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Posted Wednesday, July 01, 2009 4:58 PM

Who Gets Paid What in the Obama White House

Holly Bailey
How much does Jon Favreau get paid to write President Obama’s speeches? According to a list of salaries released today by the White House, Obama’s chief speechwriter makes $172,200 a year—the top salary possible in the West Wing. Favreau, who is paid on par with what President Bush’s chief speechwriter was paid in 2008, earns the same salary as 19 other top administration officials, including Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, advisers David Axelrod and Valerie Jarrett, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, National Security Adviser Jim Jones and economic adviser Larry Summers. The list, which is provided to Congress annually by the White House, includes staffers in the Executive Office of the President, including the first lady’s office and the Domestic Policy Council. (Vice President Biden’s staff salaries are typically disclosed in a separate report to the Senate.) Among the highlights: Social Secretary Desiree Rogers, who makes $113,000; Stephanie Cutter, who is leading the Sonia Sotomayor’s Supreme Court confirmation process, is paid $153,200; Tom Donilon, Jones’s deputy, earns $172,200; and Reggie Love, Obama’s body guy, makes $102,000 a year. One thing is clear: None of these folks should be expecting a raise. Earlier this year, Obama put a salary freeze on White House staffers earning more than $100,000 a year. (That means you've still got a chance, Tommy Vietor!) For the record, Obama's salary is $400,000 a year.
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Member Comments

Posted By: nickedwards (July 2, 2009 at 3:30 PM)

Some Context: The AVERAGE salary of Goldman Sachs employees is ~$700,000 per year...


Posted By: carlyt (July 2, 2009 at 10:08 AM)

They may have the same top salaries as Bush staffers but different caliber. There is a related post at http://iamsoannoyed.com/?p=2024


Posted By: Morgan2008 (July 2, 2009 at 8:46 AM)

Obama is overpaid for the damage he is doing to America.  Salary doesn't really matter if you have an unlimited expense account.  Stimulus package hasn't done much stimulating, has it?  Unemployment still rising!  Unemployment much higher than being reported since people who are no longer drawing unemployment compensation are not included in the count.  Obama is to blame for this!