How Much Money Does A Congressman Make A Year

This chart shows historical information on the salaries that members of the United States Congress have been paid.^[1] The Government Ethics Reform Act of 1989 provides for an automatic increase in salary each year as a cost of living adjustment that reflects the employment cost index.^[2] Since 2010 Congress has annually voted not to accept the increase, keeping it at the same nominal amount since 2009. The Twenty-seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1992, prohibits any law affecting compensation from taking effect until after the next election.

Year	Salary	Per diem/annum	Percent adjustment	In 2019 dollars
1789	$6	per diem
1795	$6	per diem only Representatives
	$7	per diem only Senators
1796	$6	per diem
1815	$1,500	per annum		$20,954
1817	$6	per diem only Representatives		$96
	$7	per diem only Senators		$112
1818	$8	per diem		$134
1855	$3,000	per annum		$82,318
1865	$5,000	per annum		$83,511
1871	$7,500	per annum		$160,063
1874	$5,000	per annum		$112,985
1907	$7,500	per annum		$205,795
1925	$10,000	per annum		$145,787
1932	$9,000	per annum		$168,651
1933	$8,500	per annum		$167,880
1934 (2/1)	$9,000	per annum		$172,007
1934 (7/1)	$9,500	per annum		$181,563
1935	$10,000	per annum		$186,481
1947	$12,500	per annum		$143,126
1955	$22,500	per annum		$214,742
1965	$30,000	per annum		$243,390
1969	$42,500	per annum		$296,304
1975	$44,600	per annum		$211,912
1977	$57,500	per annum		$242,599
1979	$60,662.50	per annum		$213,696
1982	$69,800	per annum only Representatives		$184,922
1983	$69,800	per annum only Senators		$179,176
1984	$72,600	per annum		$178,663
1985	$75,100	per annum		$178,525
1987 (1/1)	$77,400	per annum		$174,184
1987 (2/4)	$89,500	per annum		$201,414
1990 (2/1)	$96,600	per annum only Representatives		$189,042
1990 (2/1)	$98,400	per annum only Senators		$192,564
1991 (1/1)	$125,100	per annum only Representatives		$234,826
1991 (1/1)	$101,900	per annum only Senators		$191,277
1991 (8/14)	$125,100	per annum only Senators		$234,826
1992	$129,500	per annum	3.5%	$235,938
1993	$133,600	per annum	3.2%	$236,454
1998	$136,700	per annum	2.3%	$214,428
2000	$141,300	per annum	3.4%	$209,779
2001	$145,100	per annum	2.7%	$209,510
2002	$150,000	per annum	3.4%	$213,219
2003	$154,700	per annum	3.1%	$215,007
2004	$158,100	per annum	2.2%	$214,003
2005	$162,100	per annum	2.5%	$212,202
2006	$165,200	per annum	1.9%	$209,513
2008	$169,300	per annum	2.5%	$201,040
2009	$174,000	per annum	2.8%	$207,359

Salaries, shown for US Senators and US Representatives. Also shown: salaries adjusted to 2014 US Dollars.

Additional pay schedule for the Senate and House positions:

SCHEDULE 6—VICE PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS^[3]

Position	Salary
Vice President	$255,800
Senators and House Representatives	$174,000
Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico	$174,000
President pro tempore of the Senate	$193,400
Majority leader and minority leader of the Senate	$193,400
Majority leader and minority leader of the House of Representatives	$193,400
Speaker of the House of Representatives	$223,500

References [edit]

^ Brudnick, Ida A. (April 11, 2018). Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables (PDF). Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
^ "Do Members of Congress get Automatic Pay Hikes (COLAs)?". National Taxpayers Union . Retrieved 2018-08-02 .
^ Executive Order 13970 of December 31, 2020, Adjustments of Certain Rates of Pay. Executive Order for 2021 Pay Schedules