The White House Chief of Staff in the US earns $195,200 a year in 2026, and Susie Wiles, the 32nd chief and the first woman in the job, left on November 6, 2026 after 1 year and 290 days. Stephen Miller takes over on November 9, 2026, and the longest tenure on record is John Steelman’s 6 years and 39 days.
White House Chief of Staff 2026 – Introduction
The White House Chief of Staff runs the president’s staff and controls access to the Oval Office. The role began in 1946 under Harry Truman and took its modern shape under Dwight Eisenhower. No Senate vote is needed. Presidents pick their chief, and presidents can replace one at will. That makes the White House Chief of Staff one of the most closely watched jobs in Washington.
2026 brought a change at the top. Donald Trump announced on November 6, 2026 that Susie Wiles was leaving and that Stephen Miller would take over on November 9. The announcement came days after the midterm elections. This report covers salary, tenure records, the full list of chiefs, and the Wiles-to-Miller handoff. Figures run through November 7, 2026. Where trackers count differently, both numbers appear.
Interesting Facts about White House Chief of Staff 2026
CHIEF OF STAFF SALARY COMPARISON (US dollars, thousands)
Zients, 2024 | ███████████████████████ 168.0
Meadows, 2020 | ████████████████████████████ 183.0
Wiles, 2026 | ████████████████████████████████ 195.2
Top aide pay 2026 | ██████████████████████████████████ 197.2| Fact | 2026 Data |
|---|---|
| Outgoing chief | Susie Wiles, 32nd chief |
| Incoming chief | Stephen Miller, from November 9, 2026 |
| Annual salary | $195,200 |
| Wiles tenure | 1 year, 290 days |
| Longest tenure on record | John Steelman, 6 years, 39 days |
| Shortest tenure (not interim) | Reince Priebus, about 190 days |
| First chief to hold the title | Sherman Adams, 1953 |
| Chiefs under Trump’s first term | 4 |
| White House staff, July 1, 2026 | 411 |
| Senate confirmation required | No |
Source: White House Annual Report to Congress on White House Office Personnel (July 1, 2026); NOTUS; Associated Press; White House Transition Project; PBS NewsHour; Open the Books.
The table sums up the year. Wiles served 1 year, 290 days, counted from January 20, 2025 to November 6, 2026. Her pay held at $195,200 with no raise. The $168,000 paid to Jeff Zients in 2024 and the $183,000 paid to Mark Meadows in 2020 show how pay has risen.
The tenure lines set the benchmarks. Steelman’s 6 years, 39 days remains the record, while Priebus lasted about 190 days, depending on the count. Counts differ because Wikipedia lists 192 days and PBS and CNN list 189. The White House employed 411 people on July 1, 2026, and the chief of staff needs no Senate confirmation.
White House Chief of Staff Salary 2026: Pay, Staff Size and Budget
WHITE HOUSE STAFF, JULY 1, 2026
Employees | ██████████████████████████████████████████ 365
Detailees | ██████ 46
Staffers paid $195,200 | ████ 33
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Chief of staff salary | $195,200 |
| Highest White House pay (detailees) | $197,200 |
| Staffers at $195,200 | 33 |
| Meadows salary, 2020 | $183,000 |
| Zients salary, 2024 | $168,000 |
| Total staff, July 1, 2026 | 411 (365 employees, 46 detailees) |
| FY2026 staff and operations funding | $78.9 million |
Source: 2026 Annual Report to Congress on White House Office Personnel; NOTUS; Open the Books; Congressional appropriations as reported by DNYUZ.
The 2026 personnel report lists the White House chief of staff at $195,200, the same as in 2025. That pay level is shared by 33 staffers, including Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. Two detailees earn $197,200, the top rate in the report. Since 1995, the White House has filed this report with Congress every year.
The size of the staff gives the salary context. The White House had 411 staffers on July 1, 2026, made up of 365 employees and 46 detailees. Congress appropriated $78.9 million for White House staff and operations in fiscal 2026, the same as fiscal 2025. Earlier chiefs earned less, with Meadows at $183,000 and Zients at $168,000.
White House Chief of Staff List 2026: How Many Chiefs Have Served
FIRST FOUR CHIEFS AND TWO RECENT ONES (order number)
Steelman (1946) | █ 1
Adams (1953) | ██ 2
Persons (1958) | ███ 3
Haldeman (1969) | ████ 4
Wiles (2025) | ████████████████████████████████ 32
Miller (2026) | █████████████████████████████████ 33
| Number | Chief | President |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Steelman | Truman |
| 2 | Sherman Adams | Eisenhower |
| 3 | Wilton Persons | Eisenhower |
| 4 | H.R. Haldeman | Nixon |
| 10 and 16 | James Baker | Reagan and George H.W. Bush |
| 32 | Susie Wiles | Trump |
| 33 | Stephen Miller (from Nov 9, 2026) | Trump |
Source: Wikipedia list of White House chiefs of staff; Ballotpedia; ABC News (November 6, 2026).
The numbered list begins with Steelman, who served from 1946 to 1953 as Assistant to the President. Sherman Adams followed in 1953, and he was the first to hold the explicit title of chief of staff, which Eisenhower borrowed from military practice. Persons took over in 1958. Haldeman was the 4th chief, appointed in 1969 under Richard Nixon.
James Baker appears twice, as the 10th chief under Ronald Reagan and the 16th under George H.W. Bush, so a count of people differs from a count of terms. Wiles is numbered 32nd in public lists. Miller would be the 33rd under that count. The numbering reflects Wikipedia’s list, and other sources number the early years differently.
White House Chiefs of Staff by President 2026: Turnover Under Each Administration
CHIEFS OF STAFF PER ADMINISTRATION
Obama (8 years) | █████ 5
Trump, first term | ████ 4
Reagan (8 years) | ████ 4
Clinton (8 years) | ████ 4
Biden (4 years) | ██ 2
Trump, second term | ██ 2
| President | Chiefs of Staff | Names |
|---|---|---|
| Obama | 5 | Emanuel, Rouse (interim), Daley, Lew, McDonough |
| Trump, first term | 4 | Priebus, Kelly, Mulvaney (acting), Meadows |
| Reagan | 4 | J. Baker, Regan, H. Baker, Duberstein |
| Clinton | 4 | McLarty, Panetta, Bowles, Podesta |
| Biden | 2 | Klain, Zients |
| Trump, second term | 2 so far | Wiles, Miller |
Source: PBS NewsHour; Associated Press; Ballotpedia; White House Transition Project.
Obama had 5 chiefs in 8 years, including Pete Rouse as interim. Trump cycled through 4 in his first term, counting Mick Mulvaney as acting chief. Reagan and Clinton each had 4. Biden had 2, Ron Klain and Jeff Zients, across 4 years.
Trump’s second term already has 2. Wiles lasted 1 year, 290 days, the longest of any Trump chief, according to the Associated Press. Miller’s start on November 9, 2026 comes about 22 months into the term. Obama’s first chief, Rahm Emanuel, left after 1 year, 254 days, a similar span.
Susie Wiles and Stephen Miller 2026: Chief of Staff Transition by the Numbers
DAYS IN OFFICE (Trump chiefs)
Priebus (2017) | ████████ 192
Meadows (2020) | ████████████ 295
Mulvaney (acting)| ██████████████████ 454
Kelly (2017-19) | █████████████████████ 520
Wiles (2025-26) | ██████████████████████████ 655
| Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
| Wiles took office | January 20, 2025 |
| Wiles left office | November 6, 2026 |
| Wiles time in office | 1 year, 290 days (655 days) |
| Miller start date | November 9, 2026 |
| Miller prior role | Deputy chief of staff for policy |
| Wiles next role | Trump political operation |
| Wiles first job at the White House | Scheduler under Reagan |
Source: Associated Press; ABC News; The Hill; NPR (November 6, 2026).
Wiles became the first woman to serve as chief and the first person Trump named to his staff after the 2024 election. She served 655 days, longer than any of his four first-term chiefs. Trump said he “wanted to make a change” and added that she had done a good job. A White House official said she submitted her resignation on November 5.
Reaction split. Miller said he was “honored beyond words.” Thom Tillis called him “the worst of all possible choices,” and Representative Adam Smith said the pick showed Trump had learned nothing. Steve Bannon had said Wiles should be removed after the midterms. Mick Mulvaney said he expected her to leave. Miller will lead the staff from November 9.
White House Chief of Staff Tenure Records 2026: Longest and Shortest Terms
LONGEST TENURES (years)
Steelman | ████████████████████████████████ 6.1
Adams | ████████████████████████████ 5.7
Card | █████████████████████████ 5.2
Haldeman | ██████████████████████ 4.3
Baker | ██████████████████ 4.0
| Record | Chief | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Longest overall | John Steelman | 6 years, 39 days |
| Second longest | Sherman Adams | 5 years, 260 days |
| Longest, modern era | Andrew Card | 5.23 years |
| Haldeman | H.R. Haldeman | 4 years, 100 days |
| James Baker, first term | James Baker | 4 years, 15 days |
| Shortest, interim | Pete Rouse | 104 days |
| Shortest, non-interim | Reince Priebus | 189 to 192 days |
| Second shortest | Ken Duberstein | 203 days |
Source: White House Transition Project; Wikipedia list of chiefs; PBS NewsHour; PolitiFact.
Steelman holds the record at 6 years, 39 days, and Adams follows at 5 years, 260 days. Andrew Card served 5.23 years, the longest in the modern era, which the White House Transition Project dates from the Reagan administration. Haldeman and the first James Baker term each ran just over 4 years.
Short tenures cluster around interim and mid-term changes. Pete Rouse served 104 days as interim chief for Obama. Priebus lasted 189 days by one count and 192 by another, the shortest non-interim stint. Duberstein served 203 days under Reagan. The average tenure is a little over 18 months, according to Wikipedia, while a 2017 CNN analysis put it near two and a half years.
Recent White House Chiefs of Staff 2026: Tenure Since 2009
DAYS IN OFFICE, 2009 TO 2026
McDonough | ██████████████████████████████████████████ 1,461
Klain | █████████████████████████ 748
Zients | ███████████████████████ 712
Wiles | ██████████████████████ 655
Emanuel | ████████████████████ 619
| Chief | Years | Time in Office |
|---|---|---|
| Rahm Emanuel | 2009–2010 | 1 year, 254 days |
| Bill Daley | 2011–2012 | 1 year, 14 days |
| Jack Lew | 2012–2013 | 359 days |
| Denis McDonough | 2013–2017 | 4 years |
| John Kelly | 2017–2019 | 1 year, 155 days |
| Mark Meadows | 2020–2021 | 295 days |
| Ron Klain | 2021–2023 | 2 years, 18 days |
| Jeff Zients | 2023–2025 | 1 year, 347 days |
| Susie Wiles | 2025–2026 | 1 year, 290 days |
Source: Wikipedia list of White House chiefs of staff; Ballotpedia; Associated Press.
McDonough served the full 4 years of Obama’s second term, which makes him the longest-serving recent chief. Klain lasted 2 years, 18 days, and Zients lasted 1 year, 347 days. Wiles ranks fourth on the chart with 655 days.
Short terms mark the others. Lew served 359 days and Meadows 295 days, and Meadows took over in March 2020 from an acting chief. Emanuel served 1 year, 254 days before he left to run for mayor of Chicago. Most recent chiefs lasted between one and two years, near the 18-month average.
White House Chief of Staff Role and Powers 2026: Title, Pay Tier and Confirmation
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Formal title | Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff |
| Role created | 1946, as Assistant to the President |
| Explicit title first used | 1953, Sherman Adams |
| Title standardized | 1961 |
| Senate confirmation | Not required |
| Salary tier | $195,200, second-highest tier |
Source: Ballotpedia; White House Transition Project; Wikipedia; 2026 Annual Report to Congress on White House Office Personnel.
The job started in 1946 as Assistant to the President. Eisenhower gave Adams the explicit chief of staff title in 1953, and the label became standard by 1961. Presidents appoint the chief without Senate confirmation, so the pick reflects the president’s own choice. The pay tier of $195,200 places the chief just below the $197,200 detailee rate.
Scholars call the job among the hardest in Washington. The White House Transition Project cites James Baker, who named the chief of staff, personnel director and counsel as the first three jobs to fill. Reagan’s first term, from 1981, cemented the role as a permanent part of the White House. The chief’s powers rest on trust, not statute.
White House Chief of Staff Historical Records 2026: Milestones and Departures
YEARS SINCE KEY DEPARTURES AND STARTS (as of 2026)
Truman role begins (1946) | ████████████████████████████████████████ 80
Adams resigns (1958) | ██████████████████████████████████ 68
Haldeman leaves (1973) | ███████████████████████ 53
Priebus replaced (2017) | █████ 9
Wiles replaced (2026) | █ 0
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1946 | Steelman becomes first Assistant to the President |
| 1953 | Adams becomes chief under Eisenhower |
| 1958 | Adams resigns over a gift scandal; Persons succeeds him |
| 1969 | Haldeman becomes chief under Nixon |
| 1973 | Haldeman leaves office on April 30 |
| 2017 | Priebus replaced by John Kelly after about 190 days |
| 2025 | Wiles becomes the first woman to serve as chief |
| 2026 | Wiles replaced by Miller on November 9 |
Source: Wikipedia biographies of Adams and Persons; Wikipedia list of chiefs; PBS NewsHour; Associated Press.
Adams resigned in 1958 after a House subcommittee revealed that he had accepted an expensive vicuña coat. Wilton Persons replaced him on October 7, 1958. Haldeman left on April 30, 1973, after more than 4 years.
Priebus left in July 2017 after about 190 days, and Trump named John Kelly. In 2025 Wiles became the first woman to serve as chief. In 2026 she left after 655 days, days after Republicans lost control of Congress. Critics read the move as a response to the midterm results, while Trump framed it as a change he wanted to make.
White House Chief of Staff Pay vs Other Senior Staff 2026: Salary Comparison
| Position | Holder | 2026 Salary |
|---|---|---|
| President | Donald Trump | $400,000 |
| Top detailee roles | Task force and council leads | $197,200 |
| Chief of staff | Susie Wiles | $195,200 |
| Deputy chief of staff for policy | Stephen Miller | $195,200 |
| Press secretary | Karoline Leavitt | $195,200 |
| Communications director | Steven Cheung | $195,200 |
Source: 2026 Annual Report to Congress on White House Office Personnel; NOTUS; The Independent; federal pay schedules.
The chief of staff earns $195,200, the same as Miller, Leavitt and Cheung. The president earns $400,000, which is about 2.05 times the chief’s pay. The top rate in the report is $197,200 and goes to detailees, who work at the White House on assignment from other agencies. A new chief does not earn more by title alone.
Miller already earned $195,200 as deputy chief of staff, so the November 9 change may not alter his pay, and the White House has not said what he will earn in the new role. Open the Books reported that overall White House payroll fell 29% year over year in 2025. Critics of high White House pay and supporters of leaner staffing both cite that figure.
White House Chief of Staff Transition Timeline 2026: From Midterms to Handoff
DAYS AFTER ELECTION DAY (November 3, 2026)
Election Day | 0
Resignation submitted | ██ 2
Announcement | ███ 3
Miller starts | ██████ 6
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Tuesday, November 3 | Midterm elections; Democrats win Congress |
| Thursday, November 5 | Wiles submits her resignation |
| Friday, November 6 | Trump announces Miller; Wiles’ last day |
| Monday, November 9 | Miller starts as chief of staff |
Source: Associated Press; The Hill; ABC News; NPR (November 6, 2026).
The change took 6 days from Election Day to the handoff. Wiles submitted her resignation on November 5, 2 days after the vote, according to a White House official. Trump announced the move on November 6, 3 days after the election, and said Wiles would join his political operation. Her statement said her last day was that Friday.
Miller starts on Monday, November 9, which leaves a weekend between the two chiefs. He serves as deputy chief of staff and has a wide portfolio that includes immigration policy. Allies describe him as a trusted adviser. Critics, including Tillis and Smith, object to the pick. The report cannot say how long Miller will serve, since no record of his tenure exists yet.
White House Chief of Staff FAQ 2026
How much does the White House Chief of Staff make in 2026?
The salary is $195,200 a year, according to the 2026 Annual Report to Congress on White House Office Personnel.
Who is the White House Chief of Staff in 2026?
Susie Wiles served until November 6, 2026. Stephen Miller takes over on November 9, 2026.
Who was the first White House Chief of Staff?
John Steelman, from 1946, as Assistant to the President. Sherman Adams was the first to hold the explicit title in 1953.
Who was the longest-serving White House Chief of Staff?
John Steelman, at 6 years, 39 days. Andrew Card served the longest in the modern era, at 5.23 years.
Who was the shortest-serving White House Chief of Staff?
Pete Rouse served 104 days as interim chief. Reince Priebus lasted 189 to 192 days, the shortest non-interim term.
How long did Susie Wiles serve as chief of staff?
1 year, 290 days, from January 20, 2025 to November 6, 2026.
Was Susie Wiles the first woman White House Chief of Staff?
Yes. She was the first woman to hold the post and is numbered the 32nd chief.
Why did Susie Wiles leave the White House?
Trump said he “wanted to make a change” and said she did a good job. Wiles will move to the Trump political operation.
Who is Stephen Miller?
Miller is the deputy chief of staff for policy and a longtime Trump adviser. He is closely tied to immigration policy.
Does the White House Chief of Staff need Senate confirmation?
No. The president appoints the chief without a Senate vote.
How many chiefs of staff did Trump have in his first term?
Four: Priebus, Kelly, Mulvaney as acting chief, and Meadows.
How many chiefs of staff did Obama have?
Five, including Pete Rouse as interim.
What is the average tenure of a White House Chief of Staff?
A little over 18 months, according to Wikipedia. A 2017 CNN analysis put it near two and a half years.
How many people work in the White House in 2026?
411 staffers as of July 1, 2026: 365 employees and 46 detailees.
How much did earlier chiefs of staff earn?
Mark Meadows earned $183,000 in 2020. Jeff Zients earned $168,000 in 2024.
How much more does the president make than the White House Chief of Staff?
The president earns $400,000, about 2.05 times the chief’s $195,200.
Did Stephen Miller get a raise as chief of staff?
The White House has not said. Miller earned $195,200 as deputy chief of staff.
How many days passed between the midterms and the chief of staff change?
6 days, from Election Day on November 3 to Miller’s start on November 9.
Who has been White House Chief of Staff twice?
James Baker, under Reagan and later George H.W. Bush.
Disclaimer: The data research report we present here is based on information found from various sources. We are not liable for any financial loss, errors, or damages of any kind that may result from the use of the information herein. We acknowledge that though we try to report accurately, we cannot verify the absolute facts of everything that has been represented.
