Newly released data show salaries ranging from $7,113 to $489,000 for the offices voters oversee

Middleton, Wisconsin--(Newsfile Corp. - October 6, 2026) - As voters prepare to elect governors in 36 states and dozens of other statewide officials this November, new Ballotpedia data show how much pay for those offices varies from state to state.

According to Ballotpedia's analysis, New York's commissioner of education was the highest-paid state executive official in 2025, at $489,000. The lowest-paid was the lieutenant governor of Texas, with a base salary of $7,113. The Texas lieutenant governor receives additional pay when serving as acting governor.

The analysis covers up to 13 offices in each state, depending on which ones exist: governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, controller, auditor, superintendent of schools, insurance commissioner, agriculture commissioner, natural resources commissioner, labor commissioner, and public service commissioner.

Why it matters

Every state sets executive pay its own way — through its constitution, statutes, or personnel agencies. As a result, officials in the same role can earn very different amounts depending on where they serve.

By the numbers

• Highest salary: New York commissioner of education, $489,000
• Lowest base salary: Texas lieutenant governor, $7,113
• Largest increase (2024–2025): Kansas secretary of state, up 81.5% to $156,050
• Largest decrease (2024–2025): Louisiana attorney general, down 17.7% to $127,000

How pay is set

Most states define executive salaries in their constitution or by statute. In some states, a personnel or administration department sets pay instead. In others, salaries rise automatically each year, either with inflation or by a percentage set by the legislature. Benefits such as insurance or an official residence are often set separately and are not included in these figures.

Go deeper

State-by-state salary data are available at ballotpedia.org/Compensation_of_state_executive_officers.

About Ballotpedia
Ballotpedia, the encyclopedia of American politics, is the nation's most trusted source of unbiased information on politics, elections, and policy. And as voters increasingly turn to search engines and AI to learn who and what is on their ballot, independent research ranks Ballotpedia among the sources those tools cite most often. Founded in 2007, Ballotpedia has grown from a small group of volunteers into an essential resource for voters, media, and researchers. A nonprofit dedicated to an educated, engaged electorate and a strong, healthy democracy, Ballotpedia employs professional editorial staff who research, write, and verify its content, and offers free access to 720,000+ articles at Ballotpedia.org.

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