The director of the New Hampshire State Police, who already got a pay bump earlier this year, secured a second raise on Wednesday that’s set to take effect before 2026 arrives.
Colonel Mark B. Hall, who has been State Police director for a little over two years, was unanimously approved by the Executive Council to begin earning an annual salary of about $171,300 later this month. That is 25.7 percent higher than what he was earning a year ago.
Department of Safety Commissioner Robert L. Quinn said the increase is needed to resolve a disparity between Hall’s salary and that of a lieutenant colonel who works under him. Quinn cited a provision of state law that authorizes compensation above the typical statutory maximum if an unclassified employee’s salary would otherwise be less than that of a subordinate classified employee.
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In this case, Hall’s raise is designed to keep his salary $1,000 higher than that of Lieutenant Colonel Matthew S. Shapiro, who is serving as State Police executive major. (The council has used this mechanism for other positions this year as well.)
Hall actually saw his overall pay dip a bit after he transitioned into the top State Police job. In 2022, when he was a captain, Hall was paid about $132,000, counting overtime, holiday pay, and more, according to TransparentNH records. Two years later, as director in 2024, he was paid about $129,900, all regular pay.
That said, in switching from a classified position to his unclassified post in 2023, Hall was able to cash out the unused paid time off he had accrued. That contributed to a payout of more than $72,000, which resulted in his being paid a total of about $216,100 that year, according to records from the New Hampshire Department of Administrative Services.
Hall didn’t respond this week to a request for comment from The Boston Globe about his raise, though a spokesperson for the Department of Safety provided information in response to questions.
Other updates from the State House:
- Republican lawmakers tried to salvage their 2025 legislation that Governor Kelly Ayotte vetoed, but every single override vote failed. (Read more)
- In the wake of a deadly shooting at Brown University, state lawmakers are calling for 2026 legislation to override gun-free policies on New Hampshire campuses. (Read more)
This story appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, a free newsletter focused on New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles elsewhere. To receive it via email Monday through Friday, sign up here.
Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.
