How Much Your State Legislators Make Compared to the Rest of America
There’s some debate over the wisest approach to compensating state legislators. On one hand, expecting the people who decide to take those roles to primarily rely on a sense of duty to drive them seems sensible. On the other hand, well-compensated lawmakers are less susceptible to corruption. Not to mention, it also makes it possible for lower-income candidates to consider a career in public service. If state legislators were offered just a tiny stipend, it might quickly be discovered that only those with enough disposable income — or those looking to use their position to earn money illegally on the side — can seriously consider a career in the statehouse.
That’s why GOBankingRates has compiled information on how much state legislators earn across the country. The study includes how much your local politicians are paid and how that compares to the average pay across the state. So, here’s a deeper dive into which state has politicians who are earning the most.
Last updated: Aug. 6, 2020
Alabama
Average hourly wage: $21.60
State legislator’s hourly wage: $23.97
Legislators in the Yellow Hammer State earn just a little more than the average Alabaman, including an $85 per diem for an overnight stay — rising to $100 if it’s two or more days.
Alaska
Average hourly wage: $28.51
State legislator’s hourly wage: $24.23
Becoming a state rep in Alaska means earning less than your average neighbor. It’s a full-time role, but there is a $287 per diem.
Arizona
Average hourly wage: $24.49
State legislator’s hourly wage: $11.54
Getting elected to the statehouse in Arizona means earning less than half the average hourly rate in the state, but it’s also not a full-time job — with the role being a hybrid between part and full time.
Arkansas
Average hourly wage: $20.52
State legislator’s hourly wage: $20.40
Legislators in Arkansas are paid almost exactly the average wages for the rest of the state for a role that’s a hybrid between part-time and full-time responsibilities.
California
Average hourly wage: $29.47
State legislator’s hourly wage: $55.23
California appears to be operating under the principle that higher wages for their lawmakers pays off in the end. The jobs are full time and average out to roughly $55 an hour.
Colorado
Average hourly wage: $27.73
State legislator’s hourly wage: $19.35
Another state where the role alternates between part-time and full-time work, the Mile High State pays legislators under $20 an hour.
Connecticut
Average hourly wage: $29.98
State legislator’s hourly wage: $13.46
Connecticut’s nearly $30 average hourly salary speaks to the Tony lifestyle, but one hopes state legislators have other sources of income that won’t entangle with their jobs. You’ll make less than half the average hourly wage while working in the statehouse.
Find Out: How Obama, Biden and Other Elected Officials Have Made Millions by Being in Office
Delaware
Average hourly wage: $26.14
State legislator’s hourly wage: $22.74
Delaware pays a bit under the state’s average wages for work as a state legislator, but the role isn’t full time year-round.
Florida
Average hourly wage: $22.96
State legislator’s hourly wage: $14.28
While the wages are low, there is a per diem of $152 per day that senators can collect up to 50 times and representatives up to 60.
Georgia
Average hourly wage: $23.85
State legislator’s hourly wage: $8.34
Being a legislator in Georgia means you’re earning just a little bit over the national minimum wage — and a little over one-third of the average rate for the state.
Hawaii
Average hourly wage: $26.41
State legislator’s hourly wage: $30.10
Hawaiian state legislators are earning over $30 an hour, but that also has to be taken in the context of the local economy. Wages and prices are both high in the Aloha State — the average islander there is earning over $25 an hour.
Idaho
Average hourly wage: $21.58
State legislator’s hourly wage: $8.85
Idaho is one state where being a legislator is a part-time job. And given that they’re earning under $10 an hour for doing it, that would mean earning money really shouldn’t be your priority before running for the statehouse.
Illinois
Average hourly wage: $26.51
State legislator’s hourly wage: $33.40
Illinois legislators are earning over $30 an hour, making it one of just nine states where wages clear that threshold. The work is full time, and there’s a $151 per diem.
Indiana
Average hourly wage: $22.49
State legislator’s hourly wage: $13.08
At just $13 an hour, Indiana’s state legislators might be giving themselves a raise if they fought for a $15 an hour minimum wage in their state. The work isn’t full time for the whole year, though, and has a per diem of $184 per day.
Major Benefits: Crazy Financial Perks of Being President
Iowa
Average hourly wage: $22.76
State legislator’s hourly wage: $12.02
An Iowan working as a state legislator is earning just a little over half what the average Hawkeye makes. The job isn’t full time year-round, though at those rates, legislators might be happier it isn’t.
Kansas
Average hourly wage: $22.37
State legislator’s hourly wage: $11.08
Another state where the people occupying the statehouse can expect to pull down less than half the average compensation in their state, Kansas legislators work part time.
Kentucky
Average hourly wage: $21.16
State legislator’s hourly wage: $23.50
Kentucky legislators are not doing the job as a full-time gig year-round, but it does pay better than the average job in the state. It also comes with a $166 per diem.
Louisiana
Average hourly wage: $21.24
State legislator’s hourly wage: $8.08
Louisiana’s state legislators just barely manage to crack $8 an hour for a job that’s a combination of part- and full-time work.
Maine
Average hourly wage: $23.30
State legislator’s hourly wage: $7.15
The basic hourly rate for a state legislator here actually averages out to less than the national minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. The job is part time and comes with a per diem of just $70, so working for a better Maine had better be your motivation rather than money if you’re elected.
Maryland
Average hourly wage: $28.95
State legislator’s hourly wage: $24.20
Maryland’s average hourly wage of just under $29 could be one indicator that the state legislature is doing a pretty good job. That said, their pay comes to under $25 an hour for a hybrid part-time/full-time job.
Massachusetts
Average hourly wage: $31.58
State legislator’s hourly wage: $31.85
There are just two states in the country where both the state legislature and the average resident earn more than $30 an hour — though California missed by just 3 cents an hour for its hourly wage.
Michigan
Average hourly wage: $24.42
State legislator’s hourly wage: $34.46
This is one of the few states where state legislators are making significantly more than the average resident. Michiganders are making under $25 an hour, but their state representatives pull down nearly $35.
Bush, Trump and More: The Wealthiest Presidential Families
Minnesota
Average hourly wage: $26.87
State legislator’s hourly wage: $22.36
This hybrid part-time and full-time position pays just over $22 an hour, which is lower than the average but not by a huge amount. The per diem is low, comparatively, at just $86 a day for senators and $66 for representatives.
Mississippi
Average hourly wage: $19.27
State legislator’s hourly wage: $11.30
You’ll barely break $10 an hour working as a state legislator for the state of Mississippi. The work is part time, and there’s a per diem of just over $150 a day.
Missouri
Average hourly wage: $22.99
State legislator’s hourly wage: $17.27
You get a per diem of $121 a day working as a state legislator for the Show Me State, a job that’s not full time throughout the year.
Montana
Average hourly wage: $21.81
State legislator’s hourly wage: $11.56
It’s the Big Sky State, not the Big State Legislator Salary State. You’ll make a little over half that of the average Montanan on an hourly basis should you win the chance to represent your district.
Nebraska
Average hourly wage: $23.20
State legislator’s hourly wage: $5.77
Nebraska is one state that is really counting on the sense of duty their state legislators have. At just $5.77 an hour, it would be illegal to pay anyone but the state legislature those wages.
Nevada
Average hourly wage: $22.70
State legislator’s hourly wage: $20.59
Nevada is another state where compensation for the state legislators and the average wage statewide are right in line. The rate is based on pay of about $165 per calendar day.
New Hampshire
Average hourly wage: $25.94
State legislator’s hourly wage: $0.05
New Hampshire clearly views working in the state legislature as essentially being volunteer duty. It is part-time work, but at a rate of a nickel an hour you’ll need to be making money somewhere else to keep it up.
New Jersey
Average hourly wage: $28.84
State legislator’s hourly wage: $23.56
New Jersey has a healthy average pay rate of nearly $30, but Garden State legislators are earning under $25. The work is not full time year-round, but there’s no per diem pay offered.
New Mexico
Average hourly wage: $22.61
State legislator’s hourly wage: $0.00
New Mexico’s state legislature is in it purely for the love of the game. There’s no compensation for the work you do in this part-time job, though the $192 per diem is among the most generous in the country.
See What They Did: 12 Political Figures Who Made Major Career Changes
New York
Average hourly wage: $30.76
State legislator’s hourly wage: $52.88
The only other state where wages for both the average resident and the state legislature exceed $30 an hour, the Empire State pays a positively imperial $53 an hour to the people working in its statehouse.
North Carolina
Average hourly wage: $23.34
State legislator’s hourly wage: $6.71
North Carolina is one of nine states where the hourly rate for legislators winds up representing less than the federal minimum wage. And with a per diem of $104 a day, Tar Heel reps are clearly making a lot less than many of their peers in other states.
North Dakota
Average hourly wage: $24.25
State legislator’s hourly wage: $2.97
Another state where local politicians are earning a pittance, the $515 a month you’ll get for this part-time job still comes out to under $3 an hour when all’s said and done.
Ohio
Average hourly wage: $23.76
State legislator’s hourly wage: $31.50
Buckeye legislators earn over $30 an hour for their full-time work. However, the job doesn’t come with an additional per diem for travel.
Oklahoma
Average hourly wage: $21.93
State legislator’s hourly wage: $16.84
Sooner politicians get $166 per day as a per diem. While making under $17 an hour might not be entirely aligned with the work, it’s also not a full-time job year-round.
Oregon
Average hourly wage: $25.91
State legislator’s hourly wage: $15.00
The $15 an hour that many think should be the national minimum wage is precisely what Oregon legislators make. The job is a hybrid of part-time and full-time work and pays a per diem of $151 a day.
Pennsylvania
Average hourly wage: $24.68
State legislator’s hourly wage: $43.43
Pennsylvanians are paying their representatives over $40 an hour for their time in the statehouse. The work is full time and pays a per diem of $178 when appropriate.
Rhode Island
Average hourly wage: $27.51
State legislator’s hourly wage: $7.67
Rhode Island does manage to clear the federal minimum wage for its legislator pay, but it’s not by much. The nation’s smallest state is paying a very small wage, though the job is just part time.
Compare: The Richest Royals in the World
South Carolina
Average hourly wage: $21.34
State legislator’s hourly wage: $5.00
South Carolina’s $10,400 annual salary for state legislators comes out to a measly $5 an hour. They do earn a per diem of $140 a day, but the work isn’t full time for the whole year.
South Dakota
Average hourly wage: $20.63
State legislator’s hourly wage: $5.72
South Dakota pays just under $12,000 for the year. But while the job is part time, that rate still doesn’t even clear $6 an hour.
Tennessee
Average hourly wage: $21.95
State legislator’s hourly wage: $11.69
Tennessee’s per diem is based on the distance needed to travel to the capitol. If you live within 50 miles you’ll get just $61 a day, but over that and it’s $284 a day.
Texas
Average hourly wage: $24.27
State legislator’s hourly wage: $3.46
The Lone Star State pays the third-lowest rate in the country, but it might make up for much of that with a generous $221 per diem.
Utah
Average hourly wage: $23.76
State legislator’s hourly wage: $49.13
Utah is one state where state legislators can expect to earn considerably more than the typical constituent. A state rep in Utah is earning more than double the hourly rate of the typical resident — though it should be noted they’re doing so without any per diem.
Vermont
Average hourly wage: $24.58
State legislator’s hourly wage: $18.57
Vermont pays nearly $19 an hour, putting it out of step with other New England states like Rhode Island, Maine and New Hampshire. Legislators also get a per diem that’s nearly $200 a day.
Virginia
Average hourly wage: $27.28
State legislator’s hourly wage: $8.65 for senators, $8.48 for delegates
Wages vary in Virginia, depending on your position. But while there’s slightly different pay for senators versus delegates, both are earning under a third of the average wage in their state.
Washington
Average hourly wage: $29.82
State legislator’s hourly wage: $27.35
Washington just misses $30 an hour both for legislators and the average Washingtonian. Legislators also get a $120 per diem and don’t work full time for the whole year.
West Virginia
Average hourly wage: $20.88
State legislator’s hourly wage: $9.62
West Virginia’s state legislators make about half what the average earner in their state does. The job is part time, though, and pays a per diem of $131.
Wisconsin
Average hourly wage: $23.49
State legislator’s hourly wage: $25.48
Wisconsin state legislators make around $2 more an hour than the average state resident. Their per diem breaks down to $161 a day for senators with overnight stay, $115 a day for senators with no overnight and $81 per day (no overnight) for representatives.
Wyoming
Average hourly wage: $23.92
State legislator’s hourly wage: $18.75
Wyoming state legislators are looking up to $19 an hour, and their per diem is almost $110 a day. However, the job is part time, so politicians might be able to rely on other sources of income.
More From GOBankingRates
Methodology: GOBankingRates found how much legislators make in every state using data provided from both the National Conference of State Legislatures “2020 Legislator Compensation” and Ballotpedia’s “Comparison of state legislative salaries” publications. For each state, GOBankingRates found the following factors: (1) base salary for state legislator; (2) base salary broken down by hour; (3) any and all per diems granted to state legislators; (4) whether the legislator was in a full-time, hybrid or part-time legislature; (5) mean hourly and annual wage for all occupations of the state as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics; and (6) median hourly and annual wage for all occupations of the state as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The reason both the annual and hourly salaries are used is because, depending on the state, some legislative employees are only paid by the hour and work part time while other states pay their legislative employees a full-time base salary. All data was collected and is up to date as of July 28, 2020.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Much Your State Legislators Make Compared to the Rest of America
