The White House staff has shrunk significantly over the last year, but has seen little changes in diversity or salaries, according to the annual White House staff salary report obtained by NBC News.
The report, which is due to Congress every year on July 1, shows a decrease in staff since a year ago, from 560 employees in the Executive Office of the President on July 1, 2021 to 474 in this report.
Very few staff saw pay increases, absent a change in their positions, according to an initial comparison with last year's report. A handful of junior staffers did receive pay increases of 2.2%, rates well below recent inflation.
The 24 highest-ranking officials, who have the rank of Assistant to the President, continued to make the maximum $180,000. A year ago, 22 employees at the Assistant to the President rank made that same amount. (Three “detailees” from other agencies listed in the report make more than $180,000.)
A White House spokesperson, Chris Meagher, says the report shows that the administration "is — and remains — the most diverse Administration in history.” A White House fact sheet offers specific data points from the administration’s own analysis:
“The overall diversity of White House staff remains approximately the same as it was almost a year ago: As of July 1, 2022, approximately 44% of current White House staff identify as racially and/or ethnically diverse, surpassing the 40.2% share of the national population who are part of diverse communities, according to the U.S. Census data.
“The Biden-Harris White House staff is—and has been—predominantly female, with women making up approximately 58% of staff. This surpasses the 50.5% share of the national population who are women per the U.S. Census and the 47.0% share of women within the labor force as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“Of the White House’s senior staff, approximately 56% are female and 38% are from racially and/or ethnically diverse communities.
“The average salary across genders is roughly equal. Moreover, for Biden-Harris appointees, the average salary for female appointees is higher than male appointees, with women earning $97,301 and men earning $96,989 on average.”
Here's a link to last year's report.