Members of the South Carolina General Assembly are on the verge of receiving a substantial pay raise, following the approval of their 2026 budget. The budget includes a provision that would more than double their current salaries, which have remained unchanged since 1990.
Currently, state lawmakers earn $1,000 per month. If the budget bill is signed into law by Republican Governor Henry McMaster, their monthly compensation will increase to $2,500. This increase comes with few explicit restrictions on how the funds can be spent.
The pay raise is set to take effect on July 1st. While Governor McMaster has the power of a line-item veto, there is no expectation among lawmakers that he will veto the salary increase. Consequently, legislators are anticipated to return to work in January 2026 under the new pay structure.
The method by which the pay raise was legislated has not been met with universal agreement among lawmakers.
In 2014, a similar attempt to increase lawmakers’ salaries by $1,000 was vetoed by then-Governor Nikki Haley.
Beyond the legislative pay increase, the $14.5 billion budget also allocates funds for a teacher pay raise, renovations for state technical schools, and initiatives to lower the state’s top income tax rate to 6%.
