Should state lawmakers get a pay raise?
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Should state lawmakers get a pay raise? That’s what Virginia’s non-partisan research agency is recommending after studying how much lawmakers actually do and how it compares to other states. “State legislators are really hard-working,” Randolph-Macon Political Science Professor Rich Meagher told 8News. Currently, members of the Virginia State Senate make $18,000, while members of the House of Delegates make $17,640 -- not including other forms of compensation like per diem and mileage reimbursements. Virginia Joint Legislative Audit Commission (JLARC) found that lawmakers' base salaries, which haven’t been raised since 1988, are considerably lower than what most lawmakers make in other states. “It’s not like they are making $150,000 a year, some outrageous number that seems out of reach for most Virginians. In fact, they are getting below the poverty level if you treated that as a full salary,” Meagher explained. Additionally, JLARC found that even though being a member of the General Assembly is billed as a “part-time job,” lawmakers are working about 60 hours per week during the annual two-month legislative session and about 30 hours a week outside of it. “They do a lot of the work themselves,” said Meagher. “They don’t have big staffs. They don’t have someone reading through all the bills for them. They really do a lot of hands-on stuff.” Meagher adds that the current salary combined with the substantial time commitment could be preventing everyday people from running for office. “Most people in the General Assembly are retired, independently wealthy or they own their own business that they can take their time away from and it just leaves out most people who might want to contribute to the commonwealth,” Meagher said. Meagher added that, despite JLARC’s recommendation, any pay raises for legislators tend to be unpopular among the general public. Because 2025 is an election year, it’s unlikely lawmakers will vote to give themselves a raise until at least 2026.
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RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Should state lawmakers get a pay raise? That’s what Virginia’s non-partisan research agency is recommending after studying how much lawmakers actually do and how it compares to other states.
“State legislators are really hard-working,” Randolph-Macon Political Science Professor Rich Meagher told 8News.
Currently, members of the Virginia State Senate make $18,000, while members of the House of Delegates make $17,640 -- not including other forms of compensation like per diem and mileage reimbursements.
Virginia Joint Legislative Audit Commission (JLARC) found that lawmakers' base salaries, which haven’t been raised since 1988, are considerably lower than what most lawmakers make in other states.
“It’s not like they are making $150,000 a year, some outrageous number that seems out of reach for most Virginians. In fact, they are getting below the poverty level if you treated that as a full salary,” Meagher explained.
Additionally, JLARC found that even though being a member of the General Assembly is billed as a “part-time job,” lawmakers are working about 60 hours per week during the annual two-month legislative session and about 30 hours a week outside of it.
“They do a lot of the work themselves,” said Meagher. “They don’t have big staffs. They don’t have someone reading through all the bills for them. They really do a lot of hands-on stuff.”
Meagher adds that the current salary combined with the substantial time commitment could be preventing everyday people from running for office.
“Most people in the General Assembly are retired, independently wealthy or they own their own business that they can take their time away from and it just leaves out most people who might want to contribute to the commonwealth,” Meagher said.
Meagher added that, despite JLARC’s recommendation, any pay raises for legislators tend to be unpopular among the general public. Because 2025 is an election year, it’s unlikely lawmakers will vote to give themselves a raise until at least 2026.
