HARRISBURG, Pa. — In a legislative decision affecting state finances, Pennsylvania’s lawmakers, judicial figures, and executive branch leaders will experience a more significant salary increase in 2025 compared to the average wage growth seen by the state’s workforce over the previous year. A specific law guarantees these officials automatic raises tied to inflation rates.
The upcoming pay hike amounts to 3.4% for over 1,300 government officials, which includes Governor Josh Shapiro, all 253 state legislators, and seven justices from the state Supreme Court. This increase is reflective of the federal consumer inflation data collected for urban areas in the mid-Atlantic region.
Notably, this raise surpasses the 2.6% average increase reported for private sector employees in Pennsylvania throughout the past 12 months, based on federal hourly earning statistics. The new salary adjustments will take effect on January 1 for those in executive and judicial roles, while lawmakers will see the changes implemented as soon as next week. This adjustment marks the fourth consecutive year where state officials have received a greater percentage increase compared to private employees.
With the new adjustments, Shapiro’s annual salary will approach $246,000, positioning him as the second-highest paid governor in 2025, following New York’s governor. Additionally, notable increases will be seen in the salaries of other high-ranking officials: Lt. Governor Austin Davis, Treasurer Stacy Garrity, Auditor General Tim DeFoor, and Attorney General-elect Dave Sunday will all have their pay surpass the $200,000 mark for the first time. Cabinet members of Shapiro will also benefit from these increases, with 17 agency heads earning between $176,000 and $197,000.
Chief Justice Debra Todd, who holds the top judicial position, will have her salary go up to nearly $270,000, while the other six justices will see salary adjustments rising to $262,000. This pay raise will also extend to approximately 1,000 additional appellate, county, and magisterial judges, with the average salary for a Common Pleas Court judge reaching nearly $220,000. According to findings from the National Center for State Courts, Pennsylvania’s judicial salaries are among the top five nationwide this year.
As for legislative leaders, the two highest-paid lawmakers—Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, a Republican from Westmoreland, and House Speaker Joanna McClinton, a Democrat from Philadelphia—will receive salary increases bringing their annual compensation to nearly $172,000. For regular legislators, the salary will be just over $110,000. The base salaries for lawmakers are ranked third nationally as reported by the National Conference of State Legislatures.
This year’s salary increase stands at 3.5%, following a notable jump of 7.8% in 2023, which was the largest inflation-based adjustment since the enactment of the law in 1995.