Pennsylvania

How Much Will Gov. Tom Wolf, Pennsylvania Lawmakers Be Making After Modest Pay Raise?

Pennsylvania lawmakers, already the nation's 2nd-highest paid, will see an increase of about $700 in 2018

The salaries of Pennsylvania's 253 state lawmakers, more than 1,000 judges and several dozen top executive branch officials will rise in 2018.

The increase amounts to 0.8 percent, a figure tied by state law to the year-over-year change in the consumer price index published by the U.S. Department of Labor for urban consumers in the mid-Atlantic region.

The bump takes effect Friday for lawmakers and Jan. 1 for judicial and executive branch officials. It is slightly smaller than last year's increase of 1.3 percent.

Highest-paid is state Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Saylor, a Republican. His salary will rise by about $1,600 to $213,750, while the other six members of the high court will see a similar-sized increase to $207,700.

Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf's salary will rise about $1,500 to $194,850, although his office says he donates the money to charity since the law requires him to accept it.

Most lawmakers, already the nation's second-highest paid, will see an increase of about $700 to almost $87,200 in base pay. They also receive per diems, while lawmakers in leadership posts will top out at $136,000 for the House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, and Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson.

The four party floor leaders will each make $126,300 while caucus whips and Appropriations Committee chairmen will receive almost $117,000.

County court judges will see increases to above $180,000, while judges in larger districts, such as Philadelphia and Allegheny County, will get slightly more.

Lt. Gov. Mike Stack will make almost $163,700, while the three statewide elected row officers — Attorney General Josh Shapiro, Treasurer Joe Torsella and Auditor General Eugene DePasquale — each will make $162,115.

The salaries for the heads of Wolf's 18 cabinet agencies will rise by law. Salaries will rise to almost $156,000 for the heads of the seven largest agencies, and to just above $140,000 for the heads of the five smallest cabinet agencies.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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