Albany, NY (WRGB) — New York State lawmakers are the highest paid state legislature in the country, thanks to a $32,000 raise in 2022 that pushed their annual pay to $142,000.

Despite the nation-leading pay, one state lawmaker just introduced legislation to raise salaries again.

Sen. James Sanders Jr. is sponsoring the bill, which would raise compensation for state lawmakers to $180,000 starting on Jan. 1, 2028. The Queens Democrat also proposes an annual cost of living (COLA) adjustment. This would increase to the salary each year after that to match any increase to the consumer price index for urban consumers (CPI-U), meaning residents in urban or metropolitan areas.

“This bill would modernize legislative compensation standards to reflect the full-time, high-responsibility nature of service in the New York State Legislature,” reads Senate Bill S932.

Included in the bill is a list of justifications for the more than 26 percent raise.

“New York State Senators are responsible for:

* Oversight of one of the largest state budgets in the United States;
* Continuous legislative sessions, special sessions, and extended budget and policy negotiations;
* Committee leadership, investigatory authority, and oversight of executive agencies;
* Year-round constituent services across large, diverse, and often high-need districts; and
* Emergency and crisis response functions involving public health, housing, infrastructure, public safety, and economic stability.

These responsibilities are not episodic or seasonal. They demand continuous engagement, sustained availability, decision-making under pressure, and a high level of professional expertise throughout the calendar year. Senators routinely manage complex legal, fiscal, and policy matters with statewide implications and substantial public impact.”

Current state lawmaker pay outpaces average and median income rates in New York State. Median household income was reported as $85,820 in 2024 according to the U. S. Census Bureau, and around the same for 2026 according to IncomeByZipcode.com, which uses Census Bureau data. That site lists the average household income for 2026 at $128,247, still below the lawmaker compensation rate. Both the average and median household incomes are reported as higher than the national average.

Household income rates are significantly higher than individual incomes, $44,185 median and $50,712 average. Individual lawmakers, not their total households, earn more from their state salary than 66 percent of households in New York, according to recent Census data.

Some make even more than their $142,000 salary through outside sources. A cap of $35,000 on most outside income takes effect in 2027. The impending outside income cap may be a deciding factor for some lawmakers calling it quits, according to recent reporting from City & State New York.

State law also allows more than a dozen lawmakers to receive stipends. As of 2023, the Assembly Speaker and Senate Majority Leader made an additional $41,500—their $183,500 annual income was almost $10,000 more than that of a member of Congress.

While the bill’s justification lists a year-round, full-time commitment, that’s far from the reality for most state lawmakers. The session runs from January to June, leaving lawmakers with six months to work within their districts or pursue outside income, barring extraordinary or special sessions or additional hearings outside of the regular session.

CBS6 found in 2025 that some lawmakers had a hard time making it to Albany for every day of session, and even missed hearings they were supposed to be at.

READ MORE: New York state senators’ attendance records scrutinized amid mayoral campaigns

ALSO: Lawmakers justify missed hearings

Some lawmakers and good-government advocates have pushed for longer sessions to help justify their pay and make the often rushed legislative session more efficient.

“There are rarely public hearings on legislation itself, committee meetings are not substantive in any way, so yeah if they were gonna be full time legislators, maybe they could actually be full time legislators year round,” Cam Macdonald, Adjunct Fellow at the Empire Center, told CBS6 in 2024.

Still, other lawmakers have consistently voted against pay raises. Asm. Angelo Santabarbara, a Democrat, previously told CBS6 he was in favor of limiting outside income in order to minimize any influence on lawmakers. Sen. Pat Fahy, also a Democrat, voted in favor of the 2022 raise and income limit while in the Assembly. She considers herself and many of her colleagues as full-time legislators. Read more of the previous discussion on pay raises and outside income here.

Sanders proposal, introduced to the Senate Investigations and Government Operations Committee this week, comes amid Governor Kathy Hochul’s push for lawmakers to address affordability concerns across a number of areas.

Along with his proposed salary hike, Sen. Sanders is sponsoring a bill that would increase the senate term limit to four years. Members of the senate and assembly serve two-year terms, but do not face term limits.

CBS6 reached out to Sanders’ office for comment on the pay raise bill.