many massachusetts legislators say the salary they receive as full-time lawmakers is not enough to live on and raise a family, so the majority—nearly 60 percent—report some form of outside income.
But a look at legislative salaries throughout the United States indicates the pay in the Bay State is not half bad. While it certainly pales in comparison to California’s rate of $95,291, which is tops in the nation, the $61,440 base salary Beacon Hill lawmakers receive ranks sixth in the country.
Among 10 states with full-time legislatures—defined as requiring at least 80 percent of the hours of a full-time job—Massachusetts beat out Ohio, New Jersey, and Florida in salary. And that doesn’t include the $7,200 annual expense stipend (no vouchers required), the per diem payments for travel expenses, or the extra income all committee chairmen and vice chairmen receive in Massachusetts.
According to the most recent data compiled last year by the National Council of State Legislatures, nearly 58 percent of Massachusetts lawmakers identified themselves as “full-time legislators,” the fourth-highest percentage in the country behind California, Pennsylvania, and New York. The national average is 16.4 percent.
The Massachusetts legislative salary is nearly 2½ times the national average of $25,969. There are 10 states that pay their lawmakers on a daily or weekly basis when the legislature is in session. New Mexico pays its legislators nothing in salary and allots up to $144 per day for expenses, but officials have to submit vouchers.
Meet the Author
Senior Investigative Reporter, CommonWealth
About Jack Sullivan
Jack Sullivan is now retired. A veteran of the Boston newspaper scene for nearly three decades. Prior to joining CommonWealth, he was editorial page editor of The Patriot Ledger in Quincy, a part of the GateHouse Media chain. Prior to that he was news editor at another GateHouse paper, The Enterprise of Brockton, and also was city edition editor at the Ledger. Jack was an investigative and enterprise reporter and executive city editor at the Boston Herald and a reporter at The Boston Globe.
He has reported stories such as the federal investigation into the Teamsters, the workings of the Yawkey Trust and sale of the Red Sox, organized crime, the church sex abuse scandal and the September 11 terrorist attacks. He has covered the State House, state and local politics, K-16 education, courts, crime, and general assignment.
Jack received the New England Press Association award for investigative reporting for a series on unused properties owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, and shared the association's award for business for his reporting on the sale of the Boston Red Sox. As the Ledger editorial page editor, he won second place in 2007 for editorial writing from the Inland Press Association, the nation's oldest national journalism association of nearly 900 newspapers as members.
At CommonWealth, Jack and editor Bruce Mohl won first place for In-Depth Reporting from the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors for a look at special education funding in Massachusetts. The same organization also awarded first place to a unique collaboration between WFXT-TV (FOX25) and CommonWealth for a series of stories on the Boston Redevelopment Authority and city employees getting affordable housing units, written by Jack and Bruce.
About Jack Sullivan
Jack Sullivan is now retired. A veteran of the Boston newspaper scene for nearly three decades. Prior to joining CommonWealth, he was editorial page editor of The Patriot Ledger in Quincy, a part of the GateHouse Media chain. Prior to that he was news editor at another GateHouse paper, The Enterprise of Brockton, and also was city edition editor at the Ledger. Jack was an investigative and enterprise reporter and executive city editor at the Boston Herald and a reporter at The Boston Globe.
He has reported stories such as the federal investigation into the Teamsters, the workings of the Yawkey Trust and sale of the Red Sox, organized crime, the church sex abuse scandal and the September 11 terrorist attacks. He has covered the State House, state and local politics, K-16 education, courts, crime, and general assignment.
Jack received the New England Press Association award for investigative reporting for a series on unused properties owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, and shared the association's award for business for his reporting on the sale of the Boston Red Sox. As the Ledger editorial page editor, he won second place in 2007 for editorial writing from the Inland Press Association, the nation's oldest national journalism association of nearly 900 newspapers as members.
At CommonWealth, Jack and editor Bruce Mohl won first place for In-Depth Reporting from the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors for a look at special education funding in Massachusetts. The same organization also awarded first place to a unique collaboration between WFXT-TV (FOX25) and CommonWealth for a series of stories on the Boston Redevelopment Authority and city employees getting affordable housing units, written by Jack and Bruce.
New Hampshire, long cited by smaller government advocates as a shining example, pays its lawmakers $200 for a two-year term and adds nothing for expenses or per diems.
One other thing to keep in mind: The Massachusetts Legislature has not been in formal session since the end of July but the checks keep going out every month.
