Raises make Pa. lawmakers’ salaries among highest in U.S.
They received an automatic 3.3% pay hike under a law that was passed in 1995.
Automatic pay raises that took effect last month placed Pennsylvania lawmakers among the highest paid in the nation — including several legislators representing Southwestern Pennsylvania.
The base annual salary for members of the state House and Senate increased to about $113,591 under a 1995 law that provides automatic cost-of-living adjustments for top state officials.
Lawmakers do not have to vote to approve the raises, which are calculated annually based on changes in the consumer price index for the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland region.
Pennsylvania trails only New York and California in base legislative pay, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The state’s pay scale stands in sharp contrast to much of the country, where the average base salary for state lawmakers was $47,904 in 2025.
Some states pay far less. New Hampshire lawmakers earn $100 a year, while legislators in New Mexico are unpaid. Many other states operate part-time legislatures with salaries well below Pennsylvania’s, a distinction that continues to fuel criticism of the commonwealth’s automatic raise system.
Pennsylvania also has one of the largest legislatures in the country, with 253 members between the House and Senate — more than New York and more than twice as many as California.
Several Southwestern Pennsylvania lawmakers earn significantly more than the base salary because of leadership positions they hold.
Among them is House Minority Whip Tim O’Neal, R-South Strabane Township, who earns $152,287.
Senate Majority Caucus Secretary Camera Bartolotta, R-Carroll Township, earns $129,526. Other local lawmakers receiving higher pay due to leadership roles include House Majority Caucus Chair Rob Matzie, D-Ambridge, and House Minority Appropriations Chair Jim Struzzi, R-Indiana.
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“We have one of the largest, highest-paid legislatures in the country, but we don’t get the results we pay for.”
REP. JEREMY SHAFFER The latest raise amounts to about 3.3%, up from the $110,016 lawmakers earned in the previous 12-month period.
Over the past decade, annual increases have ranged from less than 1% to nearly 8%. Lawmakers froze their salaries during the 2020-21 fiscal year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The raise took effect despite the state budget being enacted 135 days late — a delay that forced schools, counties and nonprofits across Pennsylvania to borrow money or cut services to remain operational. Critics say the automatic raises appear out of step with public expectations, particularly in years when lawmakers fail to pass a budget on time.
State Rep. Jeremy Shaffer, R-Pine Township, has introduced legislation aimed at suspending automatic pay raises in years when lawmakers fail to pass a state budget on time — a recurring issue in Pennsylvania.
“We have one of the largest, highest-paid legislatures in the country, but we don’t get the results we pay for,” Shaffer said.
The bill would suspend annual raises for lawmakers, the governor and the lieutenant governor in any year the state budget is not enacted by July 1. It has been referred to the House Appropriations Committee, but has not been brought up for a vote.
Critics of the automatic raises also point to Pennsylvania’s stagnant minimum wage, which remains at $7.25 an hour and has not increased since 2009.
Other top state officials also received raises effective Jan. 1, including Gov. Josh Shapiro, whose salary increased to $253,870, making him the highest-paid governor in the nation.
Bartolotta declined to comment. O’Neal did not respond to requests for comment.
TribLive contributed to this report.
