The Estate Planning Guide Est. 2026

How Much Does an Executor Get Paid in New Hampshire?

Published June 11, 2026 7 min read

Quick answer

New Hampshire pays executors (administrators) 'reasonable' compensation — there is no statutory percentage schedule. Courts look at the time spent, the size and nature of the estate, and customary charges, so fees commonly land around 2%–4% of the estate; a $400,000 estate might run roughly $8,000–$16,000. The estate's attorney is paid separately, and family executors often waive the fee because it is 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 New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire

New Hampshire does not fix executor pay by percentage; the probate court allows the personal representative reasonable compensation for services and reasonable expenses. Reasonableness turns on factors such as the time and effort required, the skill involved, the value and complexity of the assets, and the customary charge for similar work in the area.

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 New Hampshire example

On a $400,000 New Hampshire estate, there is no set formula; a probate court might approve roughly $8,000–$16,000 (about 2%–4%) for ordinary administration, and more where the estate involved a business, real-estate sales, or disputes. The estate's attorney fee is separate.

Statutory vs. “reasonable” — how New Hampshire decides

Because compensation is discretionary, keeping detailed records of hours and tasks is the best way to support a fee; interested parties can object and the probate court decides what is reasonable. Small estates settled through Waiver of Administration (N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. §553:32) involve minimal court supervision.

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. New Hampshire falls into the reasonable camp.

Should a family executor in New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire 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 — New Hampshire courts can approve additional compensation for work beyond routine administration.

Executor fees vs. total probate cost in New Hampshire

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 New Hampshire, read How Much Does Probate Cost in New Hampshire?.

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 New Hampshire, 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 New Hampshire with what executors are paid in other states:

This page explains executor (personal representative) compensation in New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire attorney, and ask a tax professional before waiving or accepting a fee. Sources: New Hampshire Judicial Branch, Circuit Court Probate Division (courts.nh.gov); N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. §553:32 (waiver of administration), N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. Title LVI, Ch. 553 (administrators).

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