Members of the Connecticut General Assembly earn $28,000 a year by statute, but more than half of them have leadership titles raising average salaries in the House by $3,000 and in the Senate by nearly $5,500.
None of the 36 senators get paid the base salary. Chairmen and ranking members of committees earn additional pay and since there are 26 committees all senators get at least one top spot.
There are more leaders in the Connecticut Senate than in the U.S. Senate, which has nearly three times as many members.
More than two-thirds of House members earn more than their base salary.
Last year, excess payments to legislators cost $686,405. Leadership in the 2011 session cost more than $640,000 and in the 2009 session it cost $702,411.