Current Salary and Pay Structure for Members of Congress
As of the most recent public data, the base salary for rank-and-file members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate is set at $174,000 per year, a figure established by the Ethics Reform Act and adjusted only when Congress votes to accept or decline a recommended increase from the Citizens' Salary Commission. Leadership positions receive additional pay, with the Speaker of the House earning $223,500, the majority and minority leaders in both chambers receiving $193,400, and the president pro tempore of the Senate also earning $193,400, while the vice president, who serves as president of the Senate, receives the statutory salary of the office rather than a congressional pay grade. These figures are publicly reported in annual financial disclosures and appropriations documents, and members are subject to federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare withholding like other federal employees, with pay adjustments tied to the General Schedule pay system used across the federal government Forbes.
Historical Adjustments and Pay Freeze Periods
Congress has repeatedly voted to decline or freeze pay increases since the mid-2000s, resulting in a multi-year pay freeze that lasted from 2009 through 2016 and subsequent years where members chose to keep the prior year's salary rather than accept the recommended cost-of-living adjustment, meaning the base figure has remained flat at $174,000 for most of the last decade despite inflation and changes in the federal pay scale. The process is governed by the 27th Amendment and the Ethics Reform Act, which require that any change in compensation take effect only after the next election of representatives, preventing immediate self-dealing, and the most recent official salary figures are published each year by the Office of Personnel Management and the House and Senate ethics committees SEC.
Benefits, Allowances, and Perquisites for Members of Congress
Beyond base pay, members of Congress receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes the Federal Employees Health Benefits program, with the government paying a large share of premiums, generous defined-benefit pension plans under the Federal Employees Retirement System and the legacy Civil Service Retirement System, generous annual leave and sick leave accrual rates, and access to the congressional gym, dining facilities, and on-site medical clinic, as well as a generous travel allowance for official business and a tax-free living allowance for members who maintain a residence in their district while working in Washington, D.C. The franking privilege allows members to send official mail without postage, and the office budget covers staff salaries, travel, and office expenses, with the exact allocation depending on the member's seniority and chamber, and these benefits are detailed in annual financial disclosures filed with the Office of Congressional Ethics and the Clerk of the House Forbes.
Outside Income Limits and Financial Disclosures
Members of Congress are permitted to hold outside earned income, but the Ethics in Government Act and House and Senate rules cap outside earned income at 15 percent of the annual rate of basic pay for the position, with the remainder of compensation from outside sources limited to certain types of income such as royalties, dividends, interest, and capital gains, and all members must file annual financial disclosure reports that detail their outside income, investments, and liabilities, which are reviewed by the Office of Congressional Ethics and made publicly available through the Office of the Clerk and the Senate Ethics Committee SEC.
How Congressional Pay Compares to Other Federal and Private Sector Roles
Compared to the median household income in the United States, which is well below $174,000, and to the average salary of a member of the federal executive branch at a