A rank-and-file U.S. senator makes $174,000 a year, the same figure that’s been on the books since 2009.1United States Senate. U.S. Senate: Senate Salaries (1789 to Present) Three Senate leaders earn $193,400. On top of that base salary, every senator gets a federal pension, a Thrift Savings Plan match, subsidized health and life insurance, and a separate office budget that pays for staff and travel but never lands in a personal account.
Why the Salary Has Been $174,000 Since 2009
Federal law sets an automatic annual pay adjustment for members of Congress tied to changes in private-sector wages measured by the Employment Cost Index.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 2 U.S.C. 4501 – Compensation of Members of Congress Left alone, senators would get a small cost-of-living bump most years without casting a vote. Congress has blocked that adjustment every year since 2009, usually by writing a pay-freeze provision into a larger spending bill.3Congressional Research Service. Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables
The 27th Amendment adds a second brake. Any change in congressional compensation must wait until after the next election of Representatives, so a sitting senator can’t vote themselves an immediate raise.
Which Senators Earn More
Three positions carry a higher salary of $193,400: the President pro tempore, the Majority Leader, and the Minority Leader.4Congressional Research Service. Congressional Salaries and Allowances: In Brief That’s about $19,400 above the rank-and-file rate. The Speaker of the House is the only federal legislator paid more, at $223,500.
The Office Budget Is Not Personal Income
Each senator also controls the Senators’ Official Personnel and Office Expense Account, a separate operating budget for staff salaries, state office rent, official travel, and franked mail.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 2 U.S.C. 6313 – Senators Official Personnel and Office Expense Account It has ranged in recent years from about $3.4 million to over $5.4 million, depending on the state’s population and distance from Washington. None of it counts as personal pay, and it’s audited to keep public money separate from private income.
Pension Benefits
Senators participate in the Federal Employees Retirement System, with a more generous accrual formula than most federal workers. For up to 20 years of congressional service, the pension accrues at 1.7% of the senator’s highest three-year average salary per year served. Beyond 20 years, additional service accrues at 1%.6U.S. Office of Personnel Management. FERS Information – Computation A senator must have at least five years of service as a Member of Congress or congressional employee to qualify for the enhanced rate.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 U.S.C. 8415 – Computation of Basic Annuity
At the current salary, a 20-year senator would earn a pension of roughly $59,160 per year (1.7% × $174,000 × 20). A 30-year senator adds another ten years at 1%, pushing the annuity closer to $76,560. These are estimates; the actual figure uses the highest three-year salary average, which shifts if pay ever changes.
Senators contribute out of pocket for that pension. Those first covered by FERS before 2013 pay 1.3% of salary. Those first covered in 2013 pay 3.1%. Those first covered after 2013 pay 4.4%.8Congressional Research Service. Retirement Benefits for Members of Congress
Thrift Savings Plan Match
Senators also have the Thrift Savings Plan, the federal 401(k) equivalent. The government automatically deposits 1% of basic pay whether the senator contributes or not. A senator who puts in at least 5% of salary gets the full match: dollar-for-dollar on the first 3% and fifty cents on the dollar for the next 2%, for a 5% total government contribution.9Thrift Savings Plan. Contribution Types At $174,000, that’s up to $8,700 a year from the government on top of salary.
Health and Life Insurance
The Affordable Care Act requires senators to buy their health coverage through ACA exchanges, but they still receive a federal employer contribution toward the premium, comparable to what regular federal employees get through the Federal Employees Health Benefits program.10Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Members of Congress FAQ
Basic life insurance through the Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance program is automatic unless a senator opts out. The government pays one-third of the basic premium; the senator pays the other two-thirds. Optional additional coverage is available at the senator’s full cost, priced by age.11U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Life Insurance
Limits on Outside Income
Senators can’t freely add to that salary from side work. The Ethics in Government Act caps outside earned income at 15% of Level II of the Executive Schedule.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 U.S.C. Appendix 501 – Outside Earned Income Limitation Level II pays $228,000 in 2026, which puts the outside-income ceiling at $34,200.13U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Salary Table No. 2026-EX The cap applies to teaching, consulting, and professional services. Honoraria for speeches, appearances, or articles are banned outright.
Investment income doesn’t count against the cap, but it has to be disclosed. Violating the outside income rules can trigger a civil action by the Attorney General, with penalties up to $10,000 or the total compensation from the prohibited activity, whichever is greater.14U.S. Office of Government Ethics. Civil Penalty Enforcement of the Ethics in Government Act The Senate Ethics Committee can also discipline members separately.
What Actually Lands in the Paycheck
The $174,000 gross figure gets smaller quickly. Senators pay federal income tax, Social Security tax (6.2% up to the annual wage base), and Medicare tax (1.45%, plus an additional 0.9% on wages above $200,000). Members of Congress have been paying into Social Security since 1983. State income taxes hit senators whose home states have them.
Then come the benefit deductions: the FERS contribution of 1.3% to 4.4%, any TSP contribution the senator elects, and the employee share of health and life insurance premiums. A senator paying the higher pension rate and maxing out the TSP can easily see over $40,000 come off the gross before anything reaches the bank.
Most senators also maintain two homes, one in their state and one near Washington, D.C. There is no federal housing stipend or per diem for members of Congress, which is why some senators famously sleep on cots in their Capitol Hill offices rather than pay for a second residence.