Unelected State Officials Earn Highest Salaries in 2025, Report Shows
A Ballotpedia analysis of 2025 state payrolls finds that most of the top-paid officials are appointed, not elected.
Ballotpedia compiled salary data for senior state officials in 2025, revealing that nine of the ten highest earners are appointed positions. New York Education Commissioner Betty Rosa tops the list with a $489,000 salary, while Maryland Superintendent of Schools Carey Wright follows at $361,000. Georgia Treasurer Steve McCoy, the sole elected official in the top tier, earned $329,000.
At the low end, Utah’s State Board of Education members receive $10,529 and Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick $7,113. Governors’ pay varies widely, with New York Governor Kathy Hochul at $250,000 and Maine Governor Janet Mills at $70,000, though Maine’s salary will rise to $125,000 in 2027. The report notes that salary information for appointed roles is often harder to locate than for elected offices.
Why it matters
Taxpayers can see how state funds are allocated to high-earning officials, prompting scrutiny of compensation practices.
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