Karoline Leavitt is officially the youngest White House Press Secretary in American history. It's wild. At just 27, she’s taking on one of the most high-pressure jobs in the world, and honestly, the internet is obsessed with what she's actually pulling in. Everyone wants to know the karoline leavitt salary 2025 figures because, let’s face it, most 20-somethings are still trying to figure out how to pay off student loans or move out of their parents' basement.
She isn't.
According to the official 2025 White House Personnel Report, Karoline Leavitt earns a salary of $195,200.
That is the absolute ceiling for most White House staff. It’s a specific number. It’s not a round 200k, and it’s definitely not the millions some people on social media like to speculate about. In the second Trump administration, there is a very clear "top tier" of earners, and Leavitt is right there at the peak along with big names like Susie Wiles and Stephen Miller.
The Reality of the Karoline Leavitt Salary 2025
You've probably seen those clickbait headlines. The ones that say "Leavitt's Multi-Million Dollar Net Worth!" or "How the Press Secretary is Getting Rich." Most of that is total nonsense.
When you look at the actual data from the White House's annual report to Congress, you see a very structured pay scale. The $195,200 figure represents the maximum allowed under current federal pay caps for "Assistants to the President."
Wait, you might ask, why $195,200?
It’s basically tied to the Executive Schedule. For 2025, the Trump administration pushed to hit that maximum for several top-level political appointees. It’s a jump from what previous secretaries like Karine Jean-Pierre or Jen Psaki made, as their salaries usually hovered around $180,000.
Why the Pay Jump Happened
It isn't just about inflation. It’s about a specific policy shift in early 2025. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a memo that encouraged agencies to offer the maximum available salary to political appointees. This move was controversial—Senator Chris Van Hollen and several other lawmakers actually called it out—but it explains why Leavitt’s paycheck is higher than her predecessors.
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She's making the same amount as:
- Susie Wiles (Chief of Staff)
- Stephen Miller (Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy)
- Steven Cheung (Communications Director)
- Tom Homan (Border Czar)
It’s a flat line at the top. If you’re in the "inner circle," that’s the number.
Is She Underpaid or Overpaid?
This is where things get heated.
Some people look at $195,200 and think it’s a fortune. For a 27-year-old? Yeah, it’s a lot of money. But let’s look at the context. Karoline Leavitt is the face of the U.S. government. She’s on camera daily. She’s dealing with a room full of seasoned reporters who want to trip her up.
If she were a "Chief Communications Officer" at a Fortune 500 company, she’d easily be clearing $500,000 plus bonuses and stock options. In the private sector, her skill set is worth way more than what the government pays.
On the flip side, critics point out that this salary is almost five times the median income in the U.S. They argue that paying "political elites" the maximum amount while cutting other government services is a bad look.
Breaking Down the Net Worth Rumors
Let's talk about the "Net Worth" stuff because it’s everywhere.
Wikipedia and some news outlets mention that Leavitt married Nicholas Riccio, a real estate developer, in January 2025. Some reports claim her net worth is close to $6 million.
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Hold on.
Most of that "wealth" is likely tied to her husband's business or family assets. Before taking this job, Leavitt worked as the national press secretary for the Trump campaign and as a communications director for Rep. Elise Stefanik. Those aren't "millionaire-maker" jobs. In fact, LegiStorm records show her 2021 salary with Stefanik was only around $30,000 for a few months of work.
She also had some financial hurdles. In early 2025, she had to disclose about $326,370 in unpaid campaign debts from her 2022 run for Congress. Most of that was actually "illicit" donations that exceeded limits and had to be paid back.
So, while her karoline leavitt salary 2025 of nearly $200k is great, she’s likely using a chunk of it to settle old political debts.
A Typical Day for the 195k
What does that money actually buy the American public?
Leavitt’s first briefing was on January 28, 2025. She didn't just walk in and take questions from the AP and Reuters. She flipped the script. She invited podcasters, influencers, and "new media" into the room.
She’s a workhorse. There’s a famous photo from May 2025 of her holding her infant son, Niko, while typing away at her desk in the White House. She actually returned to work just days after giving birth, right around the time of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in July 2024 (during the campaign).
She’s young, she’s Gen Z, and she’s essentially on call 24/7.
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The Pay Structure for Others
To give you a sense of the scale, here's how the rest of the office looks:
- Deputy Assistants: Usually $155,000 to $175,000.
- Special Assistants: $121,500 to $150,000.
- Speechwriters: $92,500 to $121,500.
- Junior Staffers: $60,000 to $80,000.
Leavitt is at the very top of that food chain.
What This Means for You
Why should you care about a government staffer's salary?
Because it’s your tax dollars. Transparency in White House spending is one of those things that keeps the system (somewhat) honest. When you see the karoline leavitt salary 2025, you're seeing exactly how the administration values its top communicators.
It also sets a precedent. By hitting the pay cap for so many staffers, the current administration is signalling that they want to attract high-level talent—even if they're young—by offering the most competitive "government" pay possible.
If you're looking to track where this goes, keep an eye on the annual "Report to Congress on White House Office Personnel." It usually drops every summer. It lists every single name, every title, and every cent they earn.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check the official White House website's "Disclosures" section if you want to see the full list of all 400+ employee salaries.
- Compare these 2025 figures to the 2020 or 2024 reports to see how much "pay creep" has occurred in the Executive Office.
- Verify any "Net Worth" claims by looking at the Public Financial Disclosure Reports (OGE Form 278e) that top-tier staffers like Leavitt are required to file.
The $195,200 figure is the reality. Everything else is just noise.