Trump White House Salaries Revealed: Top Earners, Zero Paychecks, and a President's Donation

The White House pulled back the curtain on its payroll, revealing a spectrum of salaries from modest to hefty, with a few staffers opting for the ultimate pay cut—nothing at all. The annual report, released Thursday, details earnings for President Donald Trump’s team, ranging from $59,070 to a top-tier $225,700.

Jacalynne Klopp, a senior advisor, leads the pack as the highest-paid staffer, pocketing $225,700. Hot on her heels is associate counsel Edgar Mkrtchian at $203,645. A robust group of 33 heavyweights, including familiar names like press secretary Karoline Leavitt, border czar Tom Homan, chief of staff Susan Wiles, trade advisor Peter Navarro, communications director Steven Cheung, and homeland security advisor Stephen Miller, all earn a cool $195,200.

At the lower end, 108 staffers bring in between $59,000 and $80,000, while the speechwriters crafting Trump’s rhetoric earn between $92,500 and $121,500. Meanwhile, eight employees, including big names like Secretary of State Marco Rubio (doubling as national security advisor) and special envoy Steve Witkoff, skip White House paychecks entirely, drawing salaries from other government roles instead.

President Trump himself? His compensation isn’t in the report, but federal law pegs his base salary at $400,000, plus a $50,000 expense allowance, $100,000 for travel, and $19,000 for entertainment. True to form, Trump, who donated his salary to government agencies during his first term, plans to keep the tradition alive in his second.

This peek into White House wallets shows a mix of high rollers and selfless servers, reflecting the complex machinery of an administration navigating a polarized landscape.