Various methods and systems are provided for transmission variable delay and jitter indication. In one example, a method includes determining a variable delay reference (VDR) corresponding to an instantaneous jitter between an idealized transmission time associated with a packet for transmission in a transmission stream and an actual transmission time of the packet and providing the VDR to a receiver in a sub-header of the packet. In another example, a transmitter includes a MAC configured to include a VDR in a sub-header of a packet for transmission in a transmission stream and a PHY configured to transmit the packet including the VDR in the transmission stream. In another example, a method includes receiving a packet in a transmission stream; extracting a program clock reference (PCR) and a VDR from the packet information; and controlling timing of processing of the packet based upon the PCR and VDR.