Raise set to make Shapiro highest-paid governor in U.S.

A 3.3% salary increase in January will push him past New York’s Kathy Hochul.

By TOM FONTAINE
TribLive

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is poised to get a raise of more than $8,000 in the coming year to boost his annual salary to $253,870, based on cost-of-living increases provided under state law to top officials.

The raise appears to position Shapiro to become the nation’s highest-paid governor. The Democrat from Montgomery County was the second highest-paid governor this year, behind New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, whose salary is set at about $250,000 under state law.

Conversely, the nation’s lowest-paid governor, Maine’s Janet Mills, earns $70,000 a year.

This year’s average salary for a governor in the United States was just more than $167,000, according to an analysis by Business Insider.

A notice posted in the Pennsylvania Bulletin outlined pay increases for Shapiro and other top officials.

The notice said the raises — all of them amounting to 3.3% — were determined by applying the percentage change in the consumer price index in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland areas over the 12 months prior to Sept. 11.

Shapiro’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon.

In addition to the governor’s raise, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis’ salary will increase to $213,248 and the salaries of Treasurer Stacy Garrity, Auditor General Timothy DeFoor and Attorney General Dave Sunday will go up to $211,219, according to the Pennsylvania Bulletin notice.

The notice also detailed raises for more than a dozen Cabinet-level secretaries. Those heading the largest state agencies will see their salary go up to $203,095, those heading medium-sized agencies will get raises to $192,941 and those heading the smallest agencies will get raises to $182,785.