Governor Bob Ferguson among highest-paid governors after earning 7% raise

Governor Bob Ferguson received a 7% raise Wednesday, bringing his salary to $234,275.

According to The Washington State Standard, the pay bump comes from an independent commission created by voters in 1987 — not the politicians themselves. The creation of the Washington Citizens’ Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials ended the practice of politicians deciding their own pay.

The Washington Citizens’ Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials is a panel composed of unelected individuals who set and approve the salaries of elected officials in the state every two years. In March 2025, double-digit pay hikes were awarded for the offices of the governor, attorney general, and state lawmakers.

“Only the voters can overturn a salary schedule through the referendum process,” the Washington Citizens’ Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials stated on its website.

Ferguson received a similar pay bump last year. Combined, he’s netting approximately $30,000 more than when he was first sworn in as governor.

Attorney General Nick Brown got the same increase.

State lawmakers also received 7% raises, bringing their pay to about $72,500.

What governors make across the US

The average annual salary is $171,479, but state governors’ salaries vary widely, with the lowest-paid earning $70,000 and the highest more than $250,000.

For example, the governor of Maine, Janet Mills, earns $70,000, the lowest among all 50 states, while the governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, earns the highest salary at $253,870, according to Business Insider.

Only two other states have governors earning less than $100,000 — Arizona and Oregon.

Ferguson’s salary puts him near the top of the highest-paid governors, ranking No. 7 among all states. Shapiro, Kathy Hochul ($250,000 in New York), Gavin Newsom ($245,929 in California), Maura Healey ($243,493 in Massachusetts), Bill Lee ($239,760 in Tennessee), Phil Scott ($234,379 in Vermont) all earn more than Ferguson, with Ned Lamont ($226,711 in Connecticut), Mike Braun ($220,418 in Indiana), and Josh Green ($217,908 iin Hawaii) rounding out the top 10.

Lamont’s salary is what he would have been paid before he chose to forgo the salary while in office.

Seven of the 10 highest-earning governors are Democrats.

For reference, the average U.S. wage was $69,846 in 2024, according to the Social Security Administration.

Dow Constantine earns $450K salary as Sound Transit CEO

While Ferguson’s salary is among the highest for governors, other government salaries dwarf his. Dow Constantine earns a $450,000 annual salary as CEO of the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority, known colloquially as Sound Transit.

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