somewhere between INR 10-20 Lakhs annually

Sponsorship Earnings

Have you ever noticed the brand logos that generally feature on the umpire’s jersey during IPL? These sponsorship deals also bring them a good chunk of money. While the sponsorship deals vary from brand to brand, it is to be understood that umpires receive a cut from the sponsorship deals, making it a secondary source of their income. 

Travel and sponsorship earnings

Just like the IPL franchises, umpires do travel from city to city whenever the IPL season goes on. But guess what? They do not need to pay a penny for it. It’s the BCCI that pays for their first-class air travel, luxury hotel accommodations, allowances for food, and other miscellaneous expenses. 

High pay for knockout games

Just like the players, match officials for the high-octane knockout games of IPL receive higher match fees, making the high-pressure games even more rewarding. 

Salary comparison of Umpires: IPL vs other leagues

While IPL stands tall as the world’s most financially able T20 League, its umpires stand tall as one of the highest-paid umpires. Let’s take a look at the difference between the salaries of IPL umpires and other big cricket leagues around the globe.

The difference becomes crystal clear now. IPL pays almost double to its valued umpires than any other league, establishing its authority in financial terms. 

A high-stakes job: High pressure and responsibilities

While no doubt match officials in the IPL earn way ahead of the other rival leagues, we can not ignore the fact that the pressure and responsibilities are much higher. Umpires play a significant role in maintaining the integrity of the game, ensuring that nothing goes wrong. With the Decision Review System and millions of fans keeping a sharp eye on every decision, umpires are bound to stay sharp in every call they make.  

Making things more complex, the fast-paced nature of T20 cricket leaves little or no margin for error, making the role and duties of the officials quite challenging. While in stadiums packed with over 40-50 thousand passionate fans, maintaining composure is quite challenging. A single incorrect decision can lead to massive backlash from teams, fans, and media. 

Is the lucrative amount worth it?

While umpires do not often grab the spotlight like players, we can not run away from the fact that their role is quite essential in ensuring the smooth functioning of a game. Though umpiring in IPL stays quite rewarding, the umpire’s job remains one of the most scrutinized roles in the realm of cricket. The constant pressure from players, the eagle eyes of cameras, and the social media outrage undeniably make their job quite mentally exhausting, as it is not the players but the officials who receive brutal online bashing even on a minor mistake.

Unlike players, umpires possess no fan base, no second chance, and no room for error.  Their earnings justify the high psychological pressure that they go through, but in a situation where sometimes the high-end technology falters, it is unfair to expect that they make a perfect call every time.

Despite working as the invincible backbone in a big cricketing carnival like the IPL, umpires and match officials remain the most underappreciated figures on the field. As we head toward another IPL season (2025), it is time to give them the credit that they truly deserve. While we end this blog here, a huge shoutout to BCCI for paying the IPL umpires worth their work.