(a) Each elective officer of the Executive Department is entitled to an annual salary as follows:
(b) The Governor may appoint each officer of the Executive Branch listed in this subsection at a starting salary ranging from the base salary stated for that position to a salary that does not exceed the maximum salary unless otherwise authorized by this subsection. The maximum salary for each appointive officer shall be 50 percent above the base salary. Annually, the Governor may grant to each of those officers an annual salary adjustment subject to the maximum salary. The annual salary adjustment granted to officers under this subsection shall not exceed the average rate of adjustment available to most classified employees under the collective bargaining agreement then in effect. In addition to the annual salary adjustment specified in this subsection, the Governor may grant a special salary increase subject to the maximum salary, or a bonus, to any officer listed in this subsection whose job duties have significantly increased, or whose contributions to the State in the preceding year are deemed especially significant. Special salary increases or bonuses granted to any individual shall not exceed the average rate of adjustment available to most classified employees under the collective bargaining agreement then in effect.
(1) Heads of the following Departments and Agencies:
(2) [Repealed.]
(3) If the Chair of the Land Use Review Board is employed on less than a full-time basis, the hiring and salary maximums for that position shall be reduced proportionately.
(4) When a permanent employee is appointed to an exempt position, the Governor may authorize such employee to retain the present salary even though it is in excess of any salary maximum provided in statute.
(c) The officers of the Judicial Branch named in this subsection shall be entitled to annual salaries as follows:
(d) Notwithstanding the maximum salary established in subsection (b) of this section, the Defender General shall not receive compensation in excess of the compensation established for the Attorney General in this section.
(e) Notwithstanding the maximum salary established in subsection (b) of this section, the maximum salary for the Commissioner of Health shall not exceed 100 percent above the base salary for this position. (Added 1965, No. 125, § 1, eff. July 2, 1965; amended 1966, No. 53 (Sp. Sess.), § 1, eff. Jan. 5, 1966; 1967, No. 126, § 1, No. 200, § 1, eff. July 1, 1967, § 9, eff. Jan. 1, 1967; 1969, No. 294 (Adj. Sess.), Pt. IV, § 9, eff. at beginning of respective elective terms in 1971, Pt. V, § 10, eff. April 15, 1970; 1971, No. 191 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 14, 16; 1971, No. 242 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 1973, No. 117, §§ 1, 2; 1973, No. 159 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. March 15, 1974; 1973, No. 266 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 18, 19, eff. July 1, 1974; 1975, No. 1 (Sp. Sess.), § 27, eff. Oct. 22, 1975; 1975, No. 196 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 1975, No. 206 (Adj. Sess.), § 1a; 1977, No. 105, § 19, eff. July 1, 1977; 1977, No. 109, § 15, eff. July 3, 1977; 1977, No. 204 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 1977, No. 222 (Adj. Sess.), § 6, eff. July 2, 1978, and Jan. 4, 1979; 1977, No. 232 (Adj. Sess.), § 4; 1979, No. 59, § 2, eff. July 1, 1979; 1979, No. 141 (Adj. Sess.), § 10; 1981, No. 91, § 7, eff. July 5, 1981; § 13, eff. upon taking the oath of office in Jan. 1983; § 14, eff. July 5, 1981; 1981, No. 249 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 8, 8a-8c; 1983, No. 88, § 2, eff. July 3, 1983; 1983, No. 95, § 308; 1983, No. 130 (Adj. Sess.), § 4; 1983, No. 158 (Adj. Sess.), eff. April 13, 1984; 1983, No. 170 (Adj. Sess.), § 14(b), eff. April 19, 1984; 1983, No. 195 (Adj. Sess.), § 5(a); 1983, No. 243 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 2, 3, 5, 20; 1985, No. 93, §§ 1, 2; 1985, No. 225 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 2, 3, 4, 21; 1987, No. 76, § 18; 1987, No. 121, §§ 2, 3; 1987, No. 183 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 3, 4, 7; 1989, No. 67, §§ 1, 1a, 3; 1989, No. 187 (Adj. Sess.), § 5; 1989, No. 219 (Adj. Sess.), § 9(a); 1989, No. 225 (Adj. Sess.), § 25(a); 1989, No. 250 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 1989, No. 256 (Adj. Sess.), § 10(a), eff. Jan. 1, 1991; 1989, No. 277 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 2, 3, 5, eff. July 8, 1990; 1991, No. 189 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 2, 5, eff. May 19, 1992; 1993, No. 227 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 1-3; 1995, No. 148 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 16, 17, eff. May 6, 1996; 1995, No. 174 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 1995, No. 177 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 1995, No. 180 (Adj. Sess.), § 38; 1995, No. 190 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 1, 11; 1997, No. 28, § 1, eff. May 15, 1997; 1997, No. 121 (Adj. Sess.), § 30; 1999, No. 40, § 1, eff. July 4, 1999; 1999, No. 147 (Adj. Sess.), § 4; 2001, No. 66, § 1; 2003, No. 66, § 315; 2003, No. 115 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 116, 117, eff. Jan. 31, 2005; 2003, No. 156 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 1-3, eff. July 11, 2004; 2005, No. 66, § 1; 2007, No. 47, § 1; 2007, No. 65, § 116; 2007, No. 206 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2011, No. 130 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 4, 5; 2013, No. 50, § E.802.1; 2013, No. 56, § 14, retroactively eff. Jan. 2, 2013; 2013, No. 160 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 3, 4; 2015, No. 58, § B.1110, eff. June 11, 2015; 2015, No. 172 (Adj. Sess.), § F3; 2015, No. 172 (Adj. Sess.), § F4; 2017, No. 191 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 3, 5; 2017, No. 191 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 4, 8, eff. July 1, 2019; 2019, No. 73, § 42; 2021, No. 74, §§ F.104, F.105; 2021, No. 185 (Adj. Sess.), §§ F.103, F.104, eff. July 1, 2022; 2023, No. 6, § 372, eff. July 1, 2023; 2023, No. 113 (Adj. Sess.), §§ G.103, G.104, eff. July 1, 2024; 2025, No. 64, § 19, eff. June 12, 2025.)