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The Highest Earners Inside Trump’s White House in 2026

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Working at the White House might be one of the most exclusive and prestigious jobs in the US, but you’d be surprised by how much some of the people around the president make each year.

For starters, having the top job — that is, being the president of the US — brings in a salary of $400,000, which some independently wealthy presidents, such as John F. Kennedy, Herbert Hoover, and Donald Trump, have chosen to donate instead.

While the figure is significantly higher than what the average American makes — $72,800 in 2025, according to the Social Security Administration — it’s also less than you would need to be in the top 1% of earners across all US states.

In 2025, the top 1% of earners in Maryland and Virginia, which border the District of Columbia, earn $677,543 and $701,792 annually, respectively.

Government salaries often lag behind what professionals earn in the private sector, since serving the public isn’t as lucrative as maximizing shareholder value. Still, to say that those working at the White House are underpaid would be an overstatement.

On July 1, the White House shared with Congress the salaries of all employees inside the president’s executive office, including aides, advisors, and staff leaders, as it is legally required to.

Some of the highest-compensated workers around the president include policy advisors and legal counsel, while others are responsible for the president’s communications and personnel management. Lower-paid roles include research assistants and press assistants.

Other notable names, like Marco Rubio and David Sacks, declared a $0 salary from the office of the president, either forgoing their salary or receiving compensation from other branches of government.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

See the 34 people who get paid the most inside the White House, after the president himself.

Gary Barnett

The White House is visible from the South Lawn on October 3, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Gary Barnett previously worked at the US Federal Trade Commission as an attorney advisor.

Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images

Role: Senior policy advisor

Salary: $197,200

Scott Brady

U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania Scott Brady warrants for the arrests of Maksim Viktorovich Yakubets and Igor Olegovich Turashev, two Russian hackers associated with a group called Evil Corp., at the U.S. Department of Justice on December 5, 2019 in Washington, DC.

Brady (center) is a former US Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Role: Executive director of the Anti-Fraud Task Force

Salary: $197,200

Lucas Croslow

Members of the press do video stand-ups outside of the West Wing before U.S. President Donald Trump departs on the South Lawn of the White House on October 23, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Lucas Croslow previously served as general counsel for the Federal Trade Commission.

Finn Gomez/Getty Images

Role: Senior policy advisor

Salary: $197,200

Blake Deeley

trump signs executive order

Trump established the National Energy Dominance Council via executive order in February.

The Washington Post/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Role: Deputy executive director of the National Energy Dominance Council

Salary: $197,200

Harry Jung

US President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a meeting with cryptocurrency executives in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 19, 2026.

Trump established the President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets (also known as the White House Crypto Council) in 2025.

Jim WATSON / AFP via Getty Images

Role: Deputy director of the Presidential Council of Advisors for Digital Assets

Salary: $197,200

Peter Lake

Peter Lake, the White House National Energy Dominance Council Senior Director of Power, speaks during CERAWeek by S&P Global in Houston Thursday, March 26, 2026.

Peter Lake is the senior director of power at the National Energy Dominance Council.

Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

Role: Senior advisor

Salary: $197,200

James “J.C.” Miller

Dominic Restuccia, White House Liaison swears in James (JC) Miller, Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services (FNCS) at the USDA headquarters on March 24, 2025

J.C. Miller previously served as an administrator at the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service.

USDA photo by Christophe Paul

Role: Senior policy advisor

Salary: $197,200

Joseph Simonson

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) headquarters in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

Joseph Simonson previously served as the director of public affairs at the Federal Trade Commission.

Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Role: Senior policy advisor

Salary: $197,200

Nick Stewart

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) servicemen stand in front of an Iranian national flag at Iran's first military training base for ''self-sacrificing'' forces in southern Tehran, Iran, on September 24, 2026.

Nick Stewart (not pictured), who served in the State Department during Trump’s first term, is now a policy advisor on the White House team negotiating to end the war in Iran.

Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Role: Policy advisor

Salary: $197,200

Jarrod Agen

Jarrod Agen, Assistant to the President and Executive Director of the NEDC, speaks during the 2026 Concordia Annual Summit at Sheraton New York Times Square on September 22, 2026 in New York City.

Jarrod Agen leads the White House National Energy Dominance Council.

Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Concordia Summit

Role: Executive director of the National Energy Dominance Council

Salary: $195,200

Brittany Baldwin

White House

Baldwin served as a speechwriter during Trump’s first term.

Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images

Role: Senior policy advisor

Salary: $195,200

Walker Barrett

Exterior view of the Northern side of the White House in Washington DC as seen from Lafayette Square park and Pennsylvania Avenue.

Walker previously worked for the House Armed Services Committee.

Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Role: Assistant to the president for policy

Salary: $195,200

Meghan Bauer

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Oval Office of the White House on October 20, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Bauer serves as an assistant to the president and his Cabinet Secretary.

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Role: Cabinet Secretary

Salary: $195,200

James Braid

Steven Cheung, White House communications director, from left, James Blair, White House deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs, and James Braid, White House director of legislative affairs, during an announcement in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025.

Braid (right) left his role at the White House in early October.

Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Role: Director of legislative affairs

Salary: $195,200

Steven Cheung

White House Director of communications Steven Cheung

Steven Cheung is Trump’s director of communications during his second term.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Role: Director of communications

Salary: $195,200

John Coale

White House attorney John Coale

In early October, Trump named Coale as his special presidential envoy ​for hostage affairs.

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Role: Deputy assistant to the president and deputy special envoy to Ukraine

Salary: $195,200

Joshua Fisher

Joshua Fisher, director of the White House Office of Administration, speaks during a public hearing regarding the White House ballroom construction at the National Capital Planning Commission in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026.

Joshua Fisher is the director of management and administration and director to the Office of Administration.

Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Role: Director of management and administration and director to the Office of Administration

Salary: $195,200

Shawn Flynn

The White House and South Lawn are seen on August 1, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Shawn Flynn serves as associate counsel for the White House.

Kevin Carter/Getty Images

Role: Associate counsel

Salary: $195,200

Vince Haley

Vince Haley

Haley serves as the Director of the Domestic Policy Council.

AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

Role: Director of the Domestic Policy Council

Salary: $195,200

Hayley Harrison

Hayley Harrison, chief of staff for US First Lady Melania Trump, left, and Dan Scavino, White House deputy chief of staff, on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.

Hayley Harrison (left) is Melania Trump’s Chief of Staff.

Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Role: Chief of staff to the first lady

Salary: $195,200

William ‘Beau’ Harrison

White House aides carrying boxes to Marine One before US president Donald Trump and wife Melania Trump departed from the White House on Trump's final day in office, in Washington, DC

Harrison (right) worked as an aide in the first Trump administration, where he met his future wife, Hayley Harrison.

MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

Role: Deputy chief of staff for operations

Salary: $195,200

Kevin Hassett

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett

Hassett is the current director of the National Economic Council

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Role: Assistant to the president for economic policy and director of the National Economic Council

Salary: $195,200

Anne Hawkins

An employee of National Hurricane Center looks at the multiple hurricane models displayed on the monitors at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, on May 30, 2025.

Hawkins previously served as general counsel and chief of strategy at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images

Role: Senior policy advisor

Salary: $195,200

Tom Homan

White House Border Czar Tom Homan

Tom Homan serves as Trump’s border czar and has led the president’s mass deportation efforts.

SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

Role: Border czar

Salary: $195,200

Karoline Leavitt

Karoline Leavitt Press Secretary

Leavitt left her role as White House press secretary in August.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Role: White House press secretary

Salary: $195,200

Stephen Miller

Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor

Stephen Miller serves as Trump’s Homeland Security Advisor.

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Role: Deputy chief of staff for policy and Homeland Security advisor

Salary: $195,200

Peter Navarro

White House senior counselor for trade and manufacturing Peter Navarro

Navarro serves as Trump’s senior counselor for trade and manufacturing.

Win McNamee/Getty Images

Role: Senior counselor for trade and manufacturing

Salary: $195,200

Daniel Scavino

dan scavino deputy chief of staff

Scavino was appointed as Trump’s head of personnel last October.

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Role: Deputy chief of staff director of the Office for Presidential Personnel

Salary: $195,200

Will Scharf

White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf

Scharf serves as the White House staff secretary under the second Trump administration.

Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP

Role: Staff secretary

Salary: $195,200

Courtney Stecker

Department of Veterans Affairs building, Washington DC.

Courtney Stecker previously served as senior advisor to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Rose-Marie Henriksson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Role: Senior policy advisor

Salary: $195,200

David Warrington

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt (L), CIA Director John Rattcliffe (front) and White House Counsel David Warrington (C) look on as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (2ndL) speaks with security advisor Andy Baker (R) in the Situation Room as they monitor the mission that took out three Iranian nuclear enrichment sites, at the White House on June 21, 2025

David Warrington provides legal counsel to the president.

Handout/Getty Images

Role: Counsel to the president

Salary: $195,200

Susie Wiles

White House Chief of Staff susan wiles

Susie Wiles is Trump’s chief of staff during his second term.

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Role: Chief of staff

Salary: $195,200

Patrick Witt

Patrick Witt, Executive Director of the President's Council of Advisors for Digital Assets at the White House

The former football quarterback serves as Trump’s crypto advisor.

Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Chainlink Labs

Role: Executive director of the Presidential Council of Advisors for Digital Assets

Salary: $195,200

Ross Worthington

Donald Trump speech

Ross Worthington is Trump’s Director of Speechwriting.

PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images

Role: Director of speechwriting

Salary: $195,200



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