The Governor of Massachusetts earns a salary of $222,185 per year, plus a $65,000 annual housing allowance, for a total cash compensation of $287,185.1CTHRU – Statewide Payroll. Maura Healey – Governors Office (GOV) – Governor of the Commonwealth State law also prohibits the governor from drawing earned income from any other source while in office, so that figure is the entire paycheck.2General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Part I, Title II, Chapter 6, Section 1 – Salary of Governor; Housing Expenses; Other Sources of Income The statutory base written into the law is $185,000; a biennial adjustment tied to statewide wage growth has pushed the actual pay to its current level.
The $65,000 Housing Allowance
Massachusetts is one of only five states without an official governor’s mansion. In place of a residence, the statute provides $65,000 a year to cover housing costs near the seat of government in Boston.2General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Part I, Title II, Chapter 6, Section 1 – Salary of Governor; Housing Expenses; Other Sources of Income The stipend is treated as taxable compensation. No separate expense account exists beyond salary and housing.
No Outside Earned Income Allowed
Chapter 6, Section 1 bars the governor from receiving earned income from any other source during the term.3General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 6, Section 1 – Salary of Governor; Housing Expenses; Other Sources of Income That rules out consulting fees, speaking honoraria, and paid board seats. Passive income from investments and similar sources is not restricted. The practical effect is that salary and housing make up the governor’s complete working compensation.
How the Salary Adjusts Every Two Years
Rather than requiring a legislative vote, the pay recalculates on a two-year cycle. The formula uses the aggregate quarterly change in salaries and wages across the Commonwealth over the most recent eight quarters, as measured by the Bureau of Economic Analysis in the U.S. Department of Commerce.2General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Part I, Title II, Chapter 6, Section 1 – Salary of Governor; Housing Expenses; Other Sources of Income When statewide wages rise, so does the governor’s salary; when they flatten, pay flattens with them. Successive cycles are what carried the $185,000 statutory base to $222,185.
How It Compares
At $222,185, Massachusetts ranks fourth among states for gubernatorial pay. Only New York ($250,000), Pennsylvania ($229,642), and California ($224,020) pay more. Tennessee follows at $204,336. The national average sits around $167,128, placing Massachusetts about 33 percent above the median.
Within state government, the figure tracks closely with other top elected offices. The Attorney General actually earns slightly more at $222,639. The Lieutenant Governor earns $198,165, and the Secretary of the Commonwealth $187,433. The tight clustering reflects adjustment mechanisms that apply across the top of state government.
Security and Transportation
The Massachusetts State Police provides the governor with a full-time executive protection detail that handles both security and transportation for the governor and immediate family. These costs sit in the state police budget, not the governor’s compensation. Overtime alone for troopers assigned to the detail can run well over $1,000 per day per officer.
Where the Rules Come From
The entire pay framework lives in a single statute, M.G.L. c. 6, ยง 1, which sets the base salary, the housing allowance, the biennial adjustment formula, and the outside-income ban.2General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Part I, Title II, Chapter 6, Section 1 – Salary of Governor; Housing Expenses; Other Sources of Income The salary itself appears on the state payroll and can be verified through the Commonwealth’s public transparency database.1CTHRU – Statewide Payroll. Maura Healey – Governors Office (GOV) – Governor of the Commonwealth