I don't make as much money as a lot of people

Good thing, too. I don't think I could handle it:

You have to poke way down the list of best paid Washington state employees to find Gov. Chris Gregoire's name.

The higher education Top 100, for instance, is headed by the University of Washington president and everyone on the list makes more than $200,000 a year. On a separate Top 100 of other state employees, Gregoire, the head of government, ranks 29th, with a salary of $151,000 last year.

It turns out that some high-demand college professors and administrators, medical professionals who care for state clients or teach, money managers and a handful of government administrators make the big bucks....

Three of Gregoire's cabinet earns more than she. Doug MacDonald, soon to depart as transportation secretary, ranks No. 12, with pay of $163,000. Budget Director Victor Moore and Robin Arnold-Williams, secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services, are at No. 17 and 18, both earning about $158,000.

After all, as Spiderman warned, with great cash comes great responsibility.

Update: Number One in "general government" says she's really not number one:

Dr. Willa Michelle Terry is on contract with the Department of Social and Health Services for $60 a hour as a consultant. She also works for the University of Washington....

“The point is that in no way have I ever made so much money - since January of '07 when I started the medical consultant position I have worked on average 6.5 hours per week at approximately $60 per hour - so projecting forward my salary … will be more than $100,000 less than published,” she said in an email exchange with financial office and the media Tuesday.