In 2025, Pennsylvania’s government officials, including the governor, lawmakers, and judges, are set to receive a significant pay raise exceeding that of the average citizens.
A state law ensures that more than 1,300 state officials will see a 3.5% salary increase starting January 1, 2025. This automatic pay raise is tied to the federal consumer inflation figure for urban areas in the mid-Atlantic region. The increase is notably larger than the average 2.6% wage increase experienced by private sector employees in Pennsylvania over the past year.
Governor Josh Shapiro’s salary will approach $246,000, positioning him as the second-highest-paid governor in the United States, following New York’s governor. This marks the fourth consecutive year that Pennsylvania state officials’ salaries have risen at a higher rate than those in the private sector based on hourly earnings data.
Chief Justice Debra Todd, the highest-paid judicial official in Pennsylvania, will see her salary near $270,000, with other Supreme Court justices earning approximately $262,000. The salary increase extends to around 1,000 other judges, including appellate, county, and magisterial district judges. Pennsylvania’s judicial salaries rank among the top five in the nation as per data from the National Center for State Courts.
Additionally, the salaries for two of the highest-ranking legislators, Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward and House Speaker Joanna McClinton, will increase to nearly $172,000. This increase also affects rank-and-file lawmakers, whose base salary will surpass $110,000. State legislative salaries are currently the third highest in the nation, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The salary adjustment for 2025 follows a 3.5% raise in the current year and a 7.8% increase in 2023, the latter being the largest since the law was enacted in 1995. These rising figures highlight Pennsylvania’s commitment to aligning official salaries with inflation metrics, which regularly outpaces average wage growth in the private sector.
As Pennsylvania maintains its approach to adjusting official salaries based on inflation, the planned increases for 2025 reflect ongoing trends toward ensuring competitive earnings for public officials.
Source: Apnews
