The governor of Georgia now draws a yearly salary of $175,000, the ninth-highest salary among the governors of the 50 states, according to recently reported financial data and media reports.
Based on the most recent numbers, the average U.S. governor’s salary stands at $144,046.
Either state constitutions or statutes determine the governors’ salaries, according to Ballotpeda.com. But salaries are only one part of the compensation provided to states’ chief executives since other benefits can include an official residence, insurance and travel subsidies.
In some states, salaries rise automatically every year based on the rate of inflation or a previously determined percentage. In other states, however, legislatures must approve pay hikes before they can take effect.
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Governor Salaries Among the 50 States, 2018-19
State 2018 Salary 2018 Rank California * $210,000 1 New York $200,000 2 Massachusetts $195,970 3 Pennsylvania $194,850 4 Tennessee $194,112 5 Washington $183,072 6 Vermont $178,274 7 Illinois $177,412 8 Georgia $175,000 9 New Jersey $175,000 10 Virginia $175,000 11 Delaware $171,000 12 Maryland $170,000 13 Nevada $163,474 14 Michigan $159,300 15 Hawaii $158,700 16 Texas $153,750 17 Ohio $153,650 18 Wisconsin $152,756 19 Connecticut $150,000 20 Utah $150,000 21 West Virginia $150,000 22 Kentucky $148,781 23 Arkansas $148,134 24 Oklahoma $147,000 25 Rhode Island $145,755 26 Alaska $145,000 27 North Carolina $144,349 28 Idaho $138,302 29 New Hampshire $134,581 30 Missouri $133,821 31 Florida $130,273 32 Iowa $130,000 33 Louisiana $130,000 34 North Dakota $129,096 35 Minnesota $127,629 36 Mississippi $122,160 37 Indiana $121,331 38 Alabama $120,395 39 Montana $118,397 40 South Dakota $113,961 41 New Mexico $110,000 42 South Carolina $106,078 43 Nebraska $105,000 44 Wyoming $105,000 45 Kansas $99,636 46 Oregon $98,600 47 Arizona $95,000 48 Colorado $92,700 49 Maine $70,000 50 U.S. average $144,046 —
* as of December 2019
Source: Ballotpedia.org; media reports
