The federal salary tables don’t usually make headlines, but they quietly reveal how the United States values its highest-level public servants. These numbers tell a story about power, responsibility, and how the government compensates the people who sit atop its three branches.
From the presidency to the Supreme Court to congressional leadership, here is a fully ranked and ready-to-publish breakdown of the top ten highest-paid federal officials in 2025, counting down from number ten to number one.
10. House & Senate Leadership
They decide which bills live or die, yet their pay has barely budged in years. Leaders like Hakeem Jeffries, Mitch McConnell, and John Thune wield immense influence over the legislative calendar, but their compensation lags behind many unelected officials. This reflects a long-standing political reluctance in Congress to vote for its own pay raises.
Salary: $193,400
9. Speaker of the House
Second in the line of presidential succession, Speaker Mike Johnson sits at the pinnacle of legislative power. His role carries immense constitutional gravity and relentless pressure, yet his compensation remains fixed, a testament to the unique constraints on congressional pay compared to the executive branch.
Salary: $223,500
8. Deputy Cabinet Secretaries
These are the quiet operators who actually run the massive federal bureaucracies. As Level II officials, they translate presidential directives into action, ensuring the government functions day-to-day. Their pay reflects their essential role as the anchors of continuity in the executive branch.
Salary: $225,700
7. Federal Reserve Board Governors
Decisions made by governors like Lisa Cook and Philip Jefferson can move global markets in an instant. Their votes on interest rates affect everything from mortgages to inflation, making them some of the most consequential – yet often invisible – figures in our economy.
Salary: $225,700
6. Vice President of the United States
It is a constitutional quirk: the Vice President’s statutory salary is higher, but a long-standing pay freeze means JD Vance earns less than many of the people he works with. Despite serving as President of the Senate and being a heartbeat away from the presidency, his paycheck reflects the political reality of frozen executive pay.
Salary: $235,100
5. Cabinet Secretaries
Sitting around the table in the Situation Room, leaders like Antony Blinken and Janet Yellen advise the President on war, peace, and the economy. Their compensation is standardized at Level I of the Executive Schedule, placing the Secretary of Defense on the same pay scale as the Secretary of Transportation.
Salary: $250,600
4. Chair of the Federal Reserve
Jerome Powell is arguably the most powerful non-elected official on the planet. His words can crash or rally markets worldwide. Yet, his compensation is capped at the same level as a cabinet secretary, a deliberate design to keep the central bank integrated into the structure of public service rather than private wealth.
Salary: $250,600
3. Associate Justices of the Supreme Court
With lifetime appointments, justices like Clarence Thomas and Sonia Sotomayor shape American law for decades. Their compensation, significantly higher than those in the executive or legislative branches, reflects the judiciary’s need for independence and the immense weight of their final legal judgments.
Salary: $303,600
2. Chief Justice of the United States
John Roberts holds a unique dual role: he is both a judge and the administrator of the entire federal court system. His slightly higher compensation acknowledges this added burden of managing the vast machinery of the third branch of government.
Salary: $317,500
1. President of the United States
At the top of the list is President Donald Trump. The presidency is the only office with a salary fixed by statute that cannot be changed during a term – a constitutional safeguard designed to preserve the executive’s independence from Congress. While the president’s salary is a fraction of what a CEO of a major corporation earns, it remains the highest salary in public service, a symbolic recognition of the unrivaled responsibility of the office.
Salary: $400,000
What This Ranking Leaves Out
Federal salaries do not capture how much the most powerful officials may earn through book deals, investments, speaking engagements or teaching. Supreme Court justices and members of Congress, in particular, often make far more from outside income than from their government pay.
And while this list ranks only federal positions, many state public employees — such as university coaches and hospital executives — earn far more in total compensation.
If you want this converted into a chart, an income-adjusted ranking, or a comparison between federal, state or military top earners, tell me the angle and I’ll rewrite it to fit exactly what you’re building.
Discussion
AND he doesn't take his salary!
It's eye-opening to see who really holds power & how they're compensated. Seems our founding fathers had it right with checks and balances. I do hope they remember their duty is to the constitution, not their paycheck. The system worked better when servant leaders were the norm.
Don't make me watch an Ad to see what these salaries are….just show them.
I know I could look them up, but considering the government shutdown, they should not be making anything. Why are they making 3-7 times more than their average constituents??? And get pension, free healthcare benefits, perks for life after they retire or get voted out? When I retire, I have to pay for my Medicare, and I paid into it and SS for 50+ years….
You don't have to watch anything. Just click on and the salary comes up! 🙂
and to think they can leave government with 10-20-50-100-300 million dollars by saving parts of their salary each year.
and to think they can leave government service with 10-20-30-50-100 even 300 million dollars by saving parts of their salary each month.
"For the PEOPLE, of the PEOPLE, by the PEOPLE!" We, tie people, We do not mind how much each of our OFFICALS gets paid! We love to see all of them seeking within their consciences… "AM I WORTHY OF THE INCOME I TAKE HOME BY WHAT I HAVE DONE EACH day FOR THE PEOPLE?"
They make way too much money. Why are they making 5 to 8 times more then their constituents?
The constitution says that they can't have more or less than we have So anyone making over $100.000 is getting overpaid.The same with Medicare.If we were on the same scale we would be able to get better coverage.
Where in the Constitution does the FED get its authority? The Founding Fathers never intended that a private bank coin money & set its value.That responsibility was given to Congress & the Federal Reserve Act, which was passed in stealth, is not an amendment & didn't go through the ratification process to give it weight. Do we have such a lazy Congress that it won't repeal it & correct all that is wrong with our monetary system on account of its existence & actions?
I don't know if it is still true, but President Trump had not been taking a salary. And yes, these salaries are outrageous, especially for what these politicians are worth. Take House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, for example, with $223,500 annual salary, she is now worth multi-millions. Go figure ….
and in my opinion those salaries should be cut to less that$100,000.
and the whole democrat members should repay all their pay for shutting down the Government. and be locked up for hate crimes.
Thank God for Trump MAGA ! The best President in my lifetime if 78 years !
they can list all these so-called "powerful" officials but none of them hold a candle to Trump when it comes to true leadership and making america great again.