Though the United States' governors all share the same title, the nation's 50 state leaders do not share the same salary.

Using the most recent data from The Council of State Governments (CSG) , we examined the salaries of the current governors roster to see how much each makes. Most governors are paid at least $100,000, but leaders of five states receive a five-figure salary. The annual earnings range from $70,000 (in Maine) to $201,680 (in California).

While the pay pales in comparison to that of some high-powered CEOs and execs , a stint in the Governor's Mansion can be a great stepping stone in a politician's career. Of the 44 men who have been president of the United States, 17 had previously served as governor . The most recent to do so was George W. Bush, who was working out of the capitol building in Austin, Texas, when he was elected president.

Of the current slate of governors, 27 are Republicans and 23 are Democrats. Prior to the midterm elections last year , 33 were Republicans, 16 were Democrats, and one was an Independent. In total, the Democrats flipped seven gubernatorial races .

In the past, several governors have refused, reduced, or otherwise donated their earnings. Among them are current governors Andrew Cuomo and Gina Raimondo, who gave themselves five percent pay cuts.

Alphabetical order by state, along with their party affiliation.

Alabama
Governor : Kay Ivey (Republican)
Salary : $120,395

Alaska
Governor : Mike Dunleavy (Republican)
Salary : $145,000

Arizona
Governor : Doug Ducey (Republican)
Salary : $95,000

Arkansas
Governor : Asa Hutchinson (Republican)
Salary : $148,134

California
Governor : Gavin Newsom (Democrat)
Salary : $201,680

Colorado
Governor : Jared Polis (Democrat)
Salary : $90,000

Connecticut
Governor : Ned Lamont (Democrat)
Salary : $150,000

As noted in the Book of States 2019 , Governor Lamont previously said he will forego his salary.

Delaware
Governor : John Carney Jr. (Democrat)
Salary : $171,000

Florida
Governor : Ron DeSantis (Republican)
Salary : $130,273

Georgia
Governor : Brian Kemp (Republican)
Salary : $175,000

Hawaii
Governor : David Ige (Democrat)
Salary : $158,700

Idaho
Governor : Brad Little (Republican)
Salary : $138,302

Illinois
Governor : J.B. Pritzker (Democrat)
Salary : $177,412

As noted in the Book of States 2019 , Governor Pritzker previously said he will not take his salary . The Chicago Tribune reported in January that the then governor-elect additionally promised to double his top aides' state salaries using his personal fortune.

Indiana
Governor : Eric Holcomb (Republican)
Salary : $121,331

Iowa
Governor : Kim Reynolds (Republican)
Salary : $130,000

Kansas
Governor : Laura Kelly (Democrat)
Salary : $99,636

Kentucky
Governor : Matt Bevin (Republican)
Salary : $148,781

Louisiana
Governor : John Bel Edwards (Democrat)
Salary : $130,000

Maine
Governor : Janet Mills (Democrat)
Salary : $70,000

Maryland
Governor : Larry Hogan (Republican)
Salary : $170,000

Massachusetts
Governor : Charlie Baker (Republican)
Salary : $185,000

Michigan
Governor : Gretchen Whitmer (Democrat)
Salary : $159,300

Minnesota
Governor : Tim Walz (Democrat)
Salary : $127,629

Mississippi
Governor : Phil Bryant (Republican)
Salary : $122,160

Missouri
Governor : Mike Parson (Republican)
Salary : $133,821

Montana
Governor : Steve Bullock (Democrat)
Salary : $115,505

Nebraska
Governor : Pete Ricketts (Republican)
Salary : $105,000

Nevada
Governor : Steve Sisolak (Democrat)
Salary : $149,573

As noted in the Book of States 2019 , Governor Sisolak previously pledged to donate his net state salary back to high-poverty K-12 public schools throughout all four years of his term.

New Hampshire
Governor : Chris Sununu (Republican)
Salary : $134,581

New Jersey
Governor : Phil Murphy (Democrat)
Salary : $175,000

New Mexico
Governor : Michelle Lujan Grisham (Democrat)
Salary : $110,000

New York
Governor : Andrew Cuomo (Democrat)
Salary : $200,000

North Carolina
Governor : Roy Cooper (Democrat)
Salary : $144,349

North Dakota
Governor : Doug Burgum (Republican)
Salary : $129,096

As noted in the Book of States 2019 , Governor Burgum previously said he will not take his salary, though the Bismarck Tribune reported in April that North Dakota House budget writers had given him a salary anyway, against his request , citing that it wouldn't be a good precedent to set and noting that he could donate his salary to "some worthy cause."

Ohio
Governor : Mike DeWine (Republican)
Salary : $153,650

Oklahoma
Governor : Kevin Stitt (Republican)
Salary : $147,000

Oregon
Governor : Kate Brown (Democrat)
Salary : $98,600

Pennsylvania
Governor : Tom Wolf (Democrat)
Salary : $194,850

Rhode Island
Governor : Gina Raimondo (Democrat)
Salary : $145,755

South Carolina
Governor : Henry McMaster (Republican)
Salary : $106,078

South Dakota
Governor : Kristi Noem (Republican)
Salary : $113,961

Tennessee
Governor : Bill Lee (Republican)
Salary : $194,112

Texas
Governor : Greg Abbott (Republican)
Salary : $153,750

Utah
Governor : Gary Herbert (Republican)
Salary : $150,000

Vermont
Governor : Phil Scott (Republican)
Salary : $178,274

Virginia
Governor : Ralph Northam (Democrat)
Salary : $175,000

Washington
Governor : Jay Inslee (Democrat)
Salary : $183,072

West Virginia
Governor : Jim Justice (Republican)
Salary : $150,000

Wisconsin
Governor : Tony Evers (Democrat)
Salary : $152,756

Wyoming
Governor : Mark Gordon (Republican)
Salary : $105,000

Nigerian governors? I rather not say.

This is not money. Many district superintend make three times.

When your superintendent makes more than the governor: public education's priority problem
BY JAMES QUINTERO, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR — 11/21/18 03:00 PM EST 163THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY CONTRIBUTORS ARE THEIR OWN AND NOT THE VIEW OF THE HILL
The American education lobby is caught in a pickle.

On one hand, advocates and influencers are trying to convince people that public education is chronically underfunded, even going so far as to claim that schools are “starving.”

On the other hand, watchdogs have documented countless examples of waste and misuse of funds—everything from the McKinney school district’s $70 million high school football stadium to the La Joya school district’s $20 million water park to the Brownsville school district’s 65-foot, state-of-the-art digital scoreboard that is “the largest of its kind in Texas.”

Other examples exist too, but perhaps the most instructive involves superintendent pay packages. After all, leadership starts at the top.

It’s a problem nationwide, but we’ll focus on Texas for now.



In terms of straight salary, school superintendents are among the highest paid public servants in the state. Sitting atop that group is the head honcho of the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (ISD). He took home a whopping $406,484 for the 2017-18 school year. That was followed closely by the heads of Grand Prairie ISD ($405,795), Conroe ISD ($393,984), and Katy ISD ($386,850).

In all, Texas has nearly 100 superintendents earning the equivalent of $250,000 or more and 800-plus who are paid $100,000 or more. About 350 earn more than the Texas governor.

It’s not just that superintendent salaries are supersized. They’re also growing fast.

From 2013-14 to 2017-18, superintendents in Grand Prairie, Conroe, and Katy ISD saw their salaries soar by about 30 percent. In each case, salaries increased far faster than student enrollment, which grew by 5.9 percent, 12 percent, and 15 percent respectively. In the case of Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, its top administrator’s salary climbed by 16.7 percent while student enrollment edged up only slightly, by 4.5 percent.

Of course, superintendent salaries are just part of the problem. Rich benefit packages are also an issue.

To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with providing benefits. But there’s a difference between offering competitive compensation and giving away the store. To illustrate this point, look at what Grand Prairie ISD offered its superintendent.

In addition to a $400,000-plus salary, the superintendent also receives a $1,000 monthly automobile allowance, a $1,000 monthly housing allowance, a $50,000 “retention supplement,” and is reimbursed for her contribution to the state pension plan.

But wait, there’s more.

In 2016, the district purchased a $700,000 house for the superintendent to live in. The property features a “long private driveway [that] leads to a four-bedroom home, with a barn and a pool.” It rents out this palatial estate to its superintendent for a paltry $2,000 per month, half of which is covered by the aforementioned housing allowance.

Also, the district pays for routine maintenance and, shockingly enough, it spent $160,000 in taxpayer money to renovate the property and install new tile, countertops, ceiling fans, and more.

How rampant overspending like this improves student outcomes is anyone’s guess, but it certainly puts to shame the idea that schools are “starving.” If anything, just the opposite is true.

And if any further evidence is needed, one need only look to superintendent severance packages.

Some Texas school districts are paying their top administrators a lot of money to leave. From 2013 to 2017, Texas ISDs forked out $18.3 million in severance payments to 141 superintendents, according to the Texas Monitor. And in some cases, those payments defy logic.

In May, Katy ISD’s board unanimously approved a massive $750,000 payout to its now ex-superintendent, equal to twice his annual salary. Last year, Garland ISD’s superintendent was given $448,115 in severance payments. Though by the time he cashed out his benefits, unused sick leave, and other perks, the payout had ballooned $686,225. In Johnson City ISD, a school district of fewer than 750 students, its superintendent’s annual salary totaled $149,547 and yet he received a $256,727 severance payment — even though the district was dealing with an almost $1 million budget deficit.

The fact is that public education isn’t underfunded. Boards and administrators have plenty of money — they’re just not spending it in the right place, i.e. in the classroom. That much is clear from the abuses above.

This is an important lesson that lawmakers should remember when the advocates and influencers come demanding billions more for public education, in Texas and elsewhere. Throwing gobs more money at this problem is not going to solve the root issue.

James Quintero leads the Think Local Liberty project at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. He can be reached at jquintero@texaspolicy.com.

https://thehill.com/opinion/education/417802-when-your-school-superintendent-makes-more-than-the-governor-public

Nigeria governors only give there salary which is not upto 150k for the 1st 3 months and the recoup it x7 and embezzle der unaccounted allowance and security votes

u can see how the parties were even distributed amongst states, thats proof of a free and fair election. I know of a certain country where 34states would be APC and the rest 2pdp LMAO

Don’t make a mistake to think that’s what they collect monthly. That’s their annual salary. They are basically earning the same amount like other professionals.

Besides business ...good pay

Add in another 100K in benefits and other stuff. In most states the highest paid state "employees" are the head coaches of
state univeristy football and basketball programs. 2 million to 8 Million a year.

@ op can you help convert the money to naira so we can know the naira equivalent with that of their Nigeria counterpart. Rubbish next time you will want to tell us the size of their obrokos compare to Nigeria