Legislators: Career Overview
Develop, introduce, or enact laws and statutes at the local, tribal, state, or federal level. Includes only workers in elected positions.
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What Do Legislators Do?
The core tasks performed by legislators span:
- Analyze and understand the local and national implications of proposed legislation.
- Appoint nominees to leadership posts, or approve such appointments.
- Confer with colleagues to formulate positions and strategies pertaining to pending issues.
- Debate the merits of proposals and bill amendments during floor sessions, following the appropriate rules of procedure.
- Develop expertise in subject matters related to committee assignments.
- Hear testimony from constituents, representatives of interest groups, board and commission members, and others with an interest in bills or issues under consideration.
- Keep abreast of the issues affecting constituents by making personal visits and phone calls, reading local newspapers, and viewing or listening to local broadcasts.
- Maintain knowledge of relevant national and international current events.
Related Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Alderman
- Assembly Member
- Assembly Person
- Assemblyman
- Assemblywoman
- City Alderman
- City Council Member
- City Councilman
How Many Legislators Are There?
The U.S. employs around 103,736 legislators working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +8.5% over the projection horizon.
Legislators Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $167,600 |
| Hourly median | $80.58 |
| 10th percentile | $119,725 |
| 25th percentile | $143,663 |
| 75th percentile | $191,538 |
| 90th percentile | $215,475 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Legislators Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $109,390 |
| New York | $97,050 |
| Hawaii | $74,150 |
| Michigan | $73,110 |
| Colorado | $66,700 |
| Wisconsin | $58,850 |
| Delaware | $58,250 |
| Maryland | $54,430 |
| California | $54,290 |
| Pennsylvania | $51,490 |
| Montana | $50,710 |
| Utah | $50,600 |
| Alaska | $50,400 |
| New Jersey | $48,050 |
| Virginia | $47,730 |
| Oklahoma | $47,490 |
| West Virginia | $46,990 |
| Florida | $46,910 |
| Ohio | $46,890 |
| Arkansas | $44,350 |
| Texas | $42,080 |
| North Dakota | $41,550 |
| Indiana | $39,940 |
| Iowa | $39,290 |
| Wyoming | $36,800 |
| New Mexico | $34,630 |
| Illinois | $33,160 |
| Nebraska | $32,620 |
| Tennessee | $30,300 |
| Idaho | $27,720 |
| Alabama | $26,990 |
| Kansas | $23,210 |
| South Carolina | $19,270 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for legislators vary by region. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $72,061 | 13.7% | 0.84 |
| Far Western US | $66,948 | 18.1% | 1.19 |
| Great Lakes | $51,137 | 15.7% | 1.54 |
| Rocky Mountains | $48,310 | 7.9% | 2.73 |
| Southwest | $36,127 | 12.4% | 0.90 |
| Southeast | $27,330 | 23.1% | 2.25 |
| Plains States | $14,294 | 8.7% | 2.64 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utica-Rome, NY | NY | $173,280 | 30 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | WA | $157,080 | 90 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | NY | $141,990 | 370 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | WA | $138,380 | 50 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | IL | $137,740 | 50 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $125,960 | 340 |
| Yakima, WA | WA | $120,480 | 40 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | OR | $116,460 | 70 |
Tech Stack
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Video conferencing software: Cisco Webex (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft SQL Server (hot technology)
- Development environment software: Microsoft Visual Basic (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Structured query language SQL (hot technology)
Education and Training
This career aligns with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Treasurers and Controllers (Primary-Short)
- Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary (Supplemental)
- Education Administrators, Postsecondary (Primary-Long)
- Social and Community Service Managers (Supplemental)
- Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers (Primary-Long)
- Labor Relations Specialists (Primary-Long)
- Political Scientists (Primary-Short)
- Social and Human Service Assistants (Supplemental)
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 11-1031.00 (Legislators).
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