Statehouse Paychecks: The Uneven Salaries of America's Governors

The average official salary for a U.S. governor currently sits at $174,479, a figure that places these executive officeholders well above the national average wage but far below the threshold for the country’s top 1% of earners. This base compensation is only part of the story, as state rules regarding outside income—from book deals to investments—vary significantly. Some governors, such as Illinois' JB Pritzker and Connecticut's Ned Lamont, opt to forgo their state salaries entirely, leveraging personal wealth to bypass the public payroll. For others, the role comes with state-funded perks, including private transportation, security detail, and residency in official executive mansions.

At the top of the pay scale, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro leads the nation with an annual salary of $253,870, following a recent cost-of-living adjustment. New York’s Kathy Hochul and Utah’s Spencer Cox follow closely behind, both pulling in over $249,000. Conversely, Maine sits at the bottom of the rankings, though legislative changes are set to boost the state's executive pay to $125,000 by 2027. These figures are often subject to long-term freezes or sudden legislative updates, meaning that a governor’s take-home pay is frequently dictated more by state statute than by the relative complexity or size of the state they govern.