N.S. MLAs among highest-paid politicians in North America: report

Overall view of the Nova Scotia legislature is shown in Halifax on March 24, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Andrew Vaughan)

Canadian provincial politicians are making on average nearly double the salaries of their American counterparts, according to a new report.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) compared 2025 salaries of Canadian and American subnational politicians, then converted them to Canadian dollars.

Their study found the average salary for a provincial Canadian politician to be $115,378 while the average salary for a state politician in America is $59,241.

The organization lists the base salaries for provincial and state politicians, and Canadian provinces are generally higher on the list. Ontario and Quebec are ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, falling behind New York, California and Pennsylvania.

Nova Scotia MLAs rank 11th on the list of 60, earning a base salary of $115,000.

“Nova Scotia MLAs are among the highest-paid politicians in North America and they’re not delivering better results,” says CTF Atlantic director Devin Drover in a statement released Thursday.

“Nova Scotia has one of the highest combined top marginal tax rates of any provincial or state in Canada and the United States,” the CTF statement reads.

New Brunswick MLAs sit at 18th, and P.E.I. MLAs are 22nd, the lowest Canadian salary on the list.

“Giving bigger paycheques to politicians doesn’t lead to better outcomes for taxpayers,” says Drover. “Bigger salaries aren’t motivating politicians to leave more money in the pockets of taxpayers.”

The CTF says despite this, Nova Scotia MLAs voted for a 29 per cent pay raise for themselves in 2025, bringing them to the $115,000 figure.

The CTF argues the results do not justify the pay gap between American and Canadian politicians.

“Canadians are poorer and pay more state tax than American taxpayers. Increasing salaries for politicians do not result in better outcomes for their constituents,” reads the report.

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