governor salary – State governors’ pay ranges from $70,000 to $253,870, with taxes, regulations, and outside income shaping their total earnings.
A state governor’s salary can be surprisingly modest compared with what people imagine—especially once taxes and permitted outside earnings are factored in.
Across the 50 states, the official annual pay for governors spans from $70,000 in Maine to $253,870 in Pennsylvania.. The average official salary for governors nationwide is $171. 479. figures based on the most recent state records and related documentation referenced in the report.. Like other earnings. governors’ pay is generally subject to federal and state income taxes. with exceptions in states that do not levy them (such as Florida or Texas).
Compared with the wider income distribution, the gap is stark.. According to the Social Security Administration. the top 1% of US earners make at least $731. 492 per year—meaning the typical governor’s official salary sits well below the ultrarich cutoff. while still remaining far above the average US wage of $69. 846 in 2024.
Beyond their base salary. governors may also receive additional income through investments. book deals. and other sources. but the rules governing what they can take in are closely regulated and differ from state to state.. The report notes that some officials have documented yearly outside earnings that exceed $1 million through royalties. while others have reported eight-figure income tied to investment gains and even gambling wins.
That regulatory environment helps explain why some governors opt to forgo their state pay. The report highlights examples such as Illinois’ JB Pritzker and Connecticut’s Ned Lamont, both described as independently wealthy, who have chosen not to draw their six-figure gubernatorial salaries.
In addition to compensation, the job can come with major perks that effectively reduce personal expenses—depending on the state—including access to a governor’s mansion, private transportation, and security and staff support.
At the low end of the pay scale. Maine Governor Janet Mills is described as earning the lowest salary among governors at $70. 000 each year.. The report also states that Maine’s next governor’s pay is set to rise to $125. 000 in 2027 under legislation passed in 2025. the first raise in the governor’s salary in the state since 1987.
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs is listed with one of the smaller salaries as well. at $95. 000. with the report saying she will be eligible for $165. 000 starting in 2027 under action by the state legislature.. Oregon’s governor, Tina Kotek, is reported at $98,600 annually, alongside a separate $1,000 monthly expense payment under state law.
The lower tier continues with Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen at $105. 000. South Carolina’s Henry McMaster at $106. 078. and New Mexico’s Michelle Lujan Grisham at $110. 000 in 2025.. For New Mexico. the report adds that the next governor’s salary would rise to $169. 714 beginning with the next gubernatorial term in 2027.
Further down the distribution. Louisiana’s Jeff Landry is listed at $129. 394. followed by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds at $130. 000 and Alabama Governor Kay Ivey at $131. 800.. Colorado Governor Jared Polis is described at $134. 632 based on state law. and the report notes his salary has been at that level since 2023.
Several states sit in the mid-range where governors earn more but still remain far below the highest end of the national scale.. Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon is listed at $140,000, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is reported at $141,400 for his current term.. The report also says Florida’s legislature has approved a raise to $251. 414 starting in 2027. which would make the Florida governor the highest paid in the nation if other high-paying states do not also adjust their salaries.
In Montana. the report ties salary to philanthropy and personal decisions: Governor Greg Gianforte is listed at $141. 517 in 2025. and his office said he donated his entire gubernatorial salary to organizations supporting Montanans in need.. Missouri’s Mike Kehoe earns $142,658, South Dakota’s Larry Rhoden $146,472, and Oklahoma’s Kevin Stitt $147,000 in 2025.. For Oklahoma, the report adds that his successor would see a raise to $185,000, citing coverage of state plans.
As pay climbs. Idaho Governor Brad Little is reported at $151. 400. while Texas Governor Greg Abbott is described at $153. 750 based on state records as of 2021.. Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer is listed at $159,300, with an additional $54,000 annual expense allowance reported by the State Officers Compensation Commission.
Other states in the upper-middle include Mississippi’s Tate Reeves at $160. 000. North Dakota’s Kelly Armstrong at $163. 107 with a scheduled increase to $168. 000 starting July 1. 2026. and Rhode Island’s Daniel McKee at $163. 295.. New Hampshire’s governor, Kelly Ayotte, is reported at $163,510 in 2025, while Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is listed at $166,771 in 2025.
Some of the biggest changes in the reported data also involve scheduled future adjustments.. Nevada’s Joe Lombardo is listed at $170. 062 in 2025. and Kansas Governor Laura Kelly earns $174. 000. with the report explaining that Kansas raised the governor’s annual salary effective January 1. 2025. tying it to the salary of a non-leadership member of Congress.
Minnesota’s pay story is also distinctive.. The report says Tim Walz’s official salary is $174. 775. rising to $200. 000 in July 2026 per the Minnesota Legislature. but that Walz accepted $127. 629 instead and has repeatedly declined the raises.. The report includes his rationale as reported at the time: compensation being tied to the state workforce and avoiding a perception of a governor trying to pay himself.
Mid-to-high earners continue with Virginia’s Abigail Spanberger at $175,000, Wisconsin’s Tony Evers at $175,802, and Alaska’s Mike Dunleavy at $176,000.. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is listed at $180. 203. with the report connecting the growth to a 2018 law that established annual pay increases for statewide officials through 2028.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is reported at $182,000, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear at $184,826, and Delaware’s Matt Meyer at $185,096, with the report specifying the governor’s salary timeline from July 2025 through 2029.
In West Virginia, the reported shift is tied to federal pay benchmarking.. Patrick Morrisey is listed at $190. 424 in 2025. and the report says the salary has been set to match the US Office of Personnel Management’s locality pay area.. Maryland’s Wes Moore is reported at $192. 000. with additional scheduled steps during the next term. including increases to $195. 000 in 2027 and $210. 000 by the fourth year. according to the Governor’s Salary Commission.
Utah’s Spencer Cox is listed at $193,100 for fiscal year 2026, up from the prior $182,900 figure, according to the Elected Official and Judicial Compensation Commission. North Carolina’s Josh Stein is listed at $203,073 in 2026.
Some of the highest salaries in the report are paired with major personal choices to decline them.. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is reported with a salary set at $205,700 as of 2023, while the report notes he forgoes it.. New Jersey’s Mikie Sherrill is listed at $210,000, and Hawaii’s Josh Green at $217,908.
By 2025 and 2026, several states appear near the top of the list.. Washington’s Bob Ferguson is reported at $218,744 as of July 1, 2025, with an increase to $234,275 on July 1, 2026.. Indiana’s Mike Braun is listed at $220. 418. while Connecticut’s Ned Lamont is described as forgoing the salary of $226. 711 due to personal wealth. with the report also referencing his background and business history.
At the top end, Vermont Governor Phil Scott is listed at $234,379 for 2025, with a scheduled increase to $243,520 in July 2026. Tennessee’s Bill Lee is reported at $239,760 in 2025, and Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey at $243,493 in 2025.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is listed at $245,929 as of May 2026, making him the third-highest-paid governor in the US. New York Governor Kathy Hochul is reported at $250,000, described as established by state law, placing her second.
Pennsylvania tops the reported ranking.. Josh Shapiro is listed at $253,870 in 2026, after the report says his salary rose from $245,760 in 2025 following a 3.3% cost-of-living increase.. The Pennsylvania Office of the Budget is cited in the report as the source for the increase. and the new figure is described as making him the highest-paid governor in the nation.
Taken together, the salary range underscores how uneven compensation can be across states—even for the same top executive role.. Scheduled pay raises. legal formulas tied to other offices. and decisions to decline public salaries all point to a system where governor pay is shaped not just by politics. but by state-specific rules. cost-of-living adjustments. and how each office interprets what “compensation” should look like.
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