Did you know that jobs in politics – even the highest-level ones – are not the most lucrative? However, they will keep you comfortable. Because American taxpayers cover the paychecks of elected officials in the U.S., the salaries of people holding public office are all public record. Take a look at how much the White House staff made when Trump was in office and during Obama’s last year as President. You might be surprised by some of the pay information for people who currently work or have worked at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Keep reading to find out who earned nothing while working at the White House.
The Salaries Of White House Employees
Donald Trump (President) — $400,000
The financial perks of holding the highest office in the nation are pretty nice. The most obvious one is the annual salary of $400,000. According to CNBC, aside from that tidy sum, other benefits that the president gets are an annual expense allowance of $50,000, a travel account worth $100,000, and $19,000 for entertainment. When George W. Bush became president in 2001, he earned this amount. The presidents who came after him also received the same amount.
Donald Trump (President) — $400,000
Mike Pence (Vice President) — $230,700
Since 2010, the annual salary of the vice president of the U.S. has been $230,700. In 2019, there were talks about giving Mike Pence a slight raise. That would’ve given him $243,500 annually. However, that bump was frozen due to the government shutdown which was happening during that time. Joking about the freeze, the veep said that he’s thrifty and that he goes for buy one get one suits. Nevertheless, his paycheck is still respectable.
Mike Pence (Vice President) — $230,700
Mick Mulvaney (Acting Chief Of Staff) — $203,500
It is not easy being the president’s chief of staff but the job does come with a generous salary. When Mick Mulvaney still held the position, he was one of the few White House employees who made more than $200,000 a year. Starting his White House job in the early part of 2019, he was the third person to serve as chief of staff since President Trump took office. During Obama’s eight years as president, he had five people in the role. Denis McDonough was one of them and he earned $176,461 in 2016.
Mick Mulvaney (Acting Chief Of Staff) — $203,500
Peter Navarro (Assistant To The President For Trade And Manufacturing Policy) — $183,000
In Trump’s White House, there are 22 different employees who receive an annual salary of $183,000. Peter Navarro is one of them. In terms of trade and manufacturing policy, the president’s top man is the Harvard-educated Navarro, who has been a member of the cabinet since Trump took office. Navarro is the director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy. Trump established the office in 2017, so Navarro has no predecessor.
Peter Navarro (Assistant To The President For Trade And Manufacturing Policy) — $183,000
Lindsay Reynolds (Chief Of Staff To The First Lady) — $183,000
A nice paycheck awaits the person who leads the staff of the president’s spouse. Since 2017, Lindsay Reynolds has been Melania Trump’s chief of staff. Reynolds previously worked as associate director of the Visitors Office in George W. Bush’s White House. The staff of the current first lady consists of 12 employees, and they all fall under Reynolds’ leadership. When Obama was president, Christina Tchen was Michelle Obama’s chief of staff and she earned $176,461 a year.
Lindsay Reynolds (Chief Of Staff To The First Lady) — $183,000
Andrew Olmem (Deputy Director Of The National Economic Council) — $168,000
In 1993, the National Economic Council was created. It provides leadership in every aspect of economic policy. In Trump’s White House, there are a number of employees that hold the position Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy. They earn at least $120,000 a year. However, National Economic Council deputy director Andrew Olmem receives an annual salary of $168,000. In Obama’s administration, Jason Miller had the same job and made $149,654 in 2016.
Andrew Olmem (Deputy Director Of The National Economic Council) — $168,000
Larry Kudlow (Director Of The National Economic Council) — $183,000
It is indicated in the White House salary report that Larry Kudlow holds the position assistant to the president for economic policy. Since April 2018, however, he has been the National Economic Council director. He actually worked at the White House in President Reagan’s administration. He was also a host on CNBC. For directing the president’s economic policies, he earns an annual salary of $183,000. Jeff Zients, on the other hand, was paid $176,461 a year for the same job in Obama’s White House.
Larry Kudlow (Director Of The National Economic Council) — $183,000
Roger L. Stone (Director Of White House Information Technology) — $168,000
An amazing information technology staff is definitely an asset in the workplace. The current IT director at the White House makes $168,000 a year. Since February 2019, Roger L. Stone has held that job after Chris Herndon resigned. Obama created the position, so it is among the newer White House jobs. In the Obama administration, David Recordon held the position in 2016. He made $121,752 for his work ensuring the office’s tech ran smoothly.
Roger L. Stone (Director Of White House Information Technology) — $168,000
Bethany Pritchard (Director Of White House Travel Office) — $92,400
We think this job should pay a bit more. Some of the things that the director of the travel office at the White House does is to book travel and accommodations for the White House press corps. These people accompany officials on trips. The director also receives payment from various media outlets. Currently, the position is held by Bethany Pritchard, who took over in April 2019. She joined the Trump administration in 2017 as a staff assistant. For the same job, Ashley Tate-Gilmore got paid $77,625 in 2016 under Obama.
Bethany Pritchard (Director Of White House Travel Office) — $92,400
Dominique Dansky Bari (Director Of Stenography) — $95,500
Apparently, political alignment does not drive this position. The White House director of stenography is Dominique Dansky Bari. She started working at the White House in 2014 as deputy director of stenography, and landed her current job in 2017. She has to manage the official stenographers of the White House. They are responsible to taking notes on every meeting and delivering transcripts to the press following official events. Margaret Suntum was the director of stenography in the Obama administration and she was paid $117,846 in 2016. This means the job took a pay cut.
Dominique Dansky Bari (Director Of Stenography) — $95,500
Rickie Niceta (Social Secretary) — $168,000
According to the Washington Post, the “least controversial” job at the White House is the social secretary position. The role entails planning the many social events which the White House hosts and executing these plans. First lady Melania Trump hired Anna “Rickie” Niceta for the job because Niceta has two decades of experience planning events. Niceta earns $168,000 a year. Under Obama, Deesha Dyer got paid the $119,723 in 2016.
Rickie Niceta (Social Secretary) — $168,000
Stephanie Grisham (Press Secretary) — $183,000
One of the White House staff members with the highest pay is the president’s mouthpiece for the media. Perhaps you hadn’t noticed but it is a really tough gig to be the press secretary. Since Trump took office, there have been four different people who held the position. In 2017, Sean Spicer abruptly resigned. Sarah Huckabee Sanders took over but in 2019, she also abruptly resigned. Stephanie Grisham landed the job in July 2019 but she left less than a year in. The current press secretary is Kayleigh McEnany. In 2016, Josh Earnest made $176,461 under Obama.
Stephanie Grisham (Press Secretary) — $183,000
Ivanka Trump And Jared Kushner (Advisor To The President And Senior Advisor) — $0
People have praised President Trump for keeping the White House payroll lean. Ivanka Trump (his daughter) holds the official title of advisor to the president and Jared Kushner (her husband) is senior advisor, so they are both in the salary report. However, a nice, round $0 is next to their names since both have opted to forgo their salary for their role. They may be two of the president’s closest advisors but they earn nothing doing this job.
Ivanka Trump And Jared Kushner (Advisor To The President And Senior Advisor) — $0
Molly Michael (Executive Assistant To The President) — $120,000
Several jobs are under the Oval Office operations. Among the most important ones is Molly Michael’s job. She is the executive assistant of the president. Her appointment came in the early part of 2019. For essentially being the president’s right-hand woman, she earns an annual salary of $120,000. In Trump’s administration, seven other people serve as executive assistant. Each of them makes around $48,000 to $58,200 per year. Molly Michael also served as coordinator for Oval Office Operations.
Molly Michael (Executive Assistant To The President) — $120,000
John Bolton (Assistant To The President For National Security Affairs) — $183,000
The $183k club had another member – John Bolton. He was Trump’s national security advisor. He resigned from the post in September 2019. The job entails reporting to the president about matters of national security. Aside from that, the advisor has to serve on the advisory body which produces sensitive intelligence information and is known as the National Security Council. In the Obama administration, Susan Rice held the same position in 2016. She made $176,461 per year.
John Bolton (Assistant To The President For National Security Affairs) — $183,000
Anne LeHardy (Director Of Media Operations For The Office Of The First Lady) — $72,700
The East Wing or the Office of the First Lady gets its own staff as well. This includes communications officials. Melania Trump’s communications coordinator Anne LeHardy was hired in 2018. She had previously worked in the private sector. In 2019, it was indicated in the White House salary report that she was the director of media operations and was paid $72,700. In the Obama White House, nobody had this exact title but Joanna Rosholm, Michelle Obama’s deputy communications director in 2016, made $78,124 per year.
Anne LeHardy (Director Of Media Operations For The Office Of The First Lady) — $72,700
Lee Ann Clark (Chief Calligrapher) — $99,400
We bet that you did not expect that calligraphy would be so lucrative in 2019. The White House currently has three calligraphers on staff. The lowest-paid calligrapher earns $72,800 a year while the chief calligrapher, Lee Ann Clark, makes a tidy $99,400. Her beautiful writing adorns official invitations, programs, certificates, name cards, and other documents. In 2016, there were three calligraphers in Obama’s White House as well. The top scribe was paid $100,110.
Lee Ann Clark (Chief Calligrapher) — $99,400
Sean Doocey (Director Of Presidential Personnel) — $168,000
Some of the responsibilities of the Presidential Personnel Office include vetting possible candidates for a position that needs to be filled and making recommendations for potential candidates. Sean Doocey, the current director of the PPO, makes $168,000 a year. He showed his position’s power by shooting down the recommendations of two candidates that Trump wanted to be secretary of Homeland Security. Rodin Mehrbani made $172,200 for the same job in 2016 under Obama.
Sean Doocey (Director Of Presidential Personnel) — $168,000
Frank Walsh (Ethics Counsel) — $151,633
As it turns out, providing the president legal advice on matters of ethics is worth quite a lot. There are two attorneys on Trump’s staff and they are listed as ethics counsel. Georgetown law graduate Frank Walsh is the highest-earning. He was a former judge advocate for the Army Reserve and ethics counsel for the Agency for International Development. There were also two ethics counsel attorneys in Obama’s White House. In 2016, the highest-paid one made $123,406.
Frank Walsh (Ethics Counsel) — $151,633
Jessica Ditto (Deputy Director of Communications) — $168,000
An important part of a political office, particularly the White House, is the communications staff. Jessica Ditto was deputy director of communications from the time Trump took office in 2017 until March 2020. She also worked for Trump in his campaign in 2016. She earned $168,000 as deputy director, while Adam Kennedy made $158,000 with the same job title. In Obama’s White House, the director of communications was Jennifer Psaki, who was paid $174,714 in 2016.
Jessica Ditto (Deputy Director of Communications) — $168,000
Dana Hurtik (Acting Director Of White House Visitors Office) — $95,800
Since it is one of the world’s most famous residences, the White House gets many tourists every year. Hosting tours and maintaining the facility are responsibilities of the Visitors Office. Since 2017, Dana Hurtik has been serving as the White House Visitors Office director. As of 2019, she earned $95,800 per year. In the Obama administration, Ellie Schafer held the same job. For her efforts, she was paid $116,679 in 2016.
Dana Hurtik (Acting Director Of White House Visitors Office) — $95,800
Samuel Brown (Senior Videographer) — $72,700
There is a lot to get on video if you work at the White House. The Trump administration employs two videographers. Samuel Brown is the senior videographer on the White House staff and earns $72,700 a year. Another videographer makes $64,400 annually. In Obama’s administration, there was only one videographer on staff, Hope Hall. For her work capturing the president’s biggest moments on film, she got paid $76,095 in 2016.
Samuel Brown (Senior Videographer) — $72,700
Brittany Baldwin And Theodore Royer (Speechwriter) — $120,000
Four speechwriters are on Trump’s staff. Two of them are Theodore Royer and Brittany Baldwin, and they are the highest-paid ones, earning $120,000 a year. They each get that paycheck for their work in making sure that the president can deliver thoughtful remarks at his numerous speaking engagements. In comparison, there were nine speechwriters on staff in Obama’s White House. As of 2016, their annual salaries range from $42,613 to $176,461.
Brittany Baldwin And Theodore Royer (Speechwriter) — $120,000
Hannah Zakaria (West Wing Receptionist) — $48,800
Searching through the 2019 White House payroll report, you would find 60 staffers who earned less than $50,000 per year. One of them was Hannah Zakaria, the West Wing’s receptionist, which is an unenviable position if you ask us. She started out as an intern in September 2018. About three months later, she landed her current job. Leah Katz-Hernandez was Obama’s West Wing receptionist in 2016. She was paid $48,000.
Hannah Zakaria (West Wing Receptionist) — $48,800
Kellyanne Conway (Assistant To The President And Senior Counselor) — $183,000
There were other White House staffers who served as assistant to the president. However, only Kellyanne Conway was also the senior counselor. She had been with Trump ever since the beginning of his campaign and she was rewarded for her effort. Her annual salary was $183,000. In Obama’s White House, nobody was listed as senior counselor. However, Trump clearly values Conway’s role as her pay is one of the highest among the members of his staff.
Kellyanne Conway (Assistant To The President And Senior Counselor) — $183,000
John Czwartacki (Senior Adviser to the Chief of Staff for Strategy & Stakeholder Engagement) – $239,595
Usually, bosses make more than their assistants in the federal government, but there are exceptions. John Czwartacki earns $239,595 per year as the chief of staff’s senior adviser for strategy and stakeholder engagement. As a matter of fact, he is currently the highest-paid White House staffer. He works at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as its chief communications officer. He started his job there in April 2018. At the CFPB, the top pay grade is more than what most Cabinet secretaries get.
John Czwartacki
Stephen Miller (Senior Advisor for Policy) – $183,000
Aside from being assistant to the president, Stephen Miller also has the title of senior advisor for policy. He gets paid $183,000 a year. The first State of the Union address that Trump delivered was actually written by Miller. The tough stance of Trump’s administration on immigration policy is attributed to Miller, who has also pushed Trump’s agenda of building a wall at the Mexican border. Many people refer to Miller as Trump’s right-hand man.
Stephen Miller
Sarah Huckabee Sanders (Former Press Secretary) – $183,000
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the former press secretary, made $183,000 per year, but she left her post in 2019 and Stephanie Grisham took over. Sanders used to be the White House public voice. However, she is known for having admitted to investigators that she made false statements even if she had known they were not true. Sanders started out as White House Deputy Secretary in January 2017 and replaced Sean Spicer as press secretary when he resigned in July 2017.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Mercedes Schlapp (Senior Advisor for Strategic Communications) – $183,000
Mercedes Schlapp started working at the White House in 2017. She joined the communications team and made $183,000 a year. She left her job in July 2019 to focus on Trump’s re-election campaign. Schlapp has experience working on political campaigns, both local and national, like George W. Bush’s presidential campaigns in 2000 and 2004. She was also a member of his White House staff, serving as the Director of Specialty Media.
Mercedes Schlapp
Brooke Rollins (Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives) – $183,000
Brooke Rollins is a prison reform activist. She works with President Trump in applying various “private sector solutions to the nation’s problems”. As the assistant to the President for strategic initiatives, she earned $183,000 a year. In May 2020, she started serving as the director of the U.S. Domestic Policy Council. She previously served as policy director, ethics advisor, and deputy general counsel to the governor of Texas, Rick Perry.
Brooke Rollins
Pasquale Cipollone (Counsel to the President) – $183,000
Advising the President on various legal matters, Pasquale Cipollone gets paid $183,000 per year. Cipollone took over as White House counsel when Don McGahn resigned. There were reports that McGahn decided to leave when he heard that he would be used as a scapegoat by the White House if Trump were charged with obstruction of justice. Aside from that, McGhan did not agree to prosecuting James Comey and Hillary Clinton.
Pasquale Cipollone
Emma Doyle (Deputy Chief of Staff) – $183,000
Assistant to the President Emma Doyle was also the deputy chief of staff at the White House and she made $183,000 a year. In her early 30s, Doyle was among the youngest White House staff members. When Mick Mulvaney was the Office of Management and Budget director, she worked as his chief of staff. Aside from that she was also his legislative assistant during his time at the House of Representatives.
Emma Doyle
Madeleine Westerhout (Director of Oval Office Operations) – $145,000
Former oval office operations director and special assistant to the President Madeleine Westerhout earned $145,000 a year. In 2017, she started working at the White House as President Trump’s special assistant. Back then, she made $95,000 a year. However, she was fired in August 2019 after Trump learned that she had shared with reporters details of the First Family as well as Oval Office operations during a dinner that was off the record.
Madeleine Westerhout
Nicole Frazier (Director of Strategic Partnerships & African American Outreach) – $106,000
As the director of African American outreach, Nicole Frazier makes $106,000 per year. She succeeded Henry Childs II in 2019. He replaced Omarosa Manigault Newman when she was fired in 2017. Frazier was previously a regional director for the U.S. senator Cory Gardner. The director position was actually vacant for several months, but the Trump administration had the position as a top priority since it was ramping up reelection efforts.
Nicole Frazier
Christopher Liddell (Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Coordination) – $30,000
Turns out, not everyone working in the White House earns a great salary. Assistant to the president Christopher Liddell also has the title of deputy chief of staff for policy coordination. He is paid $30,000 a year. According to the White House website, one of his responsibilities is “overseeing the Administration’s efforts to streamline the Federal Government’s regulatory process and modernize its technology systems.” He has the lowest salary among the White House staffers.
Christopher Liddell
Andrew P. Bremberg (Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy) – $179,700
In 2019, Andrew Bremberg was nominated and confirmed in the position of Representative of the United States to the Office of the United Nations and Other International Organizations. However, before that he served as Director of the Domestic Policy Council and made $179,700 per year. Before he joined the Trump administration, Bremberg was the counsel on nominations and policy advisor for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. He was also policy director to Scott Walker when he ran for president.
Andrew P. Bremberg
John J. DeStefano (Counselor) – $179,700
John DeStefano served as counselor to the President from 2018 to 2019 and made $179,700. Before that he oversaw intergovernmental affairs. Prior to his positions at the White House, DeStefano worked for Congressman John Boehner. In the Trump administration, he started out as Director of Presidential Personnel, and he had that position from September 2017 to March 2018. He resigned from his job at the White House in May 2019. He became an adviser to Juul, an e-cigarette company.
John J. DeStefano
Emmet T. Flood (Special Counsel to the President) – $179,700
Emmet Flood was the interim White House Counsel from October 2018 until December 2018 after the departure of Don McGahn. Flood currently serves as Special Counsel to President Trump. He earns $179,700 a year. He had the same position during the administration of George W. Bush. Flood is also a partner at the Washington D.C. law firm Williams & Connolly. In 2017, he was actually offered a job in Trump’s Administration, but he declined.
Emmet T. Flood
Jason D. Greenblatt (Special Representative for International Negotiations) – $179,700
As special representative for international negotiations, Jason Greenblatt made $179,700 a year. He actually started working with Trump back in 1997. He eventually became The Trump Organization’s executive vice president and its chief legal officer. His job at the White House was specifically created for him by President Trump. He resigned from his position in 2019. In February 2020, Greenblatt became a partner at the global venture investments platform OurCrowd.
Jason D. Greenblatt
Joseph W. Hagin (Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations) – $179,700
From 2017 to 2018, Joseph Hagin was deputy chief of staff for operations and he earned $179,700 a year. He served the same role in the George W. Bush administration from 2001 until 2008. Hagin was among the most seasoned government veterans on Trump’s staff. Hagin had a central role in the planning of the North Korea–United States summit, which was help in Singapore in 2018. When he left his White House job, Daniel Walsh took over the position.
Joseph W. Hagin
John. F. Kelly (Chief of Staff) – $179,700
Retired U.S. Marine Corps general and current board member of Caliburn International, John Kelly was the 28th White House chief of staff. He earned an annual salary of $179,700. He worked in the Trump administration from 2017 to 2019. He was also the Secretary of Homeland Security from January 2017 to July 2017. Kelly had a reputation for aggressively enforcing the immigration law. It was reported that he was chosen as chief of staff to bring the White House more stability.
John. F. Kelly
Marcia L. Kelly (Director of the Office of Administration) – $179,700
Assistant to the President Marcia Kelly was the director of the office of administration and director of White House Management and Administration. She earned $179,700 a year. In 2016, she joined the White House. She was the former RNC director of operations for the 2016 convention held in Cleveland, Ohio. In April 2020, she returned to the White House and joined the East Wing. She is currently the First Lady’s Senior Advisor.
Marcia L. Kelly
Derek S. Lyons (Staff Secretary) – $179,700
American attorney Derek Lyons serves as White House Staff Secretary and Counselor to the President. He earns $179,700 a year. He worked as a legislative assistant for Representative Jeb Hensarling and as the general counsel in Senator Rob Portman’s office. From January 2017 until February 2018, Lyons was Deputy Staff Secretary and Deputy Assistant to the President. Together with the Chief of Staff, Lyons currently oversees the information flow to the President.
Derek S. Lyons
Donald F. McGahn II (Counsel to the President) – $179,700
From 2016 to 2018, Donald McGhan was White House Counsel. He got paid $179,700 a year. He was on the Federal Election Commission for over five years prior to starting his job at the White House. As White House counsel, McGahn actually helped push through the lifetime appointments of over 100 conservative judges. This includes the successful nominations of Brett M. Kavanaugh and Neil M. Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.
Donald F. McGahn II
Mira R. Ricardel (Deputy National Security Advisor) – $179,700
Former deputy national security adviser and assistant to the president Mira Ricardel made $179,700 a year during her time at the White House. Actually, she only held the position for less than a year. First Lady Melania Trump requested that Ricardel be fired. There were reports that soon after Ricardel joined the Trump administration, she developed a reputation for her abrasiveness. She reportedly racked up enemies and made few allies.
Mira R. Ricardel
Brooke L. Rollins (Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives) – $179,700
The current assistant to the President for strategic initiatives Brooke Rollins earns $179,700 a year. A lawyer, Rollins was the president and CEO of Austin-based free-market think tank Texas Public Policy Foundation from 2003 to 2018. She was named director of the Domestic Policy Council in May 2020. She leads one of the least visible yet most crucial bodies during Trump’s time in office. The council oversees the president’s domestic agenda.
Brooke L. Rollins
Daniel J. Scavino (Director of Social Media) – $179,700
Aside from being the White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications, Daniel Scavino is also the Director of Social Media. He earns $179,700 a year. As it turns out, he is the man behind Donald Trump’s Twitter posts. Scavino played a part in the 2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump. He served as the director of social media. Aside from that, he was also the Trump National Golf Club Westchester general manager.
Daniel J. Scavino
Marc T. Short (Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs) – $179,700
Before Marc Short started his current job as Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff, he was President Trump’s Director of Legislative Affairs. He made $179,700 annually in his previous position. Short was the liaison of the Trump administration on Capitol Hill as it helped legislation through Congress. He joined the Trump administration in January 2017 and left in July 2018. He cited “diminishing returns” of pushing the agenda of President Donald Trump.
Marc T. Short
Robert B. Blair (Senior Advisor to the Chief of Staff) – $183,000
Robert Blair earns $183,000 a year for holding the position of Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the Chief of Staff. In 2017, he joined the Trump Administration through the Office of Management and Budget. He was the Associate Director for National Security Programs. In December 2019, he started serving as the Special Representative for International Telecommunications Policy. He works closely with National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow.
Robert B. Blair
John A. Eisenberg (Legal Advisor to the National Security Council) – $183,000
As the Deputy Counsel to the President for National Security Affairs and National Security Council Legal Advisor, John Eisenberg receives an annual salary of $183,000. Before his White House job, he was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis, a law firm in Washington, D.C.. His other credentials include earning his law degree from Yale, serving as a clerk to a Supreme Court Justice, and being an Office of Legal Counsel associate deputy attorney general during the administration of George W. Bush.
John A. Eisenberg