What is the average salary of a US senator? How much money do they make?
The midterm elections included 34 Senate races across the country; how much do the winners stand to earn each year in the Senate?
The Senate is the more prestigious of the two Houses of Congress with only 100 members at any one time. Unlike in the House, where representatives face re-election every two years, senators enjoys six-year terms in the Upper Chamber.
Most senators earn the exact same salary, which is currently $174,000 per year. Interestingly that amount has not changed since 2009.
There are some exceptions to this with Senate Majority and Minority Leaders earning a higher salary to reflect their status. In 2022 Senate Leaders and the President Pro Tempore, currently Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, receive $193,400 per year.
However senators’ financial benefits are not limited to a healthy salary and they are also entitled to claim allowances for the costs of fulfilling their elected duties.
A report from the Congressional Research Service explains that they are able to claim allowances for “official office expenses, including staff, mail, travel between a Member’s district or state and Washington, DC, equipment, and other goods and services.”
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How much do lawmakers in the House of Representatives earn?
Representatives in the House may only be guaranteed a two-year term when they win election, but they still enjoy the same financial benefits as senators do.
Regular representatives are paid $174,000 per year, while House Minority and Majority Leaders receive a salary of $193,400 per year.
Where the two chambers differ is in the role of the Speaker of the House, which is currently Democrat Rep. Nancy Pelosi. There is no real equivalent in the Senate and it is perhaps the most influential position in the entirety of Congress. The Speaker receives a salary of $223,500 per year.