Illinois lawmakers among highest paid in country, double national
average
[July 26, 2025]
By Glenn Minnis | The Center Square contributor
(The Center Square) – Illinois lawmakers now earn the fourth highest pay
rate in the country at $128,000 annually, or more than double the
national average.
With their latest pay hike, base salaries jumped to $98,000, with per
diem and bonuses for leadership and committee positions accounting for
the rest of their earnings.
Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski is quick to add the growing windfall
comes at a time when lawmakers are in session for roughly just 70 days a
year.
“I just think it's fascinating that these lawmakers keep giving
themselves raises when they've made such a mess for Illinois,” Dabrowski
told The Center Square. “We got some of the highest taxes in the
country; the highest property taxes in the country and the second
highest gas taxes in the country. People are leaving in record numbers
and Illinois is in really tough shape and our lawmakers have done so
much negative they don't deserve raises.”
Dabrowski said instead, legislators need pay cuts or to be fired and
replaced by voters.
“I think too many of our residents don't pay attention to what's
happening,” he said. “So, a lot of this is really the fault of the
voter. Sometimes our media and sometimes the legislators don't tell the
truth to the voter and the voter believes it, but the voter needs to be
smarter, much more engaged and take action against a lot of this, a lot
of these bad legislators.”
Dabrowski is quick to add the growing windfall for legislators comes at
a time when residents are facing some of the highest unemployment rates
in the country along with the nation’s highest property taxes and the
highest overall state and local tax rates.
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Inside the Illinois House chamber
Greg Bishop / The Center Square
Besides the pay raises lawmakers granted themselves as part of the
new record-setting $55.2 billion state budget that went into effect
on July 1, taxpayers also face at least five other cost-increasing
taxes. Among them, a wireless cell phone charge and a tobacco and
nicotine tax hike.
Going forward, Dabrowski has a clear idea about what he thinks
voters should view as a red flag.
“We have to look at laws and any law that increases taxes, increases
the tax burden, hurts people, needs to be rejected,” he said. “And
we should only look at laws that provide tax relief. Any law that
makes it harder for business to hire people, to invest in Illinois,
to grow their business needs to be rejected.”
The only three states where legislators earn more are New York,
California and Pennsylvania. The lowest paid state legislators are
in New Hampshire where the NCSL says legislators receive an annual
salary of $100.
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