Raise $14K salary for more representative NC legislature

By Nate Graham

As North Carolina gets ready to enter short session on April 21, it is time to confront a longstanding flaw in the North Carolina General Assembly. The legislators in 2026 make the exact same $13,951 as the legislators did in 1995. 

North Carolina’s General Assembly is considered a hybrid state legislature by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). This means that they spend about two-thirds of a full-time job being legislators and usually need another source of income to live on. Amongst fellow hybrid states, North Carolina pays its legislators one of the lowest base salaries. This time commitment paired with a low salary limits the ideas and perspectives that are shared in the North Carolina General Assembly, since only the retired or wealthy can afford to make ends meet considering what’s provided. 

Before addressing some broader issues, let’s consider the numbers. The total number of workdays for a full-time job is about 250 per year, if you take holidays off and do not use PTO. Now using the definition from the NCSL, we find that legislators spend around 167 days per year working. If we break it down even further and assume each day is about an 8-hour workday, we find that North Carolina legislators make a base of about $10.44 per hour. Our state’s biggest decision makers earn a basepay equivalent to what most high school students working summer jobs.  

On top of this, they also receive a “per diem” of about $100 for every day they travel to Raleigh for committees or session, but that is meant to be spent on travel and lodging. That $100 doesn’t go too far for someone driving from the far-flung areas of eastern or western North Carolina who need to buy gas, eat out, and get a hotel room.

This relatively low salary opens a Pandora’s box of issues. First, it greatly limits the people who can run for these positions. Most North Carolinians cannot afford to leave work for large chunks of time and only receive $13,951. Furthermore, most employers probably would not want employees to leave for that amount of time either, which threatens their long-term employment. This is likely why the most popular occupation of state House representatives in the current session is retired (the occupations of state senators are not listed). Retirees make up about 14% of representatives currently. While they may bring wisdom and a unique perspective, the salary is a clear gatekeeper for most people.  

With the salary being a gatekeeper for prospective candidates, it limits voter choice. In a survey of state legislators, 72% said the current salary level is the main drawback of running. Instead of people having the opportunity to vote for who they genuinely believe is best for the job, voters have to choose between candidates who have the capacity to run. This can create problems where people who want change, regardless of party lines, may not be able to vote for it because no one is running.  

Being a legislator is meant to be an act of public service, therefore the salary is not meant to be lifechanging. However, the salary is way behind the standard. The average base salary for hybrid states that pay a yearly salary is $35,354. If North Carolina’s salary had simply been adjusted for inflation over the years, it would be $30,332 in 2026. While this remains below average, it would greatly encourage a more diverse pool of prospective candidates to run. 

To lay it out even further, let’s look at hybrid states with similar populations. Six states, that fit these criteria are Georgia, Tennessee, New Jersey, Arizona, Washington, and Virginia. Out of these, Georgia is the only state that has more people than North Carolina. Each one of these states pays their legislators more than North Carolina. Virginia is the closest to North Carolina, paying senators $18,000 and delegates $17,640. If North Carolina just followed inflation, they would sit in the middle.  

North Carolina has had a lot of positive metrics over the past 10 years. To name a few, it was ranked the No. 1 state for business in 2025 by CNBC, has grown by over 900,000 people, and has a triple-A bond rating. The state has many more positives, but it is not perfect. 

If North Carolina aims to maintain these positives and continue to solve policy problems, it will continue to need great leadership. It will need people that truly and whole-heartedly care about the state and its residents. The best way to ensure that these leaders come forward is to ensure that salary is not an issue. This would allow legislators to focus more on the challenges facing North Carolina.