The Estate Planning Guide Est. 2026

How Much Does an Executor Get Paid in Hawaii?

Published June 11, 2026 6 min read

Quick answer

Hawaii uses no statutory percentage — a personal representative is entitled to 'reasonable compensation' under HRS §560:3-719, judged by the size and complexity of the estate, the time spent, and the representative's skill. Typical fees run about 2–4% of the estate, so on a $500,000 estate that points to roughly $10,000–$20,000, with no fixed schedule. The estate's attorney is paid separately, and family executors often waive the fee because it counts as taxable income.

⚠️ Educational information only — not legal, tax, or financial advice.

The figures on this page are general estimates. Laws, fees, thresholds, and prices differ by state and change often, and your own situation may change the result. Before you act, confirm the current numbers and rules for Hawaii with a licensed professional — an attorney, tax advisor, or licensed agent as appropriate. Reading this page does not create a professional relationship.

What an executor gets paid in Hawaii

HRS §560:3-719 entitles a personal representative to reasonable compensation for services. If a will fixes the compensation, the representative may renounce that provision and instead take reasonable compensation, and may also renounce the fee entirely by written filing. There is no percentage schedule; reasonableness turns on the estate's size and complexity, time spent, and skill required.

The executor (in some states called the personal representative) is the person who settles the estate — gathering assets, paying debts and taxes, and distributing what’s left. The fee is their compensation for that work, paid out of the estate before the beneficiaries receive their shares.

A Hawaii example

On a $500,000 Hawaii estate there is no statutory percentage; a personal representative's fee of about 2–4% ($10,000–$20,000) would be typical for ordinary administration, subject to court review under HRS §560:3-721.

Statutory vs. “reasonable” — how Hawaii decides

Under HRS §560:3-721 any interested person may petition the court to review the reasonableness of the personal representative's (or attorney's) compensation, and the court can order a refund of any excessive amount already paid.

A quick map of how states handle this: some (like California, New York, Florida, and Ohio) set the fee by a statutory percentage; others (like Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Michigan) use a “reasonable compensation” standard with no fixed schedule. Hawaii falls into the reasonable camp.

Should a family executor in Hawaii even take the fee?

Here’s the part most guides skip. An executor’s fee is taxable income to the person who receives it. An inheritance, by contrast, is not taxed as income to the beneficiary.

So when the executor is also a main beneficiary — a spouse or child inheriting most of the estate — taking the fee often makes no sense. The same dollars come to them either way, but the fee is taxed and the inheritance isn’t. In that situation, many Hawaii executors simply waive the commission and take their inheritance instead.

Taking the fee usually makes sense when:

  • The executor is not a beneficiary (or only a small one), so waiving wouldn’t get them the money anyway.
  • The work is unusually heavy — a contested estate, a business to wind down, property to sell.
  • The executor is in a lower tax bracket than the bracket the inheritance would otherwise sit in (rare, but possible).

There’s no obligation to take the maximum — or to take anything. It’s a choice, and in Hawaii it’s often a tax decision more than anything else.

What the fee does and doesn’t cover

The commission compensates the executor for ordinary administration. Two things to keep separate:

  • The attorney’s fee is separate. The estate’s lawyer is paid on top of the executor’s commission — and in some states (California is the clearest example) the attorney is entitled to the same statutory amount as the executor, effectively doubling the statutory cost.
  • Extraordinary work can be billed extra. Selling real estate, running a business, handling litigation or a tax audit — Hawaii courts can approve additional compensation for work beyond routine administration.

Executor fees vs. total probate cost in Hawaii

The executor’s fee is only one line on the probate bill. Court costs, the attorney’s fee, appraisals, bonds, and publication all add up on top of it. To see the full picture for Hawaii, read How Much Does Probate Cost in Hawaii?.

And remember: assets that avoid probate entirely — through a funded living trust, beneficiary designations, or joint ownership — generally pay no executor commission at all, because they never pass through the estate the executor administers.

The honest takeaway

In Hawaii, an executor is entitled to compensation for real work — and they should be paid for it when they’ve earned it and aren’t already inheriting the money. But if you’re the executor and the main heir, run the simple comparison first: the fee is taxable; your inheritance isn’t. Often the smartest move is to waive the commission and take your share.

If you’re choosing an executor, pick someone trustworthy and organized over someone who’ll charge the most — and consider keeping assets in a trust or beneficiary designations where you can, so less of the estate runs through a fee-charging probate at all.

Executor fees in other states

Compare Hawaii with what executors are paid in other states:

This page explains executor (personal representative) compensation in Hawaii in general terms as of 2026. It is not legal or tax advice; fee rules, statutes, and figures change and depend on your situation. Confirm current rules with a licensed Hawaii attorney, and ask a tax professional before waiving or accepting a fee. Sources: Hawaii State Judiciary (courts.state.hi.us); HRS §560:3-719 (compensation of personal representative), HRS §560:3-721 (review of employment and compensation).

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