Congressional Salaries and Allowances
Ida A. Brudnick
Analyst on the Congress
October 28, 2009
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
RL30064
CRS Report for Congress
P
repared for Members and Committees of Congress

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Congressional Salaries and Allowances

Summary
This report provides basic information on congressional salaries and allowances. First, the report
briefly summarizes the current salary of Members of Congress, limits on their outside earned
income and honoraria, and applicable health insurance and retirement benefits.
Second, the report provides information on allowances available to Representatives and Senators
to support them in their official and representational duties as Members. These allowances cover
official office expenses, staff, mail, and other goods and services.
Third, the report lists the salaries of congressional officers and officials and salary limits for
committee staff.
Sources are hearings, reports, debates, and language of regular annual and supplemental
legislative branch appropriations acts; the U.S. Code and U.S. Code Annotated Supplements to
Title 2; latest Order of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, implementing a pay increase
for House employees, effective January 1, 2009, issued January 9, 2009 (contained in 2 U.S.C.
60a-2a); latest Order of the President pro tempore, implementing a pay increase for Senate
employees, effective January 1, 2009, issued March 12, 2009 (contained in 2 U.S.C. 60a-1); the
Members’ Congressional Handbook (web edition), prepared by the Committee on House
Administration, for Members and staff of the U.S. House of Representatives, available at
http://cha.house.gov/members_handbook.aspx; the quarterly Statement of Disbursements of the
House, compiled by the House Chief Administrative Officer, January 1, 2009, to March 31, 2009
(111th Congress, 1st session, H.Doc. 111-26, part 3 of 3); and the Office of Personnel Management
for executive level pay rates to which some legislative employees are statutorily linked.
Additional information on salaries of Members of Congress may be found in CRS Report 97-615,
Salaries of Members of Congress: Congressional Votes, 1990-2009, by Ida A. Brudnick and CRS
Report 97-1011, Salaries of Members of Congress: Payable Rates Since 1789 and Recent
Adjustments, coordinated by Ida A. Brudnick.
This report will be updated as information is made available.

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Contents
Compensation of Members of Congress and Related Benefits ..................................................... 1
Compensation ....................................................................................................................... 1
Outside Earned Income and Honoraria Limits ....................................................................... 1
Tax Deductions ..................................................................................................................... 1
Health and Life Insurance Provisions .................................................................................... 2
Health Insurance ............................................................................................................. 2
Life Insurance ................................................................................................................. 2
Retirement Provisions ........................................................................................................... 2
Personnel, Office Expenses, and Mail Allowances for U.S. Representatives ................................ 2
House Allowance System ...................................................................................................... 2
Personnel Allowance Component of the MRA....................................................................... 3
Official Office Expenses Allowance Component of the MRA................................................ 4
Official Mail Allowance (Franking Privilege) Component of the MRA.................................. 5
Other Allowances.................................................................................................................. 6
Government Publications ................................................................................................ 6
Travel Allowance for Organizational Caucuses or Conferences........................................ 6
Personnel, Office Expenses, and Mail Allowances for U.S. Senators ........................................... 6
Senators’ Official Personnel and Office Expense Account...................................................... 6
Official Office Expense Allowance.................................................................................. 7
Personnel Allowances: Administrative and Clerical Assistance and Legislative
Assistance. ................................................................................................................... 7
Official Mail Allowance........................................................................................................ 8
Other Allowances.................................................................................................................. 8
Senate Interns .................................................................................................................8
Office Space in States ..................................................................................................... 8
Mobile Office Space for Senators.................................................................................... 8
Furniture and Furnishings in Washington, DC ................................................................. 9
Furniture and Furnishings in State Offices ....................................................................... 9
Office Equipment in Washington, DC, and State Offices ................................................. 9
Government Publications ................................................................................................ 9
Compensation of Other Congressional Officers and Officials .................................................... 10
House of Representatives .................................................................................................... 10
Senate ................................................................................................................................. 10
Compensation of Standing Committee Employees..................................................................... 11
House of Representatives .................................................................................................... 11
Senate ................................................................................................................................. 11

Tables
Table 1. Mileage Multiplier for MRA.......................................................................................... 4

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Contacts
Author Contact Information ...................................................................................................... 11
Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................... 11

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Compensation of Members of Congress and Related
Benefits
Compensation
Compensation for Representatives and Senators is $174,000 in 2009.
Outside Earned Income and Honoraria Limits
Permissible “outside earned income” for Representatives and Senators is limited to 15% of the
annual rate of basic pay for level II of the Executive Schedule.1 Certain types of outside earned
income however are prohibited. A Member may not receive compensation for affiliating with or
being employed by a firm, partnership, association, corporation, or other entity providing
professional services involving a fiduciary relationship; allowing his/her name to be used by such
a firm, partnership, association, corporation, or other entity; practicing a profession involving a
fiduciary relationship; serving as a member or officer of the board of an association, corporation,
or other entity; and teaching without prior notification to and approval of the Senate Select
Committee on Ethics, in the case of Senators, or the House Committee on Standards of Official
Conduct, in the case of Representatives.
Representatives and Senators are also prohibited from accepting honoraria. The acceptance of
honoraria by Representatives was prohibited effective January 1, 1991.2 The acceptance of
honoraria by Senators was prohibited effective August 14, 1991.3
Tax Deductions
Members are allowed to deduct, for income tax purposes, living expenses up to $3,000 per
annum, while away from their congressional districts or home states.4

1 For example, the House has defined this in Rule XXV: “the term ‘outside earned income’ means, with respect to a
Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House, wages, salaries, fees, and other
amounts received or to be received as compensation for personal services actually rendered,” with exceptions,
including “copyright royalties received from established publishers under usual and customary contractual terms.”
2 This prohibition was included in the Ethics Reform Act of 1989 (P.L. 101-194, Nov. 30, 1989, 103 Stat. 1776-1778)
and incorporated into House Rule XXV. See also: U.S. House, Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, House
Ethics Manual, 2008 edition, 110th Cong., 2nd sess. (http://ethics.house.gov/Media/PDF/
2008_House_Ethics_Manual.pdf), p. 189.
3 The Ethics Reform Act (P.L. 101-194, Nov. 30, 1989, 103 Stat. 1782) reduced the limit on honoraria from 40% to
27% of salary beginning in 1990, with further decreases accompanying Senate pay raises. The FY1992 Legislative
Branch Appropriations Act (P.L. 102-90, Aug. 14, 1991, 105 Stat. 450-451) subsequently banned honoraria. See also:
Senate Rule XXXVI and U.S. Senate, Select Committee on Ethics, Senate Ethics Manual, S.Pub. 108-1, 2003 Edition,
108th Cong., 1st sess. (http://ethics.senate.gov/downloads/pdffiles/manual.pdf), p. 97-101.
4 See CRS Report RL30868, Tax Rules and Rulings Specifically Applicable to Members Of Congress, by John R.
Luckey.
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Health and Life Insurance Provisions
Health Insurance
Members are eligible to participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and may
select from among several health benefit plans. Participation is on a voluntary, contributory basis.
Life Insurance
Members are eligible to participate in the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Program. The
amount of coverage for personal insurance is determined by a formula based on the coverage
elected.5
Retirement Provisions
Various options are available to Members regarding participation in the Civil Service Retirement
System and the Federal Employees Retirement System. Participation in Social Security is
mandatory for Members.6
Personnel, Office Expenses, and Mail Allowances
for U.S. Representatives
House Allowance System
Representatives have one allowance available to support them in their official and
representational duties to the districts from which they were elected. This allowance is the
Members’ representational allowance (MRA). The MRA is calculated based on three components,
including personnel, official office expenses, and official (franked) mail.
The personnel allowance component is the same for each Member. The office expenses and mail
allowances components vary from Member to Member due to variations in the distance between a
Member’s district and Washington, DC, for the mileage allowance, cost of office space in his or
her district for the space allowance, and number of non-business addresses in his or her district
for the mail allowance.
The three components result in a single MRA authorization for each Representative that can be
used to pay for any of the official expenses. In calendar year 2009, the Members’ representational
allowances range from $1,391,370 to $1,722,242, with an average MRA of $1,484,174.7
Allowances are authorized from January 3 of each year through January 2 of the following year.

5 For additional information, see http://www.opm.gov/insure/life/index.asp.
6 See CRS Report RL30631, Retirement Benefits for Members of Congress, by Patrick Purcell.
7 U.S. Congress, House, Statement of Disbursements of the House, as compiled by the Chief Administrative Officer,
from January 1, 2009, to March 31, 2009, part 3 of 3, H.Doc. 111-26, 111th Cong., 2nd sess. (Washington: GPO, 2009),
(continued...)
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These allowances are authorized in statute and are regulated and adjusted by the Committee on
House Administration. Funding is provided under a single appropriations heading, “Members’
Representational Allowances,” within the House account “Salaries and Expenses.”
All personnel, office, and official mail expenses reimbursed to or on behalf of a Member are
reported in the quarterly Statement of Disbursements of the House. On June 3, 2009, the Speaker
of the House directed the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to begin publishing the Statements
online.8 A “Dear Colleague” letter issued on June 26, 2009, by Daniel P. Beard, the Chief
Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, discussed “several technical
requirements” involved in the online transition—including the ability of the House to handle the
increased server demand and additional support for Member offices in understanding the
statements—and indicated that the first online statement will include expenses from the period of
July 1, 2009, through September 30, 2009.9 A subsequent “Dear Colleague” issued by the CAO
indicated that the disbursements will “be posted to House.gov as of November 30, 2009.”10
Personnel Allowance Component of the MRA
In 2009, the personnel allowance component of the MRA is $922,350 for each Member.
The MRA is available for employment of staff in a Representative’s Washington, DC, and district
offices. Each Member may employ no more than 18 permanent employees. As many as four
additional employees may be designated by the Member, but need not be counted as permanent
employees, if they fall into one of the following categories:
(1) part-time employees;
(2) employees drawing compensation from more than one employing authority of the House;
(3) interns receiving pay;
(4) employees on leave without pay; and
(5) temporary employees.
Pursuant to a Pay Order issued for 2009, employees’ salaries in Member offices are set at annual
rates of not more than $168,411.11

(...continued)
pp. 3468-3481. Data is inclusive of voting Members only and is based on CRS calculations.
8 Letter from Speaker Pelosi to Chief Administrative Office Dan Beard, June 3, 2009, available at
http://www.speaker.gov/blog/?p=1814.
9 “Dear Colleague,” Daniel P. Beard, Chief Administrative Officer, June 26, 2009.
10 “Dear Colleague,” Daniel P. Beard, Chief Administrative Officer, Oct. 5, 2009.
11 Source is U.S. Congress, House, Order of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, implementing a pay increase
for House employees, effective January 9, 2009, issued January 9, 2009 (contained in 2 U.S.C. 60a-2a;
http://uscode.house.gov).
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Official Office Expenses Allowance Component of the MRA
The MRA also is available to pay ordinary and necessary business expenses incurred in support
of official and representational duties to the district from which a Member has been elected. The
official office expenses allowance component of the MRA varies for each Member.
A base allowance of $250,512 was authorized for each Member in 2009.12
There are two additional factors in this component:
1. a sum for travel based on the following formula: 64 times the rate per mile (see
Table 1 below) multiplied by the mileage between Washington, DC, and the
furthest point in a Member’s district,13 plus 10%. The minimum mileage amount
is $6,200 for a Member. The rate per mile used to calculate the 2009 allowance
was as follows:
Table 1. Mileage Multiplier for MRA
Mileage Between Washington, DC, and the
Furthest Point in a Member’s District
Rate Per Mile
Fewer than 500 miles
$ .96
500 to 749 miles
.86
750 to 999 miles
.71
1,000 to 1,749 miles
.61
1,750 to 2,249 miles
.51
2,250 to 2,499 miles
.48
2,500 to 2,999 miles
.43
3,000 miles or more
1.32
Source: U.S. Congress, House, Statement of Disbursements of the House, as compiled by the Chief Administrative
Officer, from January 1, 2009, to March 31, 2009, part 3 of 3, H.Doc. 111-26, 111th Congress, 2nd session
(Washington: GPO, 2009), pp. 3467.
2. the dollar equivalent to 2,500 square feet multiplied by the applicable rental rate
per square foot charged federal agencies by the administrator of the General
Services Administration in a Member’s district.
The official office expenses allowance may be used for travel, office equipment lease, district
office rental, stationery (paper, envelopes, and other supplies), telecommunications, printing,
postage, computer services, and other expenses.
The representational allowance is not to be used to defray any personal, political, or campaign-
related expenses. A Member also may not use campaign funds to pay for expenses related to his
or her official and representational duties; may not use committee funds to pay for official

12 U.S. Congress, House, Statement of Disbursements of the House, as compiled by the Chief Administrative Officer,
from January 1, 2009, to March 31, 2009, part 3 of 3, H. Doc. 111-26, 111th Cong., 2nd sess. (Washington: GPO, 2009),
pp. 3467.
13 Distance is based on the Rand McNally Standard Highway Mileage Guide.
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representational expenses; may not use an unofficial office account to support official and
representational duties; accept from a private source any in kind assistance with a monetary value
for an official activity; and may not use personal funds to pay for franked mail.
A Member is responsible for personally paying for any official and representational expenses that
are in excess of his or her representational allowance or that are not reimbursable under
regulations of the Committee on House Administration.14
Official Mail Allowance (Franking Privilege)15 Component of the
MRA
Representatives are authorized the privilege of sending mail as franked mail in the conduct of
official business to assist them in their duties as Members of Congress. Requirements on the use
of the frank and mass mailings are established in statute and the regulations and rules of the
House. Use of the frank is the personal responsibility of each Representative.16
The franked mail postage component of the MRA is based on a formula in which the rate of a
single piece of first class mail is multiplied by three, and the resulting figure is multiplied by the
number of non-business addresses in a Representative’s district.17 The Committee on House
Administration set the 2009 official mail allowance for each Member at 45% of the calculation
based on the above formula.18 The allowance may be used to pay the costs of first, third, or fourth
class franked mail. It may not be used to pay for certain specified mailing costs, for example,
express mail.19
Since the official mail allowance is combined with the personnel and office expenses allowances,
the amount of money a Member can spend on franked mail is limited only by the total of the
combined allowances.

14 For more details on permissible use of personal, campaign, and official funds, see U.S. Congress, House Committee
on House Administration, Members’ Congressional Handbook (http://cha.house.gov/PDFs/MembersHandbook.pdf);
and U.S. Congress, Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, House Ethics Manual, 110th Cong., 2nd sess.
(Washington: GPO, 2008) (http://ethics.house.gov/Media/PDF/2008_House_Ethics_Manual.pdf.)
15 For additional information, see CRS Report RL34274, Franking Privilege: Historical Development and Options for
Change, by Matthew Eric Glassman.
16 Ibid.
17 The number of addresses is determined by the postmaster general. The number is not to include business delivery
stops.
18 U.S. Congress, House, Statement of Disbursements of the House, as compiled by the Chief Administrative Officer,
from January 1, 2009, to March 31, 2009, part 3 of 3, H.Doc. 111-26, 111th Cong., 2nd sess. (Washington: GPO, 2009),
pp. 3467.
19 Regulations on the proper use of the frank are set by the House Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards.
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Other Allowances
Government Publications
Each Representative is entitled to receive certain government publications and printed products.
These include, for example, copies of the daily Congressional Record, one copy of Deschler’s
Precedents, various manuals and directories, and public document franked envelopes.20
Travel Allowance for Organizational Caucuses or Conferences
Each Member-elect and one designated staff person who attend an organizational caucus or
conference are to be paid for one round trip each between their places of residence in the district
and Washington, DC, for the purpose of attending such caucus or conference. Each incumbent
Member reelected to the ensuing Congress and one designated staff person who attend an
organizational caucus or conference also receive this allowance.
Each Member-elect (other than an incumbent Member reelected to the ensuing Congress) who
attends such a caucus or conference is also authorized to be reimbursed on a per diem or other
basis for expenses incurred in connection with attendance.
Personnel, Office Expenses, and Mail Allowances
for U.S. Senators
Senators’ Official Personnel and Office Expense Account
Senators have three official allowances available to them for personnel and official office
expenses. They are the administrative and clerical assistance allowance, the legislative assistance
allowance, and the official office expense allowance. The administrative and clerical assistance
allowance and the office expense allowance vary among Senators since they are governed by
state population, distance from Washington, DC, to home states, and committee authorized limits.
The legislative assistance allowance is a set amount for all Senators.
The total amount available in each Senator’s Official Personnel and Office Expense Account
(SOPOEA) is the sum of the two personnel allowances (administrative and clerical assistance and
legislative assistance) and the office expense allowance. The components of the SOPEOA can be
interchanged. For example, funds available for office expenses can be used to pay office
personnel salaries, and vice versa. Additional limits pertain to spending on franked mail: mass
mailings may not exceed $50,000 per fiscal year,21 and the Senate Committee on Rules and
Administration may issue additional official mail regulations.22

20 For additional information, see “Information Services for Members of Congress,” GPO Publication 250.4, January
2007, pp. 2-3, available at http://www.gpo.gov/congressional/pdfs/InformationService.pdf.
21 FY1995 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, P.L. 103-283, July 22, 1994, 108 Stat. 1427, 39 U.S.C. 3210.
22 Ibid., p. 21.
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The three allowances for all Senators are funded together in a single appropriation subaccount
“Senators’ Official Personnel and Office Expense Account,” within the appropriation account
“Contingent Expenses of the Senate.” For FY2010, the preliminary list of total office allowances
shows a range from $3,090,168 for the Senators from Delaware to $4,873,149 for the Senators
from California.23 The average allocation is $3,343,867.24
Appropriations are available to support only the official duties of Senators, and appropriations are
not to be used to defray any personal, political, or campaign-related expenses. Senators are
responsible for payment of any expenses incurred in support of official duties that exceed the set
allowances of the individual accounts.
All personnel, office, and official mail expenses reimbursed to or on behalf of a Senator are
required to be published in the semiannual Report of the Secretary of the Senate. An amendment
to the FY2010 legislative branch appropriations bill (H.R. 2918), which was offered by Senator
Coburn and agreed to by voice vote on July 6, 2009, directs the Secretary of the Senate to
“publicly post on-line on the website of the Senate each report in a searchable, itemized
format.”25 The provision was contained P.L. 111-68.26
Official Office Expense Allowance
One component of the Senators’ Official Personnel and Office Expense Account is the office
expense allowance, which includes funding for official Senate business. The amount of this
component varies for each Senator depending primarily on the distance between Washington, DC,
and the home state, the population of the state, and the official mail allocation. In FY2010,
allowances ranged from $128,585 to $465,919.27
Personnel Allowances: Administrative and Clerical Assistance and Legislative
Assistance.
The Senators’ Official Personnel and Office Expense Account also includes two personnel
allowances available for staff employment in Washington, DC, and home state offices.
Administrative and Clerical Assistance Allowance
The administrative and clerical assistance allowance is allocated according to the population of a
Senator’s state. The FY2010 Senate report included preliminary allowance figures that varied

23 Total obtained from U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Legislative Branch Appropriations, 2010,
report to accompany S. 1291, 111th Cong., 1st sess., S.Rept. 111-29 (Washington: GPO, 2009), p. 21. The Senate
reports on the legislative branch bill generally provide preliminary information on the allocation for Senators from each
state. The Senate did not issue a report on the FY2009 legislative branch bill.
24 CRS calculation based upon state totals for all 100 Senators. Data do not include any supplementals, transfers, or
rescissions.
25 S.Amdt. 1369, Congressional Record, July 6, 2009, p. S7121.
26 P.L. 111-68, Oct. 1, 2009, 123 Stat. 2026.
27 U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Legislative Branch Appropriations, 2010, report to accompany
S. 1291, 111th Cong., 1st sess., S.Rept. 111-29 (Washington: GPO, 2009), p. 21.
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from $2,453,206 for a Senator representing a state with a population under 5,000,000 to
$3,898,853 for a Senator representing a state with a population of 28,000,000 or more.28
Legislative Assistance Allowance
According to the Senate report on the FY2010 legislative branch appropriations bill, each Senator
is authorized $508,377 to appoint up to three legislative assistants, to be paid a maximum of
$169,459 each per annum.29
Official Mail Allowance
Senators are authorized the privilege of sending mail as franked mail in the conduct of official
business to assist them in their duties as Members of Congress. Requirements on the use of the
frank and mass mailings are established in statute, regulations and rules of the Senate, and
interpretative rulings of the Senate Ethics Committee. Each Senator is authorized a specific dollar
allocation for franked mail, largely based on the number of addresses in his or her state.
Other Allowances
Senate Interns
Senators may employ interns during the academic year and during the summer. Senators
determine their own financial arrangements for interns.
Office Space in States
Each Senator is authorized to secure, in an amount determined by law, suitable office space in
federal building(s) in the state he or she represents. In the event suitable office space is not
available in a federal building, a Senator is authorized to lease privately owned office space. The
cost of private space is not to exceed the highest rate per square foot charged by the General
Services Administration (GSA). The aggregate square footage of office space that can be secured
for a Senator ranges from 5,000 square feet, if the population of the state is less than 3,000,000, to
8,200 square feet, if the state’s population is 17,000,000 or more.30 There is no restriction on the
number of offices.
Mobile Office Space for Senators
Each Senator is entitled to lease one mobile office for use only in the state he or she represents.
Senators are authorized to be reimbursed for rent and non-personnel costs of operating the office.
There are limitations on the terms of the lease, the maximum annual rental payment, and

28 U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Legislative Branch Appropriations, 2010, report to accompany
S. 1291, 111th Cong., 1st sess., S.Rept. 111-29 (Washington: GPO, 2009), p. 21.
29 Ibid., and Order of the President pro tempore, implementing a pay increase for Senate employees, effective January
1, 2009, issued March 12, 2009 (contained in 2 U.S.C. 60a-1 and available at http://uscode.house.gov).
30 2 U.S.C. 59(b).
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reimbursable operating costs. No reimbursement is to be made for expenses incurred during the
60 days preceding a contested election.31
Furniture and Furnishings in Washington, DC
Each Senator is authorized furniture and furnishings from an approved list. Furniture and
furnishings are supplied and maintained by the Architect of the Capitol (for spaces in Senate
office buildings) and the Senate Sergeant at Arms (for offices in the Capitol). Additional
furnishings can be purchased through the Senate stationery store.
Furniture and Furnishings in State Offices
Each Senator is authorized $40,000 for state office furniture and furnishings for one or more
offices, if the aggregate square footage of office space does not exceed 5,000 square feet. The
base authorization is increased by $1,000 for each authorized additional incremental increase in
office space of 200 square feet.32 Under the FY2000 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, this
allowance is to be automatically increased at the beginning of each Congress to reflect inflation.33
The aggregate dollar amount is the maximum value of furniture and furnishings to be provided by
GSA for state office use at any one time. Furniture and furnishings remain GSA property.
Office Equipment in Washington, DC, and State Offices
Each Senator may use certain basic office equipment allocated in accordance with the population
of the state he or she represents and other factors that have been stipulated by the Senate
Committee on Rules and Administration.
Government Publications
Each Senator is entitled to receive certain government publications and printed products. These
include, for example, copies of the daily Congressional Record, one copy of Deschler’s
Precedents, various manuals and directories, and public document franked envelopes.34

31 2 U.S.C. 59(f).
32 2 U.S.C. 59(c)(2).
33 P.L. 106-57, 113 Stat. 412, September 29, 1999; 2 U.S.C. 59(c)(2).
34 For additional information, see “Information Services for Members of Congress,” GPO Publication 250.4, January
2007, pp. 2-3, available at http://www.gpo.gov/congressional/pdfs/InformationService.pdf.
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Compensation of Other Congressional Officers and
Officials
House of Representatives35


Majority and Minority Leaders
$193,400 per annum
Chief Administrative Officer
$172,500 per annum
Clerk of the House
$172,500 per annum
Sergeant at Arms
$172,500 per annum
Legislative Counsel
$172,500 per annum
Law Revision Counsel
$172,500 per annum
Parliamentarian
$172,500 per annum
Inspector General
$172,500 per annum
Director, Interparliamentary Affairs
$172,500 per annum
Director, Emergency Planning, Preparedness, and Operations
$172,500 per annum
General Counsel to House
$172,500 per annum
Chaplain
$172,500 per annum
Senate36
President pro tempore
($227,300 per annum if the position of Vice President is vacant)
$193,400 per annum37
Majority and Minority Leaders
$193,400 per annum
Secretary of the Senate
$172,500 per annum
Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper
$172,500 per annum
Legislative Counsel
$172,500 per annum
Senate Legal Counsel
$172,500 per annum
Parliamentarian
$171,315 per annum
Chaplain
$153,200 per annum38

35 Source is U.S. Congress, House, Order of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, implementing a pay increase
for House employees, effective January 9, 2009, issued January 9, 2009 (contained in 2 U.S.C. 60a-2a). Estimates may
also be obtained by examining the quarterly Statement of Disbursements of the House.
36 The source for salaries of officers and officials of the Senate, excluding the Chaplain, the President pro tempore, and
the majority and minority leaders, is the Order of the President pro tempore, implementing a pay increase for Senate
employees, effective January 1, 2009, issued March 12, 2009 (2 U.S.C. 60a-1, available at http://uscode.house.gov).
Estimates may also be obtained by examining the semi-annual Report of the Secretary of the Senate.
37 The President pro tempore is paid $227,300 (2009 rate) if there is a vacancy in the position of Vice President. The
U.S. Constitution provides that the Vice President shall serve as President of the Senate, and that when the Vice
President is absent from the Senate, the President pro tempore presides in his place. During a vacancy in the position of
the Vice President, the President pro tempore is considered the temporary, full-time President of the Senate and
receives the increased salary rate (2 U.S.C. 32).
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Compensation of Standing Committee Employees
House of Representatives
The maximum salaries for employees of committees, as established in the 2009 pay order, are
$172,500 per annum for up to three staff members (two majority and one minority); $170,696 per
annum for up to nine staff members (six majority and three minority);39 and a maximum of
$168,411 for other staff.40
Senate
The maximum salary for employees of standing committees, as established in the 2009 pay order,
is $171,315 per annum.41

Author Contact Information

Ida A. Brudnick

Analyst on the Congress
ibrudnick@crs.loc.gov, 7-6460


Acknowledgments
This report was originally written by Paul E. Dwyer, formerly a Specialist in American National
Government at CRS, who has since retired. The listed author updated the report and is available to answer
questions concerning its contents.




(...continued)
38 The Chaplain is paid the same as federal officials in Level IV of the Executive Schedule.
39 The chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations may establish the salaries for 24 staff, seven of which are
to be designated by the ranking minority party member.
40 Source is U.S. Congress, House, Order of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, implementing a pay increase
for House employees, effective January 9, 2009, issued January 9, 2009 (contained in 2 U.S.C. 60a-2a).
41 The source for salaries of officers and officials of the Senate is the Order of the President pro tempore, implementing
a pay increase for Senate employees, effective January 1, 2009, issued March 12, 2009 (contained in 2 U.S.C. 60a-1
and available at http://uscode.house.gov). Estimates may also be obtained by examining the semi-annual Report of the
Secretary of the Senate.
Congressional Research Service
11

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