Every governor in the United States earns between $70,000 and $187,818 per year, according to a new report by Business Insider. While most governors earn around $100,000 per year, at least six governors receive a five-figure salary. These salaries are not much, and pale in comparison to that of some CEOs.
However, “staying at the Governor’s Mansion can be a great stepping stone in a political career. Of the 44 men who have been president of the United States, 17 previously served as governor. The most recent to do so was George W. Bush, who was working out of the capitol building in Austin, Texas when he was elected president,” Business Insider said.
The publication said Zippia analyzed the salary of every governor based on information received from Ballotpedia. With the data, Business Insider was able to compare the 50 governors of the United States to see how much each makes.
These total earnings by American governors are nothing compare to how much money a Nigerian governor makes every year.
Officially, a Nigerian governor earns a salary of around $32,000 per year or over 11 million naira. But they also manage what is called a security vote, or hundreds of millions of dollars not accounted for, but meant to keep the state safe, and political associates at peace.
Cross Sections of APC Governors during the Party National Executive Committee (NEC) Meeting held at the Headquarter in Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE/STATE HOUSE IN ABUJA. OCT 31TH 2017
Many activists had advocated that security votes be made public or discarded all together. But they have been unsuccessful.
Apart from the secret security votes, Nigerian governors also make money via inflated contracts to proxies and kickbacks.
In 2006, the former chairman of the Economic of Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, listed over 30 of the 36 governors in Nigeria as mega thieves. Each of them had made billions of naira while in office. None was convicted in Nigeria.
It is believed that it is because of the hundreds of millions of dollars to be made that politics is so attractive in Nigeria, as it is not about service, but how much money one can make. This consistent theft of public resources happen even as about 70 percent of Nigerians live on less than a United States dollar per day.
Alabama
Governor: Kay Ivey (Republican)
Salary: $119,950
Alaska
Governor: Bill Walker (Independent)
Salary: $145,000
Arizona
Governor: Doug Ducey (R)
Salary: $95,000
Arkansas
Governor: Asa Hutchinson (R)
Salary: $86,890
California
Governor: Jerry Brown (Democrat)
Salary: $173,987
Colorado
Governor: John Hickenlooper (D)
Salary: $90,000
Connecticut
Governor: Dannel Malloy (D)
Salary: $150,000
Delaware
Governor: John Carney (D)
Salary: $171,000
Florida
Governor: Rick Scott (R)
Salary: $130,273
Georgia
Governor: Nathan Deal (R)
Salary: $139,339
Hawaii
Governor: David Ige (D)
Salary: $143,748
Idaho
Governor: Butch Otter (R)
Salary: $119,000
Illinois
Governor: Bruce Rauner (R)
Salary: $177,412
Indiana
Governor: Eric Holcomb (R)
Salary: $111,688
Iowa
Governor: Kim Reynolds (R)
Salary: $130,000
Kansas
Governor: Jeff Colyer (R)
Salary: $99,636
Kentucky
Governor: Matt Bevin (R)
Salary: $138,012
Louisiana
Governor: John Bel Edwards (D)
Salary: $130,000
Maine
Governor: Paul LePage (R)
Salary: $70,000
Maryland
Governor: Larry Hogan (R)
Salary: $150,000
Massachusetts
Governor: Charlie Baker (R)
Salary: $151,800
Michigan
Governor: Rick Snyder (R)
Salary: $159,300
Minnesota
Governor: Mark Dayton (D)
Salary: $119,850
Mississippi
Governor: Phil Bryant (R)
Salary: $122,160
Missouri
Governor: Eric Greitens (R)
Salary: $133,821
Montana
Governor: Steve Bullock (D)
Salary: $108,167
Nebraska
Governor: Pete Ricketts (R)
Salary: $105,000
Nevada
Governor: Brian Sandoval (R)
Salary: $149,573
New Hampshire
Governor: Chris Sununu (R)
Salary: $121,896
New Jersey
Governor: Phil Murphy (D)
Salary: $175,000
New Mexico
Governor: Susana Martinez (R)
Salary: $110,000
New York
Governor: Andrew Cuomo (D)
Salary: $179,000
North Carolina
Governor: Roy Cooper (D)
Salary: $141,265
North Dakota
Governor: Doug Burgum (R)
Salary: $121,679
Ohio
Governor: John Kasich (R)
Salary: $148,886
Oklahoma
Governor: Mary Fallin (R)
Salary: $147,000
Oregon
Governor: Kate Brown (D)
Salary: $98,600
Pennsylvania
Governor: Tom Wolf (D)
Salary: $187,818
Rhode Island
Governor: Gina Raimondo
Salary: $129,210
South Carolina
Governor: Henry McMaster (R)
Salary: $106,078
South Dakota
Governor: Dennis Daugaard (R)
Salary: $104,002
Tennessee
Governor: Bill Haslam (R)
Salary: $181,980
Texas
Governor: Greg Abbott (R)
Salary: $150,000
Utah
Governor: Gary Herbert (R)
Salary: $109,470
Vermont
Governor: Phil Scott (R)
Salary: $145,538
Virginia
Governor: Ralph Northam (D)
Salary: $175,000
Washington
Governor: Jay Inslee (D)
Salary: $166,891
West Virginia
Governor: Jim Justice (R — as of August, 2017)
Salary: $150,000
Wisconsin
Governor: Scott Walker (R)
Salary: $144,423
Wyoming
Governor: Matt Mead (R)
Salary: $105,000
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