Yes, members of Congress get paid. Rank-and-file representatives and senators earn a base salary of $174,000 a year, with higher pay for leadership, plus office allowances, a federal retirement package, and employer-subsidized health insurance. The $174,000 figure has held since 2009.
How Much Members Earn
The $174,000 base applies to every rank-and-file member of the House and Senate, including non-voting delegates and the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico.1U.S. Senate. Senate Salaries 1789 to Present Seniority, committee assignments, and the size of the district or state make no difference. The pay is gross, before federal and state income taxes, Social Security, Medicare, and retirement contributions come out.
Leadership earns more:
- Speaker of the House: $223,500, the highest salary of any member.2House Radio-Television Gallery. Salaries
- Majority and Minority Leaders in both chambers, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate: $193,400.1U.S. Senate. Senate Salaries 1789 to Present
Who Sets Congressional Pay
Congress sets its own pay. Article I, Section 6 of the Constitution says members “shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States.”3Legal Information Institute. Article I Legislative Branch Section VI The 27th Amendment, ratified in 1992, blocks any change from taking effect until after the next House election, so sitting members cannot vote themselves an immediate raise.4Constitution Annotated. Twenty-Seventh Amendment
Under the Ethics Reform Act of 1989, member pay is supposed to rise automatically each year based on the Employment Cost Index, capped at the raise other federal employees receive under the General Schedule.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 2 USC 4501 Compensation of Members of Congress Every year since 2009, though, Congress has voted to block that adjustment. That’s why $174,000 has held for more than 17 years.
Office Allowances
Salary is separate from the money members use to run their offices, and the two cannot be mixed. Office funds cannot be pocketed as personal income or spent on campaigns.
House members draw from the Members’ Representational Allowance, which pays for staff salaries, travel, office equipment, district office rent, telecommunications, postage, and similar official expenses.6House Committee on Ethics. Members Representational Allowance Senators get parallel funding through the Senators’ Official Personnel and Office Expense Account, in amounts that scale with the population of the state.
Outside Income
Members face tight limits on what they can earn outside their official duties. For 2026, the cap on outside earned income is $33,855.7House Committee on Ethics. FAQs About Outside Employment The cap applies to wages, business income, and professional services. Investment returns and other unearned income are treated differently.
Honoraria — payment for speeches, appearances, or articles — are prohibited outright. The ban took effect January 1, 1991, under the Ethics Reform Act, and House ethics rules provide no waiver.8House Committee on Ethics. Laws Rules and Standards of Conduct Governing the Outside Employment of Members and All Staff A member can still give the speech; they just cannot be paid for it.
Taxes on the Paycheck
Congressional pay is taxed like any other earned income. Members owe federal income tax, state income tax if their home state has one, Social Security tax, and Medicare tax. There is no special exemption for serving in Congress.
Living costs in Washington come out of after-tax pay. Federal tax law treats a member’s home district or state as their tax home, so the cost of keeping a second residence in D.C. is not deductible. A pre-2017 provision that let members deduct up to $3,000 a year in D.C. living expenses has been eliminated.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 US Code 162 – Trade or Business Expenses
Retirement Benefits
Members participate in the Federal Employees Retirement System, the same framework covering most civilian federal workers hired after 1986. FERS pulls together three income streams: a defined-benefit pension, Social Security, and the Thrift Savings Plan.10U.S. Office of Personnel Management. FERS Information
A member vests in the pension after five years of service. The accrual rate is higher than for regular federal employees: 1.7 percent of the member’s high-three average salary for each of the first 20 years, then 1 percent per year after that. When benefits start depends on age and years of service, generally beginning at age 62 for a member with at least five years, earlier for those with longer service.
The Thrift Savings Plan works like a 401(k). The government automatically puts in 1 percent of basic pay whether or not the member contributes. If the member does contribute, the first 3 percent of pay is matched dollar-for-dollar and the next 2 percent at 50 cents on the dollar, so a member contributing 5 percent gets a 4 percent match on top of the automatic 1 percent.11Thrift Savings Plan. Contribution Types Members also pay into Social Security through regular payroll taxes and collect benefits based on their earnings history.10U.S. Office of Personnel Management. FERS Information
Health Insurance
Under Section 1312(d)(3)(D) of the Affordable Care Act, members and their designated staff must buy health coverage through the Small Business Health Options Program exchange in Washington, D.C., rather than through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program that covers other federal workers. The federal government still contributes toward premiums as an employer, so members are not paying the full sticker price out of pocket.
Pay During a Government Shutdown
When funding lapses and the federal government shuts down, members keep getting paid. Article I, Section 6 guarantees compensation for their services, and that guarantee has been read to continue paychecks through a lapse in appropriations.3Legal Information Institute. Article I Legislative Branch Section VI Congressional staff do not get the same protection and can be furloughed or see their pay delayed.
Some members have voluntarily donated or returned their shutdown-period pay, and legislation and proposed constitutional amendments have been introduced to suspend congressional pay during shutdowns. None have been enacted. Changing the arrangement is difficult because the guarantee is constitutional.
What Survivors Receive
If a member dies in office, their survivors receive a tax-free payment equal to one year of that member’s salary: $174,000 for a rank-and-file member, $193,400 for a floor leader or President Pro Tempore, and $223,500 for the Speaker. The payment is authorized by resolution rather than by permanent statute and is structured as a gift, so it is not taxable income to the recipient.