Executive Office Salaries Top Out at $197,200
Employers benchmarking senior pay can compare the disclosed White House tiers against national average earnings of $72,800.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Employment
Live Poll
Do you think top White House staff are paid fairly for public service?
The White House shared salaries of all executive office employees with Congress on July 1, as it is legally required to do. The president's salary is $400,000, and the highest-paid staffers earn $197,200, roughly half the presidential figure.
Why it matters
The disclosure gives a rare, official look at how compensation is structured within the executive office, which employers across the country can use as a reference point for pay bands. Its timing, published as the 2025 wage benchmarks were being discussed, lets operators compare senior-staff pay against national earnings data.
The executive office salary list is an official Congressional filing, with the president earning $400,000 against a 2025 national average of $72,800 from Social Security Administration data. Nine staffers earn $197,200 and three earn $195,200, while the top 1% of earners reached $677,543 in Maryland and $701,792 in Virginia, both in 2025.
The players
White House Executive Office
The administrative arm of the presidency that manages the staff supporting the president's agenda, and the body that files these salary disclosures with Congress.
Social Security Administration
The federal agency that administers retirement and disability programs and publishes national wage statistics used as a benchmark for average earnings.
Congress
The legislative branch that receives the executive office salary disclosure and oversees federal personnel spending.
The details
Federal law requires the White House to report the pay of its executive office staff to Congress, and that report was delivered on July 1. The list shows a tiered structure in which the president is followed by a group of about 34 staffers paid most highly, with the top staffers clustered around $197,200. Marco Rubio and David Sacks each declared a $0 salary from the president's office, which the filing records as a distinct category from paid positions.
Timeline
2025: Social Security Administration reports the average American salary at $72,800, and top 1% earnings are recorded in Maryland and Virginia.
July 1, 2026: The White House shares executive office salaries with Congress.
2026: The highest-paid White House staffers' salary list is published.
Market Landscape
Federal executive office salary disclosures under the statutory reporting requirement give a public, dated benchmark for senior compensation that is rarely available from private employers. The figures sit alongside Social Security Administration wage data, letting operators compare a $197,200 top-tier salary against a $72,800 national average.
Operators setting pay bands for senior roles can use the disclosed $197,200 and $195,200 tiers as a public reference point, weighed against regional wage data. Compensation design decisions should be reviewed with a qualified accountant or employment counsel before any changes.
The takeaway
Pay benchmarks from public filings are a practical input for setting senior compensation, so review them alongside national wage data each year. Track the next annual executive office disclosure to see whether the top-tier salary structure changes.
Further reading
For the broader wage context behind these figures, explore our Employment coverage of how pay benchmarks shape hiring decisions.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Business Insider.
Live Poll
Do you think top White House staff are paid fairly for public service?
