Meet the highest-paid White House staffers — and see how much they make

Karoline Leavitt is one of the highest-paid staff members at the White House. Win McNamee/Getty Images 2025-12-10T13:53:01.270Z Share Facebook Email X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky WhatsApp Copy link lighning bolt icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.

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The White House salary report shows its top-paid staffers earn up to $225,700 annually. Senior advisors, legal counsel, and policy directors are among the highest earners listed. Government salaries can fall below private sector pay but far exceed the national average income. Working at the White House might be one of the most exclusive and prestigious jobs in America, but you'd be surprised by how much some of the people around the president make each year.For starters, having the top job — that is, being the president of the United States — brings in a salary of $400,000, which some independently wealthy presidents, such as John F. Kennedy, Herbert Hoover, and Donald Trump, have chosen to donate instead. While the figure is significantly higher than what the average American makes — $69,846 in 2024, according to the Social Security Administration — it's also less than you would need to be in the top 1% of earners across all US states.In 2025, the top 1% of earners in Maryland and Virginia, which border the District of Columbia, make an annual $677,543 and $701,792, respectively.Government salaries can often fall behind what professionals make in the private sector, as serving the public isn't quite as lucrative as maximizing shareholder value. Still, to say that those working at the White House are underpaid would be an overstatement. On July 1, the White House shared with Congress the salaries of all employees inside the president's executive office, including aides, advisors, and staff leaders, as it is legally required to.Some of the highest-compensated workers around the president include policy advisors and legal counsel, while others are responsible for the president's communications and personnel management. Lower-paid roles include research assistants and press assistants.A few at the top of the White House's payroll at the time of the list's reporting to Congress have since left their roles, like Taylor Budowich, who went to work for the private sector, or moved around the government, like Mike Waltz, who began acting as the US ambassador to the United Nations after being dismissed from his role as national security advisor. Other notable names, like Marco Rubio and David Sacks, declared a $0 salary from the office of the president due to either forgoing their salary or receiving compensation from other branches of government.The White House did not respond to a request for comment. See the 35 people who get paid the most inside the White House, after the president himself.

Jacalynne Klopp Jacalynne Klopp is the highest earner on the White House's payroll. Win McNamee/Getty Images Role: Senior immigration advisorSalary: $225,700Klopp, who earns the maximum salary possible in the senior executive service, is a top advisor to border czar Tom Homan and has worked in the government for over 17 years, including roles at the Department of Homeland Security and in Immigration and Customs Enforcement's enforcement and removal operations, Fortune reported.

Edgar Mkrtchian Edgar Mkrtchian provides counsel to the president and is the second-highest-paid staff member at the White House. Hu Yousong/Xinhua via Getty Images Role: Associate counselSalary: $203,645According to Mkrtchian's LinkedIn profile, the attorney began working as an advisor for the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission in June 2024.

Brittany Baldwin Baldwin served as a speechwriter during Trump's first term. Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images Role: Senior policy advisorSalary: $195,200 Michael James Blair James Blair is Trump's deputy chief of staff for legislative, political, and public affairs. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Role: Deputy chief of staff for legislative, political, and public affairsSalary: $195,200 Kyser Blakely The West Wing of the White House. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images Role: Senior policy advisorSalary: $195,200 Taylor Budowich Trump's deputy chief of staff for communications and public liaison left the post in October. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Role: Deputy chief of staff for communications and public liaison and cabinet secretarySalary: $195,200Budowich left his role at the White House to work in the private sector in October. Neither Budowich nor the White House commented publicly on his departure.In February, he was named in a lawsuit by the Associated Press over his move to block the outlet's access to the Oval Office and Air Force One after they refused to adopt Trump's naming of the Gulf of America.In response, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who was also named in the lawsuit, said, "We feel we are in the right in this position. We're going to ensure that truth and accuracy is present at that White House every single day."The case is ongoing.

Steven Cheung Steven Cheung is Trump's director of communications during his second term. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Role: Director of communicationsSalary: $195,200 Elizabeth Cilia Elizabeth Cilia previously served as an analyst for the Department of Defense, per LinkedIn. Kevin Carter/Getty Images Role: Senior policy advisorSalary: $195,200 John Coale Coale previously worked as a lawyer for the president. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images Role: Deputy assistant to the president and deputy special envoy to UkraineSalary: $195,200 Blake Deeley Trump established the National Energy Dominance Council via executive order in February.

The Washington Post/The Washington Post via Getty Images Role: Special assistant to the president and deputy executive director of the National Energy Dominance CouncilSalary: $195,200 William Doffermyre William Doffermyre served as a senior advisor for the National Energy Dominance Council. J. David Ake/Getty Images Role: Senior advisorSalary: $195,200In October, Doffermyre began serving as the solicitor for the US Department of the Interior after being a senior advisor to the president for the first months of his second presidency.

Joshua Fisher In February, Joshua Fisher declared in court that Elon Musk was not in charge of DOGE. The department is located in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, pictured above. Celal Güne/Anadolu via Getty Images Role: Director of the Office of Management and AdministrationSalary: $195,200 Sergio Gor Gor became the US ambassador to India in October. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images Role: Director of the Office of Presidential PersonnelSalary: $195,200In August, the president nominated Gor, who was then serving as the director of the Office of Presidential Personnel, as the US ambassador to India, and he was sworn into the role in November.

Vince Haley Haley serves as the Director of the Domestic Policy Council. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin Role: Director of the Domestic Policy CouncilSalary: $195,200 Hayley Harrison Hayley Harrison (right) is Melania Trump's Chief of Staff. Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP Role: Chief of staff to the first ladySalary: $195,200 William 'Beau' Harrison Harrison (right) worked as an aide in the first Trump administration, where he met his future wife Hayley Harrison. MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images Role: Deputy chief of staff for operationsSalary: $195,200 Kevin Hassett Hassett is the current director of the National Economic Council Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Role: Assistant to the president for economic policy and director of the National Economic CouncilSalary: $195,200 Tom Homan Tom Homan serves as Trump's border czar and has led the president's mass deportation efforts. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images Role: Border czarSalary: $195,200 Hope Renee Hudson Hope Renee Hudson (left) is married to North Carolina Republican Rep. Richard Hudson (second from left). Jonathan Ernst/REUTERS Role: AdvisorSalary: $195,200 Joseph Keith Kellogg Kellogg has been a key character in negotiating a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Role: Special envoy for Ukraine and RussiaSalary: $195,200 Peter Lake Peter Lake is the senior director of power at the National Energy Dominance Council. J. David Ake/Getty Images Role: Senior advisor and senior director of power at the National Energy Dominance CouncilSalary: $195,200 Karoline Leavitt The White House press secretary is among the highest-paid staff members. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Role: White House press secretarySalary: $195,200 Nick Luna Luna serves as Trump's deputy chief of staff for strategic implementation during his second term. Evan Vucci/AP Role: Deputy chief of staff for strategic implementationSalary: $195,200 Earl G. Matthews Matthews now serves as General Counsel of the Department of War. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call Role: Senior associate counselSalary: $195,200In July, Matthews was sworn in as general counsel of the Department of War after serving as senior associate counsel to the president during the first months of his second term.

Stephen Miller Stephen Miller serves as Trump's Homeland Security Advisor. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images Role: Deputy chief of staff for policy and Homeland Security advisorSalary: $195,200 Peter Navarro Navarro serves as Trump's senior counselor for trade and manufacturing. Win McNamee/Getty Images Role: Senior counselor for trade and manufacturingSalary: $195,200 Dan Scavino Scavino was appointed as Trump's head of personnel in October. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Role: Deputy chief of staffSalary: $195,200After Sergio Gor was confirmed as the US ambassador to India in October, Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino took over as the White House's director of personnel.

Will Scharf Scharf serves as the White House staff secretary under the second Trump administration. Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP Role: Staff secretarySalary: $195,200 Mike Waltz Waltz began acting as the US Ambassador to the United Nations in September. Adam Gray/Getty Images Role: National security advisorSalary: $195,200After the leak of Signal chats discussing US strikes in Yemen, the national security advisor was dismissed from his role and announced as the 32nd United States ambassador to the United Nations, a role he assumed in September.

David Warrington David Warrington provides legal counsel to the president. Handout/Getty Images Role: Counsel to the presidentSalary: $195,200 Stefanie Wehagen Attorney Stefanie Wehagen provides legal counsel to the president, pictured. Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images Role: Associate counselSalary: $195,200 Kara Westercamp Kara Westercamp previously worked at the Department of Justice for over a decade. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Role: Associate counselSalary: $195,200 Susan Wiles Susan Wiles is Trump's chief of staff during his second term. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Role: Chief of staffSalary: $195,200 Patrick Witt The former football quarterback serves as Trump's crypto advisor. Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Chainlink Labs Role: Deputy director of the Presidential Council of Advisors for Digital AssetsSalary: $195,200 Ross Worthington Ross Worthington is Trump's Director of Speechwriting. PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images Role: Director of speechwritingSalary: $195,200