Members of Congress are off for most of August and basically all of October. So how much are they actually working? The Senate is in session for a total of 150 days this year, and the House is in session for a total of 115 days.
When members aren’t in session, they’re traveling back to their home state or district and meeting with constituents, holding town halls, and doing public events. But technically, that’s not required. They can choose not to do that.
Members also earn $174K per year salary, and if you’re in leadership, the salary range is $193K–223K. Every year they get August off for vacation, and in election years, they get October off because they’re running for reelection.
They also get benefits like health insurance, life insurance, social security, and a pension. And they can also earn money outside of their salary, up to about $34,000. Speaking fees are prohibited, but royalties from books are not counted against that cap, which is why a lot of members write books.
So look, being a member of Congress didn’t used to be a full time job. But in the 1930s and 40s, with the Great Depression and World War II, it turned into a full time job. And as a full time job, it now comes with a lot more perks. Members of the House get somewhere between $1.8–2 million for their staff and expenses and office costs, and members of the Senate between $4.5 million and $6.5 million a year.
Again, they can only use that money on business expenses, but that’s still a lot. That’s probably why a lot of them are fighting so hard to be reelected.
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Ben Sheehan is a political commentator and digital creator. He specializes in civics education, which is showcased in his latest book, What Does the Constitution Actually Say?: A Non-Boring Guide to How Our Democracy Is Supposed to Work. Check out his Substack, Politics Made Easy.
