New Jersey Lawmakers Just Gave Themselves a 67% Raise. Must Be Nice.

Must be nice to vote for your own raise.

If you felt a sudden breeze in mid-January, that was not winter weather or New Jersey’s new off shore windmills, but New Jersey lawmakers fanning themselves with freshly upgraded paychecks.

As of 2026, members of the New Jersey Senate and Assembly are now earning $82,000 a year, up from $49,000. That is a 67% raise, approved quietly during the 2024 lame-duck session and timed perfectly to kick in after voters stopped paying attention.

Twenty-four years without a raise, they tell us. And yet somehow, the timing still feels very on brand for New Jersey.

Let’s Review the New Salary Menu

Here is what Trenton decided was appropriate in a state where residents argue with their property tax bill like it personally insulted their family.

• Rank-and-file lawmakers: $82,000, up from $49,000

• Senate President and Assembly Speaker: about $109,000

• Governor: up from $175,000 to $210,000

• Cabinet members like the Attorney General and Treasurer: $210,000

• Legislative staff allowances: increased to $150,000

• Judges: cost-of-living raises extended through 2027

And the cost to taxpayers?

• $9 million in 2026

• $12.4 million in 2027

If you are doing the math at home, yes, that is real money. No, your commute did not improve because of it.

The Inflation Defense, Trenton Edition

The main argument from supporters is inflation. Lawmakers have not had a raise since 2000, and adjusted for inflation, that old $49,000 salary would be worth about $94,000 today.

That argument sounds logical, until you remember inflation also hit:

• Homeowners

• Renters

• Small business owners

• Anyone who buys groceries

• Anyone who heats their house

• Anyone who lives in New Jersey

The difference is most people did not get to vote themselves a retroactive correction.

Former State Senator Richard Codey, who sponsored the bill, argued that low pay discourages people without independent wealth from running for office and pushes talent into the private sector.

That may be true. It also ignores the fact that New Jersey still has a part-time legislature, something critics pointed out loudly and repeatedly.

Part-Time Job, Full-Time Raise

Many Republican lawmakers called the raise self-dealing and said any increase should be tied to converting the Legislature into a full-time body.

Democratic leadership rejected that idea.

So the deal New Jersey got was simple:

• Keep the part-time structure

• Add a full-strength pay bump

• Apply it after elections

• Hope voters are distracted

Mission accomplished.

A Changing of the Guard, With Better Pay

The timing is also interesting. The governor’s raise applies not to Phil Murphy, who signed the bill, but to his successor, Mikie Sherrill, who takes office this week.

Nothing says smooth transition like inheriting a 20% raise on day one.

Meanwhile, Back in the Real New Jersey

While Trenton celebrates a long-overdue payday:

• Property taxes remain among the highest in the country

• Rent continues to outpace wages

• Utility bills feel like prank mail

• Insurance premiums climb like it is a competitive sport

And residents are once again reminded why so many people quietly Google things like:
“States with lower taxes”
“Where can I move without selling a kidney”
“Is leaving New Jersey considered self care”

The EscapeFromNewJersey Take

This is not about whether public servants deserve fair pay. That is a real conversation.

This is about optics, timing, and trust, three things New Jersey politics routinely treats as optional.

A 67% raise, approved in a lame-duck session, delayed until after elections, in a state already struggling with affordability, is not a great look. It is not even a subtle look.

It is the kind of thing that makes residents feel like the system is working exactly as designed. Just not for them.

If you are wondering why so many New Jersey residents are eyeing exits to Pennsylvania, Florida, the Carolinas, or anywhere with fewer commas in their tax bill, moments like this help explain it.

Welcome to 2026. Trenton is doing great.
The rest of us are still doing the math.