(ILLINOIS POLICY)
Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state lawmakers have increased lawmaker pay while approving budgets that raised taxes on Illinoisans.
Lawmakers’ pay has grown much faster than the average Illinois salary during Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s time in office.
Since 2019, the base salary for members of the General Assembly has risen 44.9%, to $98,304 in 2026.
In the same period, the average Illinois salary rose 33.7%, to about $79,779.
That base salary for lawmakers is set to rise to six figures under the newly enacted fiscal 2027 budget and doesn’t include the additional compensation they get for leadership positions and per diems for items such as lodging…learn more about lawmaker pay raises.
State Rep. Kevin Schmidt said this:
“Illinois workers need to keep more money in their pockets, not lawmakers. Due to the high cost of living in Illinois, families are struggling to get by, let alone get ahead.
I understand this which is why I voted no to lawmaker pay raises and continue to donate my pay raise each month to local food pantries. This is one way I help support the community to help families in need- and I’m very proud of this.”