Texas Lt. Governor Pay: Salary, Per Diem, and Pension

The Texas Lieutenant Governor earns a base salary of $7,200 a year, the same amount paid to rank-and-file state legislators. A daily per diem of $267 is added for every day the legislature is in session, and the position carries a pension, health coverage, and an apartment inside the Capitol that together push the real value of the job well above that headline number.

Base Salary and Session Per Diem

The $7,200 figure is written into the Texas Constitution, which ties the Lieutenant Governor’s pay to legislative compensation. It has not changed since April 22, 1975.¹

The per diem is a separate payment meant to cover lodging and meals in Austin. The Texas Ethics Commission raised the rate from $221 to $267 per day, effective for the 2025 legislative session.² It applies during the 140-day regular session held every odd-numbered year and during any special session the Governor calls.

Over a full 140-day regular session, $267 a day comes to $37,380 in per diem. Added to the base salary, cash compensation in a session year reaches about $44,580 before taxes, with special sessions pushing the figure higher. In an even-numbered year without a regular session, the pay drops back to $7,200 unless a special session is called.

Why the Salary Stays at $7,200

Raising the base salary requires voter approval, which is why it has held at $7,200 for over fifty years. Article 3, Section 24a of the Texas Constitution lets the Ethics Commission recommend a different salary for the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House, but any recommendation must then be approved by voters at the next general election. If voters reject it, the current amount stays in place until the commission tries again.¹

The per diem rate works differently. The Ethics Commission can adjust it through its own rulemaking process, which is how the rate moved to $267 in 2025 without a ballot measure.²

The Pension Is Where the Real Money Is

The Employees Retirement System of Texas runs a retirement program for elected state officials that is not calculated off the $7,200 salary. Instead, the formula uses the state base salary of a district judge.³

As of September 2025, that district judge base salary is $175,000 a year, up from $140,000 after the legislature passed SB 293.⁴ The annual pension equals 2.3% of that judicial base multiplied by years of credited service, capped at 100% of the judge’s base salary.³

At the current $175,000 figure, the formula produces:

8 years of service: about $32,200 per year
12 years of service: about $48,300 per year
20 years of service: about $80,500 per year

Eligibility requires age 60 with at least 8 years of service, or age 50 with at least 12 years of service.³ SB 293 also included provisions to eventually unlink lawmaker pension calculations from future judicial pay increases, so the formula may change for service credit earned after that transition takes effect.

Health Insurance, Life Insurance, and the Capitol Apartment

The Lieutenant Governor is eligible for medical, dental, and vision coverage through the Texas Employees Group Benefits Program administered by ERS, with the state paying toward monthly premiums. Enrolling in a GBP health plan automatically includes a $5,000 basic term life insurance policy through Securian at no cost, plus a $5,000 accidental death and dismemberment benefit.⁵ After leaving office, retiree health coverage is available through ERS, with the state contribution tied to years of service.

The office also comes with an apartment inside the Texas State Capitol. It sits in the east wing of the second floor and includes bedrooms, a dining room, a small kitchen, and a den. Public funds cover utilities, maintenance, and basic staffing, which offsets what would otherwise be a significant personal cost for someone expected to spend long stretches in Austin on a $7,200 salary.

How the Per Diem Is Taxed

Federal tax treatment of the per diem depends on where the officeholder lives. State legislators whose personal residence is more than 50 miles from the state capitol can elect to treat their home as their tax “business home,” which lets them offset living expenses against per diem income.⁶ The deductible amount is calculated by multiplying legislative days by the greater of the federal per diem rate or the state per diem rate, provided the state rate does not exceed 110% of the federal rate.

Someone who already lives in or near Austin cannot make this election and would generally owe federal income tax on the full per diem. The election is made by attaching a statement to the federal income tax return for the year.⁶

Outside Income and Ethics Limits

Texas does not bar the Lieutenant Governor from earning outside income, which matters given the small base salary. Government Code Section 572.051 says a state officer should not accept employment or engage in business activity that could reasonably be expected to impair independent judgment or require disclosure of confidential information gained through the office.⁷ The same statute discourages personal investments that would create a substantial conflict between private and public interests.

When a matter comes before the Senate in which the Lieutenant Governor has a private or personal interest, disclosure in an open meeting and recusal from voting are required. An interest shared with everyone in the same profession or occupation does not count as a private interest under the statute.⁷

1
Justia Law. Texas Constitution Art 3 – Sec 24a
2
Texas Ethics Commission. Proposed September 2024 – Legislative Per Diem
3
Employees Retirement System of Texas. Retirement Benefits for Elected State Officials
4
Texas Judicial Branch. Judicial Salaries Effective September 2025
5
Employees Retirement System of Texas. Basic Term Life Insurance
6
Internal Revenue Service. When State Legislators Can Deduct Living Expenses
7
Texas Ethics Commission. A Guide to Ethics Laws for State Officers and Employees