How Much Does the President’s Chief of Staff Make?

The President’s Chief of Staff earns $195,200 per year as of the July 2025 annual salary report submitted to Congress.1The White House. Annual Report to Congress on White House Office Personnel That figure is often reported higher because many sources assume the position sits on the Executive Schedule alongside Cabinet secretaries. It does not. The Chief of Staff is paid out of the White House Office personnel budget at a rate the President sets, and the number is lower than most people expect.

The Current Salary

Susan Wiles earned $195,200 as Chief of Staff in the July 2025 report to Congress. That is the same amount paid to every other person carrying the formal title “Assistant to the President,” including the Deputy Chiefs of Staff, the White House Counsel, and the Director of the National Economic Council.1The White House. Annual Report to Congress on White House Office Personnel The $195,200 figure is the ceiling for White House Office positions under the current administration.

That ceiling moves between presidencies. In the Biden administration’s final salary report in July 2024, the top White House pay tier was $180,000, and every Assistant to the President earned that amount.2White House Archives. 2024 July 1 Report to Congress The President has significant discretion over White House staff pay within budgetary limits, so the top rate can shift from one administration to the next.

Why the Number Is Lower Than Often Reported

You will see claims that the Chief of Staff earns the Executive Schedule Level I salary, published at $253,100 for 2026.3U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Salary Table No. 2026-EX – Rates of Basic Pay for the Executive Schedule That is incorrect for two separate reasons.

The Chief of Staff position is not listed in 5 U.S.C. § 5312, the statute that designates which positions are paid at Executive Schedule Level I. That list covers Cabinet secretaries, the Attorney General, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, among others. The Chief of Staff is not on it.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 U.S. Code 5312 – Positions at Level I The position is a White House Office job paid at a rate the President sets, not a statutory Executive Schedule slot.

Even officials who are on the Executive Schedule are not currently receiving the published rate. A pay freeze on senior political appointees has been rolling forward through continuing appropriations acts, most recently the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026. Under the freeze, the actual payable rate for Executive Schedule Level I is $203,500 rather than $253,100.5U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Updated Guidance – Pay Freeze for Certain Senior Political Officials The freeze was set to run through January 30, 2026, with future congressional action determining whether it continues.3U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Salary Table No. 2026-EX – Rates of Basic Pay for the Executive Schedule

The Chief of Staff’s $195,200 sits below both the published Level I rate and the frozen payable rate. That gap is consistent across recent administrations, because the job has always been paid as a White House staff position.

How It Compares to Other Top Officials

The Chief of Staff earns less than most of the senior officials the position deals with every day.

The Chief of Staff earns less than the Cabinet secretaries who report through the position, less than every Justice of the Supreme Court, and only modestly more than rank-and-file members of Congress.

Benefits and Retirement

Salary is part of the compensation picture. As federal employees, Chiefs of Staff are eligible for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance, and the Federal Employees Retirement System. FERS combines a basic pension annuity, Social Security, and the Thrift Savings Plan (the federal equivalent of a 401(k)).9U.S. Office of Personnel Management. FERS Information Most Chiefs of Staff serve short stints, so the pension attributable to that job alone is modest; the real value of FERS accrues to career officials who spend decades in federal service.

The role also comes with resources tied to the work itself: official travel, a security detail, and access to government vehicles. These are treated as tools for performing the job rather than personal income and are generally not taxable.

What You Cannot Earn on the Side

While serving, the Chief of Staff cannot supplement the salary with outside work. Federal regulations bar full-time noncareer presidential appointees from receiving outside earned income for any employment or activity performed during their appointment.10eCFR. 5 CFR 2635.804 – Outside Earned Income Limitations Applicable to Certain Presidential Appointees Book deals, speaking fees, and consulting arrangements are off the table for the duration of service. The Chief of Staff also files a public financial disclosure report under the Ethics in Government Act, listing assets, income sources, liabilities, and financial interests so that conflicts can be identified.

Restrictions After Leaving

The post-employment rules hit the Chief of Staff harder than most former officials. Under 18 U.S.C. § 207, anyone who served at Executive Schedule Level I or in a position appointed by the President faces a two-year ban on lobbying any officer or employee in the executive branch after leaving. That is broader than the one-year cooling-off period other senior officials face, which is limited to contacts with their former agency.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 207 – Restrictions on Former Officers, Employees, and Elected Officials of the Executive and Legislative Branches

Violations are federal crimes. A knowing violation carries up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $50,000. A willful violation raises the maximum prison term to five years. Individual administrations sometimes add further restrictions by executive order, and those layered rules change from one presidency to the next.