Meet the highest-paid White House staffers — and see how much they make
In a recent salary report released by the White House, it has been revealed that some of the highest-paid staffers earn impressive salaries, with top positions reaching up to $225,700 annually. This report, which is required by law to be shared with Congress, sheds light on the financial landscape of the executive office, where senior advisors, legal counsel, and policy directors dominate the list of high earners. While the president of the United States commands a salary of $400,000—a figure that is significantly above the national average income of $69,846 in 2024—many White House staffers still earn salaries that exceed what is typical in the private sector. For comparison, the top 1% of earners in Maryland and Virginia, states bordering Washington, D.C., earn approximately $677,543 and $701,792, respectively.
The report highlights the disparity between public and private sector salaries, where government positions often do not match the lucrative paychecks found in corporate America. However, the salaries of White House staffers are still substantial, particularly for roles that involve critical responsibilities such as immigration policy and legal counsel. For instance, Jacalynne Klopp, a senior immigration advisor, earns the maximum salary possible in the senior executive service at $225,700, while other senior policy advisors and deputy chiefs of staff earn around $195,200. Notable figures such as Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, and Taylor Budowich, who recently transitioned to the private sector, also feature prominently in this high-salary bracket.
The report also reflects the dynamic nature of White House staffing, where individuals frequently transition between roles or leave for positions in the private sector. For example, Mike Waltz, formerly the national security advisor, has moved on to become the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. This fluidity in staffing underscores the competitive nature of these roles and the opportunities available to those who serve in the executive branch. Overall, while the salaries at the White House may not rival those in the private sector, they still represent a significant financial commitment by the government, reflecting the importance of these roles in shaping national policy and governance.
Karoline Leavitt is one of the highest-paid staff members at the White House.
Win McNamee/Getty Images
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
Win McNamee/Getty Images
Role:
Senior immigration advisor
Salary:
$225,700
Klopp, 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
Hu Yousong/Xinhua via Getty Images
Role:
Associate counsel
Salary:
$203,645
According to Mkrtchian’s
LinkedIn
profile, the attorney began working as an advisor for the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission in June 2024.
Brittany Baldwin
Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images
Role:
Senior policy advisor
Salary:
$195,200
Michael James Blair
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Role:
Deputy chief of staff for legislative, political, and public affairs
Salary:
$195,200
Kyser Blakely
A new sign outside the West Wing of the White House marks the entrance to the Oval Office on a snowy evening in Washington, DC, on December 5, 2025.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
Role:
Senior policy advisor
Salary:
$195,200
Taylor Budowich
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Role:
Deputy chief of staff for communications and public liaison and cabinet secretary
Salary:
$195,200
Budowich 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
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Role:
Director of communications
Salary:
$195,200
Elizabeth Cilia
Kevin Carter/Getty Images
Role:
Senior policy advisor
Salary:
$195,200
John Coale
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Role:
Deputy assistant to the president and deputy special envoy to Ukraine
Salary:
$195,200
Blake Deeley
The Washington Post/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Role:
Special assistant to the president and deputy executive director of the National Energy Dominance Council
Salary:
$195,200
William Doffermyre
J. David Ake/Getty Images
Role:
Senior advisor
Salary:
$195,200
In 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
Celal Güne/Anadolu via Getty Images
Role:
Director of the Office of Management and Administration
Salary:
$195,200
Sergio Gor
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Role:
Director of the Office of Presidential Personnel
Salary:
$195,200
In 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
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
Role:
Director of the Domestic Policy Council
Salary:
$195,200
Hayley Harrison
Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP
Role:
Chief of staff to the first lady
Salary:
$195,200
William ‘Beau’ Harrison
MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
Role:
Deputy chief of staff for operations
Salary:
$195,200
Kevin Hassett
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Role:
Assistant to the president for economic policy and director of the National Economic Council
Salary:
$195,200
Tom Homan
SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
Role:
Border czar
Salary:
$195,200
Hope Renee Hudson
Jonathan Ernst/REUTERS
Role:
Advisor
Salary:
$195,200
Joseph Keith Kellogg
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Role:
Special envoy for Ukraine and Russia
Salary:
$195,200
Peter Lake
J. David Ake/Getty Images
Role:
Senior advisor and senior director of power at the National Energy Dominance Council
Salary:
$195,200
Karoline Leavitt
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Role:
White House press secretary
Salary:
$195,200
Nick Luna
Evan Vucci/AP
Role:
Deputy chief of staff for strategic implementation
Salary:
$195,200
Earl G. Matthews
Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call
Role:
Senior associate counsel
Salary:
$195,200
In 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
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Role:
Deputy chief of staff for policy
and Homeland Security advisor
Salary:
$195,200
Peter Navarro
Win McNamee/Getty Images
Role:
Senior counselor for trade and manufacturing
Salary:
$195,200
Dan Scavino
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Role:
Deputy chief of staff
Salary:
$195,200
After 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
Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP
Role:
Staff secretary
Salary:
$195,200
Mike Waltz
Adam Gray/Getty Images
Role:
National security advisor
Salary:
$195,200
After 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
Handout/Getty Images
Role:
Counsel to the president
Salary:
$195,200
Stefanie Wehagen
Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images
Role:
Associate counsel
Salary:
$195,200
Kara Westercamp
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Role:
Associate counsel
Salary:
$195,200
Susan Wiles
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Role:
Chief of staff
Salary:
$195,200
Patrick Witt
Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Chainlink Labs
Role:
Deputy director of the Presidential Council of Advisors for Digital Assets
Salary:
$195,200
Ross Worthington
PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images
Role:
Director of speechwriting
Salary:
$195,200
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