Mike Pence

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence speaks to local media after a luncheon with local business leaders hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013, at the DoubleTree by Hilton in downtown South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/South Bend Tribune, James Brosher) (James Brosher / AP / February 20, 2013)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Gov. Mike Pence's annual salary of $111,687 is the highest ever for an Indiana chief executive.

Former Gov. Mitch Daniels earned $95,000 when he took office in 2005. Lawmakers then changed a law to increase the governor's salary at the beginning of every term by the average amount of increases received by state employees the previous four years.

State Auditor Tim Berry tells The Journal Gazette (http://bit.ly/Z2ykt7 ) that Daniels was eligible to take a pay raise to nearly $108,000 at the beginning of his second term in 2009 but he didn't take it because state employee salaries were frozen at the time.

Pence isn't the highest earner in his own office, though. His chief of staff makes about $125,000. Other state and legislative employees also have higher salaries.