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Comparison of state legislative salaries
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Last updated on December 2, 2025
There is a significant amount of variance in legislator salaries among the 50 states. In New York, legislators are paid $142,000 per year in salary. Comparatively, New Hampshire legislators earn just $100 per year without per diem. New Mexico is the only state that does not pay its legislators a salary, but lawmakers do still earn per diem.
The top five states with the highest-paid base legislative salaries are:
- New York - $142,000/year
- California - $132,703/year
- Pennsylvania - $110,015.54/year
- Illinois - $93,712/year
- Alaska - $84,000/year
All of the top five highest-paid legislatures are full-time. Depending on the state, some state legislators work part-time in the government and maintain jobs outside the legislature. According to Politico, 42 of the 117 men (36%) serving in state legislatures who had 2018 financial disclosure forms available had jobs in addition to their legislative duties. Six of the 49 women (14%) legislators had jobs outside the legislature.[1]
How state legislator salaries are set
Salaries of state legislators are determined in four ways.
- Nineteen states use a commission of some kind to determine the salary of legislators. The powers of these commissions vary from non-binding reports to reports that are implemented unless voted down by the legislature, not approved by the governor, or overturned by citizen referenda.
- In two of these states mentioned above—Arizona and Nebraska—any recommendation to change legislators' pay must be approved by voters before going into effect.
- Some states tie legislative salaries to those of other state employees
- Other states allow the legislators themselves to set their own salaries[2]
States with a policy of allowing legislators to set their own salaries encounter what the National Conference of State Legislatures calls the "pay problem," in which the political risk associated with possible negative perceptions of legislators who vote to increase their own pay prevents legislatures from raising salaries. When this happens, it is possible for inflation to outpace the rate of pay, meaning legislative salaries may decline over time.[3]
Full-time and part-time legislatures
- See also: States with a full-time legislature
The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) classifies state legislatures as full-time, part-time, or hybrid. The information below is based on NCSL's last report published on July 28, 2021.[4]
- Full-time states have legislators who devote 84 percent of a full-time job to their legislative duties which include committee hearings, listening sessions, constituent service, and time spent campaigning. On average, each full-time legislator is paid about $82,358.[4]
- Hybrid states have legislators who devote 74 percent of a full-time job to their legislative duties. Legislators estimate they spend more than two-thirds of a full-time job on their legislative duties. On average, each hybrid legislator is paid about $41,110.[4]
- Part-time states have legislators who devote 57 percent of a full-time job to their legislative duties. On average, each legislator is paid about $18,449. These are also called "traditional or citizen legislatures" and the legislators typically need additional sources of income outside the legislature to make a living.[4]
Salaries by state
The following table details the salaries and per diem compensation for state legislators across the country in 2025.[5] Click here for methodology on how this data was collected.
| State | Salary | Per diem | Type[6] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $62,212/year | No per diem is paid to legislators whose permanent residence is less than six hours away. The daily rate is $12.75 for 6–12 hour trips and $34 for non-overnight trips over 12 hours. Overnight per diem is $85 for one night or $100 per day for two or more nights. | Hybrid |
| Alaska | $84,000/year | Non-Juneau legislators receive a per diem of $307 per day; Juneau legislators receive none. | Full-time |
| Arizona | $24,000/year | For legislators residing within Maricopa County: $35/day. For legislators residing outside of Maricopa County: $269.33. | Hybrid |
| Arkansas | $45,244/year | No data available for 2025. | Hybrid |
| California | $132,703/year | $236/day | Full-time |
| Colorado | $47,561/year for legislators whose terms began in 2025. $43,977/year for legislators whose terms began in 2023. | For legislators residing within 50 miles of the Capitol: $45/day. For legislators living more than 50 miles from the Capitol: $238/day. | Hybrid |
| Connecticut | $43,600/year | No per diem is paid. | Hybrid |
| Delaware | $51,692/year | No per diem is paid. | Hybrid |
| Florida | $29,697/year | $175/day for a maximum of 60 days. | Hybrid |
| Georgia | $25,315.32/year | $247/day | Hybrid |
| Hawaii | $74,160/year | $225/day; only for legislators who do not reside on Oahu. | Full-time |
| Idaho | $25,000/year | For legislators residing within 50 miles of the Capitol: $86/day. For legislators residing more than 50 miles from the Capitol: $253/day. | Part-time |
| Illinois | $93,712/year | $178/day | Full-time |
| Indiana | $33,032.24/year | $213/day. | Hybrid |
| Iowa | $25,000/year | $201/day for legislators who live outside of Polk County. $150.75/day for legislators who live within Polk County. | Hybrid |
| Kansas | $43,000/year | $178/day | Part-time |
| Kentucky | $203.28/calendar day for legislators elected before December 31, 2024. $221.94/calendar day for legislators elected after January 1, 2025. | $195.80/day | Hybrid |
| Louisiana | $16,800/year; plus an additional $6,000/year as an unvouchered expense | $178/day. | Hybrid |
| Maine | $25,000 for the first regular session. $20,000 for the second regular session. | $70/day for lodging (or round-trip mileage up to $0.55/mile in lieu of housing, plus tolls). $50/day for meals. | Part-time |
| Maryland | $55,526/year | $125/day for lodging. $63/day for meals. | Hybrid |
| Massachusetts | $82,044.31/year | No per diem is paid. | Full-time |
| Michigan | $71,685/year | No per diem is paid. | Full-time |
| Minnesota | $51,750/year | $86/day | Hybrid |
| Mississippi | $23,500/year | House members receive no per diem during session, but are eligible for $40 per day outside of session. Senate per diem information was unavailable. | Part-time |
| Missouri | $41,770/year | $142.40/day | Hybrid |
| Montana | $128.86/legislative day | $206/day | Part-time |
| Nebraska | $12,000/year | For legislators residing within 50 miles of the Capitol: $68/day. For legislators residing more than 50 miles from the Capitol: $178/day. | Hybrid |
| Nevada | $130/legislative day | The exact amount members received for per diem was unavailable. | Hybrid |
| New Hampshire | $100/year | No per diem is paid. | Part-time |
| New Jersey | $49,000/year | No per diem is paid. | Hybrid |
| New Mexico | $0/year | $202/day | Part-time |
| New York | $142,000/year | $203/day | Full-time |
| North Carolina | $13,951/year | $104/day | Hybrid |
| North Dakota | $592/month | $213/day | Part-time |
| Ohio | $72,343/year | No per diem is paid during session. | Full-time |
| Oklahoma | $47,500/year | $196/day for legislators who live more than 50 miles from the Capitol. | Hybrid |
| Oregon | $43,440/year | $178/day | Hybrid |
| Pennsylvania | $110,015.54/year | $198/day | Full-time |
| Rhode Island | $19,817/year | No per diem is paid. | Part-time |
| South Carolina | $10,400/year | $240.07/day | Hybrid |
| South Dakota | $16,348/year | $178/day for legislators who reside more than 50 miles away from the Capitol. | Part-time |
| Tennessee | $33,060/year | $379.44/day. Legislators living within 50 miles of the Capitol receive a reduced amount of $86 per day. | Hybrid |
| Texas | $7,200/year | $221/day | Hybrid |
| Utah | $301/legislative day | Per diem is reimbursed to state legislators when they submit receipts or turn in expense reports. | Part-time |
| Vermont | $897.29/week during session | Members can receive $74/day for meals and $167/night for lodging | Part-time |
| Virginia | $18,000/year for senators. $17,640/year for delegates. | $237/day | Hybrid |
| Washington | $60,191/year for senators. $61,997/year for representatives. | $206/day | Hybrid |
| West Virginia | $23,000/year | $75/day for members who commute daily. $175/day for members who do not commute daily. | Part-time |
| Wisconsin | $60,924/year | $140/day for senators. Dane County senators are allowed half that amount. $171/day for representatives (with overnight) or $85.50/day (no overnight). Dane County representatives receive only $85.50/day. | Full-time |
| Wyoming | $150/day | Members can receive $68/day for meals and $110/night for lodging | Part-time |
Methodology
- The National Conference of State Legislatures conducts an annual survey of every state legislature. Data from that survey is used on this page.
- This page is updated when any change to legislator salary becomes finalized and in effect.
- Many states tie per diem pay to the federal rate. That rate is set by the U.S. General Services Administration, with new rates set each fiscal year—effective October 1 of each year. Where applicable, per diem rates on this page are adjusted after new per diem rates go into effect.
If you are aware of any possible changes to legislator salaries, or if you have any questions or comments, please contact editor@ballotpedia.org.
See also
- States with a full-time legislature
- Length of terms of state representatives
- State legislatures with term limits
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Politico, "Male legislators earn much more from outside jobs than their female colleagues," August 14, 2019
- ↑ NCSL, "Pay Problem: January 2011," accessed March 5, 2020
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Legislative Compensation Overview," July 19, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 NCSL, "Full and Part-Time Legislatures," July 28, 2021 (See Table 2. Average Job Time, Compensation and Staff Size by Category of Legislature)
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2025 Legislator Compensation," December 2, 2025
- ↑ Full-time legislatures devote at least 84 percent of a full-time job to legislative duties. Hybrid legislatures devote 74 percent of a full-time job. Part-time legislatures devote 57 percent of a full-time job.
