Utah’s legislature is a part-time body that meets for a 45-day general session each year. In addition to the general session, lawmakers meet throughout the year in interim committee meetings, appropriations subcommittee meetings, and other task forces or committees.
For this work, lawmakers are paid $301 per day. Over the 45-day general session, that amounts to $13,545. Legislators are also paid on an as-earned basis for other approved legislative meetings they attend. They are not compensated for meeting with local constituents, attending local government meetings, or working on legislation outside of official legislative meeting days.
For many legislators, it can be argued that their effective pay is near or below minimum wage once the time spent meeting with constituents, drafting legislation, visiting businesses across the state, and reading and analyzing legislation outside of committee meetings or floor sessions is taken into account.
Leadership positions receive additional compensation. The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House each receive an additional $5,000. Majority and minority leaders receive $4,000, while whips, assistant whips, caucus leaders, budget leaders, and rules chairs each receive an additional $3,000.
Legislators also receive per diem allowances and expense reimbursements for official travel. Lodging is capped at $100 per night, meals at $54 per day, and mileage is reimbursed at $0.53 per mile when a state vehicle is not available. Legislators also receive a cellphone or a $58 per month reimbursement for the use of a personal phone.
In addition, legislators are eligible for retirement benefits after four years of service and may participate in the same health, dental, and life insurance plans available to state employees.
According to the Utah Legislative Compensation Commission, when compared with other state legislatures, Utah ranks 18th in the nation for daily legislative pay and 39th for annual legislative salaries.
This means Utah legislators are paid above average on a daily basis, but because Utah has one of the shortest legislative sessions in the nation, they earn less annually and rank below average when compared on that basis.
The state with the highest annual legislative pay is New York, which pays its legislators $142,000 per year.
The Utah Legislative Compensation Commission—made up of seven commissioners representing a cross-section of the state’s workforce and excluding employees of the judicial, executive, or legislative branches—has recommended a 5 percent increase in daily pay for Utah lawmakers. This would raise the daily rate from $301 to $316. The legislature would need to approve the increase, and it would not take effect until 2027.