United States Senate

===Salary and benefits===
[[File:US Senate salaries.webp|thumb|center|300px|U.S. Senate salaries]]
The annual [[Salaries of United States senators|salary]] of each senator, since 2009, is $174,000;<ref name="salaries">{{cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/senate_salaries.htm|title=Salaries|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114194432/https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/senate_salaries.htm |archive-date=January 14, 2021 |website=United States Senate|access-date=October 2, 2013}}</ref> the president pro tempore and party leaders receive $193,400.<ref name="salaries" /><ref name="usgovinfo" /> In 2003, at least 40 senators were millionaires;<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sean Loughlin and Robert Yoon |date=June 13, 2003 |title=Millionaires populate U.S. Senate |publisher=CNN |url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/06/13/senators.finances |url-status=live |access-date=June 19, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223040117/http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/06/13/senators.finances/ |archive-date=December 23, 2020}}</ref> by 2018, over 50 senators were millionaires (partly due to inflation).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wealth of Congress |url=https://www.rollcall.com/wealth-of-congress |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112234253/https://www.rollcall.com/wealth-of-congress |archive-date=November 12, 2019 |access-date=November 8, 2018 |website=Roll Call}}</ref>

Along with earning salaries, senators receive retirement and health benefits that are identical to other federal employees, and are fully [[vested]] after five years of service.<ref name="usgovinfo">{{Cite web |title=US Congress Salaries and Benefits |url=http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa031200a.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114194424/https://www.thoughtco.com/salaries-and-benefits-of-congress-members-3322282 |archive-date=January 14, 2021 |access-date=October 2, 2013 |publisher=Usgovinfo.about.com}}</ref> Senators are covered by the [[Federal Employees Retirement System]] (FERS) or [[Civil Service Retirement System]] (CSRS). FERS has been the Senate's retirement system since January 1, 1987, while CSRS applies only for those senators who were in the Senate from December 31, 1986, and prior. As it is for federal employees, congressional retirement is funded through taxes and the participants' contributions. Under FERS, senators contribute 1.3% of their salary into the FERS retirement plan and pay 6.2% of their salary in Social Security taxes. The amount of a senator's pension depends on the years of service and the average of the highest three years of their salary. The starting amount of a senator's retirement annuity may not exceed 80% of their final salary. In 2006, the average annual pension for retired senators and representatives under CSRS was $60,972, while those who retired under FERS, or in combination with CSRS, was $35,952.<ref name="usgovinfo" />