Kristina Rasmussen
Executive Vice President

Members of the Illinois General Assembly are among the highest-paid state legislators in the country.

According to the National Conference of State Legislators, Illinois lawmakers earned a base salary of $67,836 in 2012, along with a $111 per diem for each session day. Legislators in nearby Indiana earn just $22,616 a year.

Many Illinois legislators make far more than the base amount due to bonuses that come with leadership positions. 

According to data from the Comptroller’s state employee salary database, The Ledger, the average salary of a state senator in 2012, including additional leadership pay, was $77,545.

The highest-paid senators were Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, and Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont, who both earned $90,930.

Efforts to limit legislator salaries, including votes to freeze pay and forfeit 12 days of compensation, have fallen short in the eyes of reformers.

Taxpayers are footing the bill for cushy legislative salaries and incredibly generous pension packages (how does a cool $2.5 million in lifetime benefits sound?) in return for continued fiscal mismanagement. 

Get more information on Illinois state representative salaries, as well as additional background on legislator pay

image credit: AP Photo/Seth Perlman