North Carolina’s governor now makes an annual salary of $144,349 – the 28th-highest of the governors of the 50 states – according to recent financial data and media reports.
Recent figures show the average U.S. governor’s salary stands at $144,046.
Governor salaries can be determined by state constitution or statute, according to Ballotpeda.com. Salaries are just one aspect of a state chief executive’s total compensation, which can include benefits like an official residence, insurance and travel subsidies.
Some states provide automatic annual raises tied to the rate of inflation or a previously determined percentage. In other states, the legislature has to okay the pay increase.
The state with the highest-paid governor is California, at $210,000. New York ($200,000), Massachusetts ($195,970), Pennsylvania ($194,850) and Tennessee ($194,112) round out the top five.
South Carolina’s governor has an annual salary of $106,078, which is the 43rd highest in the nation. Coming in at number 50 is Maine, where the chief executive is paid $70,000.
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