South Dakota Lawmakers Receive Pay Increase for 2025

South Dakota lawmakers will receive a nearly $3,000 pay increase, raising their salaries to $16,348 for the 2025 legislative session, based on the state's average salary of $81,740. This adjustment marks a recovery from recent declines in legislative pay, which was about $14,800 in 2023 and $13,400 in 2024. The state's law mandates that legislators' salaries be set at one-fifth of the average salary. Conversely, in Washington, state lawmakers are proposed to receive a 14% pay increase over the next two years, escalating their current salary of $61,997 to $66,411 in July 2025 and $71,126 by July 2026. This proposal comes amid concerns that current compensation does not reflect the growing responsibilities and time commitments of legislators. In Orange County, discussions regarding potential salary adjustments for county legislators are ongoing, focusing on comparisons with neighboring counties and historical salary increases.