Senedd Members set for £3k pay rise following the 2026 election

Ella Groves, ICNN Senedd Reporter

Senedd Members will see a pay rise of more than £3,000 following the 2026 Senedd election, with salaries up more than £12,000 since 2021.

The Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd has published its final determination for the next Senedd term, completing a multiyear review of the financial support and resources available to members and their staff.

Its final determination is designed to be clearer, more accessible, and transparent – and to support members in carrying out their roles effectively while ensuring value for money.

The base salary for Senedd Members in the 2026/27 term will be £79,817 – up £12,168 from 2020/21.

Members’ base salaries are indexed to annual changes in average Welsh earnings, as published by the ONS each November. For 2026/27, this figure is 4.5%, which equates to an increase of around £3,400 following the election on May 7.

Those who hold an additional office will also receive a secondary amount on top of their base salary, designed to reflect the additional work and responsibilities taken on with the role.

The First Minister receives the highest additional salary at an extra £94,783 on top of the base salary, which brings their total salary to £174,600 for the seventh Senedd term – an increase of more than £25,000 since 2020/21.

The presiding officer, or the Llywydd, also receives an additional salary. For 2026/27 this will stand at £51,132, taking their total salary to £130,949.

Government ministers, deputy ministers, counsel general, deputy presiding officer, Senedd commissioners, committee chairs, business committee members, and the group leaders, will  also receive an additional salary.

Notably, a Senedd Member who holds more than one additional office will only receive one additional office salary – and it will be the highest paid of those roles.

Dr Elizabeth Haywood, the chair of the Independent Remuneration Board, said: “Our aim throughout has been to ensure that members and their staff have the right remuneration and support to meet the demands of a changing Senedd. 

“Members play a vital role in our democracy and we provide staffing and business costs so they are able to do their job in holding the government to account, making Welsh laws, agreeing Welsh taxes and engaging with and representing their constituents.

“The determination offers the flexibility required to respond to the Senedd’s future needs, along with proportionate safeguards and clear structures to ensure the system remains transparent, robust and sustainable.

“Our decisions seek to maintain accountability and represent value for money for the taxpayer, set in the context of the wider financial circumstances of Wales.”

The Board confirmed its decisions on Members’ and staff pay for the seventh Senedd in July last year.

The Determination on Members’ Pay, Staffing and Business Support 2026-27 is available on the Board’s website.