Order Code 97-1011 GOV
Updated August 26, 2004
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Salaries of Members of Congress: A List of
Payable Rates and Effective Dates, 1789-2004
Paul E. Dwyer
Specialist in American National Government
Government and Finance Division
Summary
Congress is required by Article I, Section 6, of the Constitution to determine its
own pay. Prior to 1969, Congress did so by enacting stand-alone legislation. From
1789 through 1968, Congress raised its pay 22 times using this procedure.
Congressional salaries initially were $1,500. By 1968, they had risen to $30,000.
Stand-alone legislation may still be used to raise Member pay, as it was most recently
in 1982, 1983, 1989, and 1991, but two other methods are now also available, an
automatic annual adjustment procedure and a commission process.
In January 2005, Members are scheduled to receive a 2.5% increase under the
automatic annual adjustment procedure. This report will be updated to reflect the most
recent congressional actions.
Background
There are three basic ways to adjust Member pay. Stand-alone legislation has
frequently and primarily been used to raise Member pay throughout most of U.S. history,
1789 to the present. However, two other methods are also available.
The second method by which Member pay can be increased is pursuant to
recommendations from the President, based on those made by a quadrennial salary
commission. In 1967, Congress established the Commission on Executive, Legislative,
and Judicial Salaries to recommend salary increases for top-level federal officials (P.L.
90-206). Three times (in 1969, 1977, and 1987) Congress received pay increases made
under this procedure; on three occasions it did not. Effective with passage of the Ethics
Reform Act of 1989 (P.L. 101-194), the commission ceased to exist. Its authority was
assumed by the Citizens’ Commission on Public Service and Compensation. Although
the first commission under the 1989 Act was to have convened in 1993, it did not meet.
The third method by which the salary of Members can be changed is by annual
adjustments. Prior to 1990, the pay of Members, and other top-level federal officials, was
tied to the annual comparability increases provided to General Schedule (GS) federal
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

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employees. This procedure was established in 1975 (P.L. 94-82). Such increases were
recommended by the President, subject to congressional acceptance, disapproval, or
modification. Congress accepted five such increases for itself — in 1975, 1979 (partial),
1984, 1985, and 1987 — and declined 10 since this method was authorized (1976, 1977,
1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1988, and 1989).
The Ethics Reform Act of 1989 changed the method by which the annual adjustment
is determined for Members and other senior officials, based on a formula using changes
in private sector wages and salaries as measured by the Employment Cost Index. Under
this revised method, annual adjustments were accepted nine times (those scheduled for
January 1991, 1992, 1993, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004) and denied five
times (those scheduled for January 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1999).
The annual adjustment automatically goes into effect unless :
(1) Congress statutorily prohibits the adjustment;

(2) Congress statutorily revises the adjustment; or
(3) the annual basic pay adjustment of GS employees is established at a rate less
than the scheduled increase for Members, in which case Members would be
paid the lower rate.1
Pending January 2005 Member Pay Increase
Under the annual adjustment procedure, Members are scheduled to receive an
increase of 2.5% in January 2005.2
Whether or not Members actually receive the 2.5% increase is dependent on the
percentage increase in the basic rate of pay for General Schedule (GS) employees. This
is because under the automatic adjustment procedure Members may not receive an
increase that is greater than the increase in basic pay of GS employees.
This will not be an issue if the annual adjustment procedure is followed. That is
because under a slightly differing formula, GS employees are scheduled to receive a basic
pay increase of 2.5% in January 2005, the same increase as Members. If GS employees
receive the scheduled 2.5% basic pay increase, Members will receive their scheduled
2.5% increase.
1 Basic pay is the pay rate before locality pay is added.
2 The annual pay adjustment was determined by a formula using the Employment Cost Index
(private industry wages and salaries, not seasonally adjusted), based on the percentage change
reflected in the fourth quarter (ending December 31) of the two preceding years, minus 0.5%.
The 2.5% adjustment was determined by taking the percentage increase in the Index between the
quarters ending December 2002 and December 2003, which was 3.0%, and subtracting 0.5%.

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However, other factors are at play this year:
! The current proposal by the President would provide a 1.5% increase in
GS basic and locality pay combined. As a consequence, under this
proposal the GS basic pay increase would have to be less than 1.5%. The
President will determine the exact allocation between basic and locality
pay later this year. If the President’s proposed increase is accepted by
Congress, Members will be limited to the increase allocated for basic pay
which will be less than 1.5%. For example, if the basic increase is 1.2%,
Member would be limited to that amount.
! The President’s pending 1.5% increase for GS employees is subject to
change by pending legislation that provides for pay parity between the
GS and military pay increase in January 2005. The FY2005 defense
appropriations bill, passed by both houses and signed by the President,
contains a 3.5% increase in military pay.3 Should the pending pay parity
legislation become law, Members most likely would be able to receive
their scheduled 2.5% increase, since the GS locality allocation would be
about 1% (based on recent trends), leaving a basic pay increase of 2.5%.
Table 1 provides a history of the salaries of Members of Congress, 1789-2004. For
each salary rate, both the effective date and the statutory authority are indicated. From
1976 to 1983, the salary actually paid to Members was less than the salary to which
Members were entitled. This was so because Members were entitled to salaries
authorized pursuant to the annual comparability pay procedure (P.L. 94-82). However,
on several occasions Congress did not appropriate funds to pay any or some of the new
salary increases mandated by P.L. 94-82. Accordingly, the salaries shown in this table are
the payable rates, the salaries actually paid to Members of Congress.
Table 1. Salaries of Members of Congress, 1789-2004
Payable Salarya
Effective Date
Statutory Authority
1 Stat. 70-71
$1,500b
March 4, 1789
(September 22, 1789)
1 Stat. 70-71
$1,500b
March 4, 1795
(September 22, 1789)
1 Stat. 448
$1,500b
March 3, 1796
(March 10, 1796)
3 Stat. 257
$1,500
December 4, 1815
(March 19, 1816)
3 Stat. 345
$1,500b
March 3, 1817
(February 6, 1817)
3 Stat. 404
$2,000b
March 3, 1817
(January 22, 1818)
3 The provision is contained in P.L. 108-287, FY2005 Defense Appropriation Act, signed into
law by the President on Aug. 5, 2004.

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Payable Salarya
Effective Date
Statutory Authority
11 Stat. 48
$3,000
December 3, 1855
(August 16, 1856)
11 Stat. 367
$3,000c
December 23, 1857
(December 23, 1857)
14 Stat. 323
$5,000
December 4, 1865
(July 28, 1866)
17 Stat. 486
$7,500
March 4, 1871
(March 3, 1873)
18 Stat. 4
$5,000
January 20, 1874
(January 20, 1874)
34 Stat. 993
$7,500
March 4, 1907
(February 26, 1907)
43 Stat. 1301
$10,000
March 4, 1925
(March 4, 1925)
47 Stat. 401
$9,000
July 1, 1932
(June 30, 1932)
48 Stat. 14
$8,500
April 1, 1933
(March 20, 1933)
48 Stat. 521
$9,000d
February 1, 1934
(March 28, 1934)
48 Stat. 521
$9,500
July 1, 1934
(March 28, 1934)
49 Stat. 24
$10,000
April 4, 1935
(February 13, 1935)
60 Stat. 850
$12,500
January 3, 1947
(August 2, 1946)
69 Stat. 11
$22,500
March 1, 1955
(March 2, 1955)
78 Stat. 415
$30,000
January 3, 1965
(August 14, 1964)
81 Stat. 642
$42,500
March 1, 1969
(December 16, 1967)
89 Stat. 421
$44,600
October 1, 1975
(August 9, 1975)
81 Stat. 642
$57,500
March 1, 1977
(December 16, 1967)
89 Stat. 421
$60,662.50
October 1, 1979
(August 9, 1975)
96 Stat. 1914
December 18, 1982 for
(December 21, 1982)
$69,800
Representatives; July 1, 1983
97 Stat. 338
for Senators
(July 30, 1983)
89 Stat. 421
$72,600
January 1, 1984
(August 9, 1975)
89 Stat. 421
$75,100
January 1, 1985
(August 9, 1975)

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Payable Salarya
Effective Date
Statutory Authority
89 Stat. 421
$77,400
January 1, 1987
(August 9, 1975)
81 Stat. 642
$89,500
February 4, 1987
(December 16, 1967)
$96,600e
103 Stat. 1767-1768
February 1, 1990
(Representatives)
(November 30, 1989)
$98,400e
103 Stat. 1767-1768
February 1, 1990
(Senators)
(November 30, 1989)
$125,100
103 Stat. 1768-1769
January 1, 1991
(Representatives)
(November 30, 1989)
$101,900
103 Stat. 1769
January 1, 1991
(Senators)
(November 30, 1989)
$125,100
105 Stat. 450
August 14, 1991
(Senators)
(August 14, 1991)
$129,500
103 Stat.1769
January 1, 1992
(Reps. and Sens.)
(November 30, 1989)
$133,600
103 Stat. 1769
January 1, 1993
(Reps. and Sens.)
(November 30, 1989)
$136,700
103 Stat. 1769
January 1, 1998
(Reps. and Sens.)
(November 30, 1989)
$141,300
103 Stat. 1769
January 1, 2000
(Reps. and Sens.)
(November 30, 1989)
$145,100
103 Stat. 1769
January 1, 2001
(Reps. and Sens.)
(November 30, 1989)
$150,000
103 Stat. 1769
January 1, 2002
(Reps. and Sens.)
(November 30, 1989)
$154,700
103 Stat. 1769
January 1, 2003
(Reps. and Sens.)
(November 30, 1989)
$158,100
103 Stat. 1769
January 1, 2004
(Reps. and Sens.)
(November 30, 1989)
a. From 1976 to 1983, the salary actually paid to Members was less than the salary to which Members were
entitled. This was so because Members were entitled to salaries authorized pursuant to the annual
comparability pay procedure (P.L. 94-82). However, on several occasions Congress did not
appropriate funds to pay any or some of the new salary increases mandated by P.L. 94-82.
Accordingly, the salaries shown in this table are the payable rates, the salaries actually paid to
Members of Congress.
b. Per diem rates have been converted to per annum rates based on a hypothetically possible 250-day
session. From 1789 to 1856, Senators and Representatives received a per diem pay rate while
Congress was in session, except for the period December 1815 — March 1817, when they received
$1,500 a year. First established at $6 a day in 1789 ($7 for Senators from March 4, 1795 — March
3, 1796), the per diem was raised to $8 in 1818 and remained there until 1856, when Members of
Congress were placed on annual salaries.
c. In 1857, Congress provided for pay at the rate of $250 per month while in session, or a maximum of
$3,000 per annum.
d. The act authorized the restoration of pay as of February 1, 1934, and the restoration of pay as of July 1,
1934.
e. The Ethics Reform Act of 1989 (103 Stat. 1767-1768) increased pay for Representatives and Senators
at different rates. The pay of Representatives was increased to reflect the previously denied 1989 and
1990 pay adjustments (4.1% and 3.6%), compounded at 7.9%, effective February 1, 1990. The act

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further provided for a 25% increase in Representatives’ pay, effective January 1, 1991. As a result,
the pay of Representatives increased from $89,500 to $96,600 on February 1, 1990, and increased
to $125,100 on January 1, 1991.
The pay of Senators was increased to reflect the previously denied 1988, 1989, and 1990
comparability pay adjustments (2%, 4.1%, and 3.6%), compounded at 9.9%, effective February 1,
1990. As a result, the pay of Senators increased from $89,500 to $98,400 on February 1, 1990. The
Ethics Act did not provide for any other pay increase for Senators, as it did in providing a 25%
increase for Representatives. The reason is that Senators elected to deny themselves the 25% increase
while retaining the ability to receive honoraria. Subsequently, the Senate voted to increase its pay rate
to that of Representatives and to prohibit receipt of honoraria by Senators, effective August 14, 1991.
As a result, Senate pay increased from $101,900 to $125,100 per annum.

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