Here's the salary of every state representative in the United States

Steve Helber/AP Images

• US senators and representatives are paid vastly different salaries across state lines.
• Career site Zippia estimated how much state politicians earn — a complicated feat because each state calculates salary differently.
• State politicians in California make the most money, while legislators in New Hampshire only make $100 a year.

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Politics doesn't always pay — at least, not on the surface.

The US does not have a uniform method for determining how much legislators earn annually. Career site Zippia analyzed the salaries of state representatives from all 50 states to see who makes the most, and who makes the least. 

Politicians in California — where Democrats control both houses of the state legislature — make the most money, earning an average of $97,197 a year. In New Hampshire, state representatives are paid just $100 on average. Both houses of the New Hampshire General Court are controlled by Republicans.

Calculating and comparing how much politicians are paid isn't straightforward. Some states shell out standard annual salaries, while others determine pay based on how many days a politician works. Even the definition of "a day" varies throughout the US when it comes to calculating pay for politicians: In some places it's simply a calendar day, while other states only count when legislators are actually in session — which also differs from state to state. 

"Oh, and state senators get paid differently from state representatives — sometimes," Zippia's Chris Kolmar wrote. In those cases, Zippia showcased the smaller salary.

Here's how much politicians earn around the USA:

50. New Hampshire

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Both houses of the New Hampshire General Court are controlled by Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $100

Living wage in New Hampshire: $55,103

49. New Mexico

Juan Antonio Labreche/AP Images

Both houses of the New Mexico Legislature are controlled by Democrats.

Average state representative pay: $7,425

Living wage in New Mexico: $48,050

48. Wyoming

Ben Neary/AP Images

Both houses of the Wyoming Legislature are controlled by a supermajority of Republicans.

Average state representative pay: $7,770

Living wage in Wyoming: $47,951

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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SEE ALSO: Here's the salary of every governor in the United States