Canadian provincial politicians took substantially bigger salaries than American state representatives in 2025, according to a new report from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

“Nova Scotia MLAs are among the highest-paid politicians in North America and they’re not delivering better results,” said Devin Drover, CTF Atlantic Director. “Giving bigger paycheques to politicians doesn’t lead to better outcomes for taxpayers.”

The median Canadian provincial politician made nearly three times the salary of the median American state representative at $113,637 and $45,002 respectively, according to the report.

Nova Scotia MLAs earn a base salary of $115,000, more than double the median American state representative and above the median Canadian provincial politician. Meanwhile, Nova Scotia has one of the highest combined top marginal tax rates of any province or state in Canada and the United States.

While MLAs are paid significantly more than most of their American peers, the province’s economy is not keeping pace. Nova Scotia ranks near the bottom of Canadian provinces for GDP per capita.

“Provincial politicians are among the highest-paid in North America while charging families some of the highest taxes on the continent,” said Drover. “Bigger salaries aren’t motivating politicians to leave more money in the pockets of taxpayers.”

Despite this, Nova Scotia MLAs voted themselves a 29 per cent pay raise in 2025. The base MLA salary jumped from $89,234 to $115,000. The premier’s top-up rose from $101,545 to $115,748, and top-ups for the Speaker, ministers and opposition leader increased by more than $14,000 to $63,250.

“The last thing MLAs should be doing is lining their pockets with more taxpayer cash,” said Drover. “Nova Scotians pay some of the highest taxes in North America and deserve politicians focused on lowering their bills, not padding their own paycheques.”

To view the CTF’s full Subnational Politician Pay Report, click HERE.