occupation · 11-1031 · detailed
Legislators — wages and employment
Legislators earned a median annual wage of $44,810 in the United States in May 2024, with 26,510 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Legislators earned a median annual wage of $44,810 in the United States in May 2024, with 26,510 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $20,380 or less, the best-paid tenth $137,820 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $47,290 to $44,810, -5.2 %. The best-paying state is Washington at $109,390; the lowest South Carolina at $19,270. Among metropolitan areas, Utica-Rome, NY pays the highest median, $173,280. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 26,510 | $44,810 | $67,390 | $20,380 | $29,120 | $80,350 | $137,820 | — | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 32,460 | $47,290 | $68,140 | $21,010 | $28,810 | $82,200 | $129,510 | — | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $109,390 | 1,300 |
| New York | $97,050 | 1,440 |
| Hawaii | $74,150 | 120 |
| Michigan | $73,110 | 410 |
| Colorado | $66,700 | 530 |
| Wisconsin | $58,850 | 960 |
| Delaware | $58,250 | 90 |
| Maryland | $54,430 | 500 |
| California | $54,290 | 2,470 |
| Pennsylvania | $51,490 | 770 |
| Montana | $50,710 | 440 |
| Utah | $50,600 | 300 |
| Alaska | $50,400 | — |
| New Jersey | $48,050 | 420 |
| Virginia | $47,730 | — |
| Oklahoma | $47,490 | 370 |
| West Virginia | $46,990 | 750 |
| Florida | $46,910 | 810 |
| Ohio | $46,890 | 1,360 |
| Arkansas | $44,350 | 460 |
| Texas | $42,080 | 2,040 |
| North Dakota | $41,550 | 350 |
| Indiana | $39,940 | 950 |
| Iowa | $39,290 | — |
| Wyoming | $36,800 | 50 |
| New Mexico | $34,630 | 60 |
| Illinois | $33,160 | — |
| Nebraska | $32,620 | 360 |
| Tennessee | $30,300 | 390 |
| Idaho | $27,720 | 530 |
| Alabama | $26,990 | 1,120 |
| Kansas | $23,210 | 130 |
| South Carolina | $19,270 | 660 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Utica-Rome, NY | $173,280 | 30 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $157,080 | 90 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $141,990 | 370 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $138,380 | 50 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $137,740 | 50 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $125,960 | 340 |
| Yakima, WA | $120,480 | 40 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $116,460 | 70 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $116,210 | 40 |
| Bellingham, WA | $115,380 | 50 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $110,350 | 300 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $97,980 | 50 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $81,450 | 30 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $81,240 | 520 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $79,770 | 210 |
| Madison, WI | $79,430 | 50 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $74,880 | 40 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $74,600 | 40 |
| Modesto, CA | $67,780 | 30 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $66,260 | 160 |
Machine access — free, no API key
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