Here's the salary of every state representative in the United States

Politics doesn't always pay — at least, not on the surface.

The US does not have a uniform method for determining how much legislators earn annually. Career site Zippia analyzed the salaries of state representatives from all 50 states to see who makes the most, and who makes the least.

Politicians in California — where Democrats control both houses of the state legislature — make the most money, earning an average of $97,197 a year. In New Hampshire, state representatives are paid just $100 on average. Both houses of the New Hampshire General Court are controlled by Republicans.

Calculating and comparing how much politicians are paid isn't straightforward. Some states shell out standard annual salaries, while others determine pay based on how many days a politician works. Even the definition of "a day" varies throughout the US when it comes to calculating pay for politicians: In some places it's simply a calendar day, while other states only count when legislators are actually in session — which also differs from state to state.

"Oh, and state senators get paid differently from state representatives — sometimes," Zippia's Chris Kolmar wrote. In those cases, Zippia showcased the smaller salary.

Here's how much politicians earn around the USA:

50. New Hampshire

Both houses of the New Hampshire General Court are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $100

Living wage in New Hampshire: $55,103

49. New Mexico

Both houses of the New Mexico Legislature are controlled by Democrats.

Average state representative pay: $7,425

Living wage in New Mexico: $48,050

48. Wyoming

Both houses of the Wyoming Legislature are controlled by a supermajority of Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $7,770

Living wage in Wyoming: $47,951

47. North Dakota

Both houses of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $8,280

Living wage in North Dakota: $46,814

46. Montana

Both houses of the Montana Legislature are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $8,730

Living wage in Montana: $47,083

45. Kansas

Both houses of the Kansas Legislature are controlled by Republicans, who hold a supermajority.

Average state representative pay: $9,315

Living wage in Kansas: $48,054

44. South Carolina

Both houses of the South Carolina General Assembly are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $10,400

Living wage in South Carolina: $46,568

43. South Dakota

Both houses of the South Dakota Legislature are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $11,160

Living wage in South Dakota: $45,410

42. North Carolina

Both houses of the North Carolina Legislature are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $13,951

Living wage in North Carolina: $49,575

41. Maine

Republicans control Maine's Senate, while Democrats have a majority in the House of Representatives.

Average state representative pay: $14,100

Living wage in Maine: $51,305

40. Vermont

Both houses of the Vermont General Assembly are controlled by Democrats.

Average state representative pay: $14,712

Living wage in Vermont: $51,977

39. Kentucky

Both houses of the Kentucky General Assembly are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $14,850

Living wage in Kentucky: $43,308

38. Rhode Island

Both houses of the Rhode Island General Assembly are controlled by Democrats.

Average state representative pay: $15,171

Living wage in Rhode Island: $53,240

37. Idaho

Both houses of the Idaho Legislature are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $16,684

Living wage in Idaho: $45,801

36. Utah

Both houses of the Utah State Legislature are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $16,785

Living wage in Utah: $47,922

35. Texas

Both houses of the Texas Legislature are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $20,500

Living wage in Texas: $48,160

34. Nebraska

The legally-nonpartisan and unicameral Nebraska Legislature has a majority of Republican-affiliated members.

Average state representative pay: $21,675

Living wage in Nebraska: $48,076

33. Mississippi

Both houses of the Mississippi Legislature are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $26,100

Living wage in Virginia: $54,264

32. Nevada

Both houses of the Nevada Legislature are controlled by Democrats.

Average state representative pay: $23,400

Living wage in Nevada: $52,698

31. Georgia

Both houses of the Georgia Legislature are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $24,262

Living wage in Georgia: $47,946

30. Virginia

Both houses of the Virginia General Assembly are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $26,100

Living wage in Virginia: $54,264

29. West Virginia

Both houses of the West Virginia Legislature are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $27,860

Living wage in West Virginia: $44,823

28. Connecticut

The Connecticut General Assembly's House of Representatives has a Democratic majority. The state's Senate is split down the middle, but Democratic Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman casts the tie-breaking vote.

Average state representative pay: $28,000

Living wage in Connecticut: $59,502

27. Arizona

Both houses of the Arizona Legislature are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $28,200

Living wage in Arizona: $51,341.00

26. Louisiana

Both houses of the Louisiana Legislature are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $30,600

Living wage in Louisiana: $47,975

25. Oregon

Both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly are controlled by Democrats.

Average state representative pay: $34,920

Living wage in Oregon: $51,900

24. Missouri

Both houses of the Missouri Legislature are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $35,915

Living wage in Missouri: $46,159

23. Florida

Both houses of the Florida Legislature are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $37,437

Living wage in Florida: $52,206

22. Indiana

Both houses of the Indiana Legislature are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $38,180.16

Living wage in Indiana: $46,838

21. Oklahoma

Both houses of the Oklahoma Legislature are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $38,400.

Living wage in Oklahoma: $46,613

20. Tennessee

Both houses of the Tennessee General Assembly are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $38,704

Living wage in Tennessee: $46,785

19. Minnesota

Both houses of the Minnesota Legislature are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $39,540

Living wage in Minnesota: $52,115

18. Iowa

Both houses of the Iowa General Assembly are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $40,540

Living wage in Iowa: $48,882

17. Colorado

The Colorado General Assembly's Senate is Republican-controlled, while its House of Representatives has a Democratic majority.

Average state representative pay: $41,880

Living wage in Colorado: $53,792

16. Alabama

Both houses of the Alabama Legislature are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $42,849

Living wage in Alabama: $45,824

15. Delaware

Both houses of the Delaware General Assembly are controlled by Democrats.

Average state representative pay: $44,541

Living wage in Delaware: $53,112

14. Arkansas

Both houses of the Arkansas General Assembly are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $46,150

Living wage in Arkansas: $44,571

13. New Jersey

Both houses of the New Jersey Legislature are controlled by Democrats.

Average state representative pay: $49,000

Living wage in New Jersey: $56,109

12. Wisconsin

Both houses of the Wisconsin Legislature are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $50,950

Living wage in Wisconsin: $51,120

11. Washington

Both houses of the Washington Legislature are controlled by Democrats.

Average state representative pay: $51,706

Living wage in Washington: $51,271

10. Maryland

Both houses of the Maryland General Assembly are controlled by Democrats.

Average state representative pay: $58,257

Living wage in Maryland: $58,178

9. Ohio

Both houses of the Ohio General Assembly are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $60,584

Living wage in Ohio: $45,853

8. Massachusetts

Both houses of the Massachusetts Legislature are controlled by Democrats.

Average state representative pay: $64,532.60

Living wage in Massachusetts: $59,560

7. Illinois

Both houses of the Illinois General Assembly are controlled by Democrats.

Average state representative pay: $67,836

Living wage in Illinois: $52,304

6. Hawaii

Both houses of the Montana Legislature are controlled by Democrats.

Average state representative pay: $68,004

Living wage in Hawaii: $60,700

5. Alaska

Democrats have the majority caucus in Alaska's House of Representatives, but Republicans have a majority in the state's Senate.

Average state representative pay: $70,470

Living wage in Alaska: $54,400

4. Michigan

Both houses of the Michigan Legislature are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $71,685

Living wage in Michigan: $48,837

3. New York

New York's State Assembly has a Democratic majority, while its Senate has a Republican majority.

Average state representative pay: $79,500

Living wage in New York: $59,128

2. Pennsylvania

Both houses of the Pennsylvania General Assembly are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $85,338.65

Living wage in Pennsylvania: $49,914

1. California

Both houses of the California Legislature are controlled by Democrats.

Average state representative pay: $97,197

Living wage in California: $57,315

Here's the salary of every state representative in the United States

Enhance Your Pulse News Experience!

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!