Obama's Key Advisers Make $172,200
A list of 487 employees in the Executive Office of the President – and their annual pay, is now posted on the White House Web site.
The list spans the West Wing spectrum from receptionist to chief of staff.
Since 1995, the White House has been required to submit a staff salary list to Congress. And usually the list is leaked to members of the press.
But this is the first time the White House itself has made the list a public document.
"Consistent with President Obama's commitment to transparency, this report is being publicly disclosed," said the White House on its Web site.
How would you feel if your employer posted everyone's name, title and salary? I suspect it would cause quite a stir at CBS News. Let's see, Katie Couric...
The list shows 22 senior staffers earning top pay of $172,200 a year. They include the Sunday talk show names such as advisors David Axelrod and Valerie Jarrett, National Security Adviser Gen. Jim Jones, press secretary Robert Gibbs, Economic Advisor Larry Summers as well as Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.
In all, there are 144 on the list earning six figure paychecks. But on his second day in office, Mr. Obama imposed a pay freeze on all of them. They won't get the annual increases others in government get each January as long as the freeze is in effect.
"During this period of economic emergency, families are tightening their belts, and so should Washington," said Mr. Obama on January 21st in announcing the pay freeze on his top aides.
Still, there's one name on the White House list that tops all others: David Marcozzi, Director of Public Health Policy. His salary is put at $192,934. Technically, he's not a White House staffer, but an official on loan from the Department of Health and Human Services. Government officials in the Senior Executive Service can earn a top base pay of $196,700. There are 32 "detailees" on the staff list.
The list also shows many White House staffers earning far less: a switchboard operator, $42,800; a receptionist, $36,000; and policy analyst, $38,000.
As interesting as the salaries are some of the titles:
- correspondence analyst, $36,000
- presidential support specialist, $41,210
- assistant supervisor of classification, $75,537.
Some may gripe about their salaries when compared to others, but all know it's a rare privilege to work at the White House.
Nobody works here just for the pay.
