Ballotpedia report finds nine of top ten state officials in 2025 were unelected
Ballotpedia released a report on October 11, 2026 that examined the 2025 salaries of top‑ranking state officials across the United States, finding that nine of the ten highest‑paid officials were appointed rather than elected.
The finding draws attention to the concentration of high compensation among unelected officials, particularly in state education departments, and raises questions about electoral accountability for the most lucrative public positions.
The highest paid state official in 2025 was New York Commissioner of Education Betty Rosa, whose salary was $489,000. Maryland’s Superintendent of Schools Carey Wright followed with a salary of $361,000, and Colorado Commissioner of Education Susanna Cordova earned $334,099. Illinois Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders ranked eighth with a salary of $323,420. The only elected official in the top ten was Georgia Treasurer Steve McCoy, who earned $329,000.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, the lowest paid state executive official was Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, whose salary was $7,113. Members of Utah’s 15‑member State Board of Education earned $10,529, making them the second lowest paid officials nationwide. Eight of the ten lowest paid officials were elected, including members of the Delaware Public Service Commission ($35,000) and Tennessee Public Utility Commission ($37,600).
Ballotpedia staff writer Jackie Beran told The Center Square that voters deserve transparency about how much state officials are paid, noting the difficulty of tracking appointed salaries because many state statutes only list elected officials’ compensation. She emphasized that “a lot of the state statutes will list elected office holders like salary, but they don't really get into what an appointed office holder gets paid.”
The report also highlighted notable changes in governor salaries. New York Governor Kathy Hochul remained the highest paid governor at $250,000, while Maine Governor Janet Mills was the lowest at $70,000. Maine’s 2024 legislation will raise the governor’s salary to $125,000 in January 2027, after which Arizona’s governor will become the lowest paid at $95,000. Illinois and Connecticut governors were listed with zero salaries because they chose to forgo their pay.
Significant pay adjustments were seen in Kansas, where Governor Laura Kelly received a 53.43% increase to $169,862, and Lieutenant Governor David Toland earned $244,957, surpassing the governor’s salary. Kansas also saw an 81% raise for its Secretary of State and a 67% increase for the attorney general. Conversely, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill experienced a 17.7% cut, bringing her salary to $127,000.
Ballotpedia compiled the data from financial reports, statutes, salary databases and external calculations, offering taxpayers a clear view of executive compensation as the 2026 midterm elections approach and encouraging voters to consider whether high pay is justified by the officials’ responsibilities.
