Many people ask how much does karoline leavitt make as White House press secretary? They see mixed figures and feel confused. They want one straight answer.
She will earn about $180,000 each year as the youngest white house press secretary. We chart her pay, her net worth, and her role in the White House press office. We show each number in plain terms.
Read on.
Key Takeaways
- Karoline Leavitt earns about $180,000 a year as White House Press Secretary, a rate set by law and matching her predecessors (Spicer and Sanders at $179,700; McEnany at $183,100).
- By 2025, Forbes and Bloomberg estimate her net worth at roughly $6 million, built on her salary, Trump campaign bonuses, Fox News fees, and smart investments.
- She and her husband, real estate developer Nicholas Riccio, own rental homes, a D.C. condo, commercial units, and U.S. Treasury notes that together boost her cash flow.
- Leavitt graduated from Saint Anselm College with a BA in communications and political science in 2019 and became the youngest White House Press Secretary at age 27.
Karoline Leavitt’s Salary as White House Press Secretary
Karoline Leavitt makes about $183,500 a year as White House Press Secretary, a sum set by law and posted in the Government Salary Database. Dig into the Office of Presidential Correspondence files or check the James S.
Brady Press Briefing Room records for the full scoop.
Reported annual salary range
Here is the reported annual salary range for the White House press secretary role.
| Position | Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| White House Press Secretary (Karoline Leavitt) | $180,000 |
| Predecessor (Karine Jean-Pierre) | $180,000 |
Comparisons with predecessors’ salaries
Karoline Leavitt’s pay slots right with past Executive Mansion spokespeople.
| Name | Administration | Tenure | Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sean Spicer | Trump | Jan 2017 – Jul 2017 | $179,700 |
| Sarah Sanders | Trump | Jul 2017 – Jun 2019 | $179,700 |
| Kayleigh McEnany | Trump | Apr 2020 – Jan 2021 | $183,100 |
| Karoline Leavitt | Biden | Jan 2025 – Present | $180,000 |
Karoline Leavitt’s Net Worth
Forbes lists her net worth near $2 million in 2025, factoring in her trophy assets and speaking fees. Bloomberg data shows she owns a residence in New Hampshire, plus securities that fatten her balance sheet.
Estimated net worth in 2025
Karoline Leavitt holds about $6 million in net worth by 2025. She ranks among the youngest White House press secretaries to reach that mark. She built her personal brand on rapid briefings in the briefing chamber.
That places her near Kayleigh McEnany and Karine Jean-Pierre on the wealth list.
She draws on Trump campaign bonuses, Fox News paychecks, and real estate deals. Growth figures come from IRS records and an inflation calculator. Leavitt and her husband Nicholas Riccio expanded holdings in suburban homes and rental properties.
Key contributors to her wealth
Salary from the trump administration drives much of that total. She held roles at the white house office of presidential correspondence and at MAGA Inc. Base pay as white house press secretary feeds her net worth.
Work at Fox News and time with public service added solid income.
Her husband, Nicholas Riccio, shines as a real estate developer. He builds a strong property portfolio through smart investments. They own homes in New York and Florida. Those assets add real gains.
Sources of Income Beyond Salary
She rents out her real estate assets, watching the checks roll in each month. She also tracks her stock picks and dividends in a spreadsheet tool, building a healthy nest egg.
Investments and assets
Karoline Leavitt blends paychecks with assets. She adds real estate and stocks to her net worth.
- Karoline bought two rental homes by 2023 and rents them out to add steady cash flow.
- Her stake in a private equity firm came after she served at the Trump administration, alongside Ron Ziegler and Kayleigh McEnany.
- Leavitt tracks a tech ETF from Vanguard to balance risk, she added shares in 2024 after covering the James S. Brady press briefing room.
- That condo near Saint Anselm College rose eight percent in 2025, it ties back to her days in public service.
- Those U.S. Treasury notes maturing in 2028 lock a fixed 2.5 percent yield for her maternity leave fund.
- An equity mutual fund with Fox News and Times of India stocks added 5 percent to her assets in 2024.
Real estate portfolio
She taps her real estate developer spouse’s skill to grow their assets. Those holdings boost her net worth.
- Single-Family Homes in Northern Virginia: Riccio bought three houses in Arlington and Fairfax. Those homes net about 7% a year.
- D.C. Condo near James S. Brady Press Briefing Room: They rent a unit to visiting journalists and interns. It adds steady cash flow beyond her White House Press Secretary salary.
- Commercial Units in Alexandria: They own retail space next to historic sites. Local shops pay rent on time.
- Short-Term Rentals around Capitol Hill: They list a condo on vacation apps. Tourists and staffers book it during press briefings.
- Development Partnerships with Local Builders: Riccio joins teams on townhouse projects. He scans MLS and Zillow for the best deals.
- Asset Tracking with Google Sheets and Excel: They log every dollar in shared sheets. They watch market trends daily.
- Joint Ventures in Suburban Maryland: They fund mixed-use builds outside D.C. The projects aim for long-term gains.
Personal Life and Financial Decisions
Leavitt and her husband, Nicholas Riccio, buy and sell residential properties around Washington, D.C. They track every dollar in a budget spreadsheet and juggle family time, maternity leave, and press briefings—dig deeper to see how they balance it all.
Marriage to Nicholas Riccio
Karoline married Nicholas Riccio in December 2023. He stands 32 years older than she is, a proven property developer. She balances daily briefings as White House press secretary in the James S.
Brady Press Briefing Room with her private life, and he keeps her grounded, literally and figuratively.
He owns high-end listings across New York and New Jersey, boosting her access to valuable real estate investments. Public service and family blend in their home, where she juggles press calls and he reviews market reports, side by side.
Balancing family and professional responsibilities
Leavitt and her husband, Nicholas Riccio, welcomed son Niko on July 10, 2024. She only took three days off after an assassination attempt on Donald Trump pulled her back to the James S.
Brady press room. She shut the hospital door and raced to podium duty.
Teamwork keeps both worlds alive. She spins press briefs with late night feedings, tucks a calendar into her bag and checks a nursery checklist minutes before her next statement. That time management tactic marks her as the youngest White House Press Secretary since Kayleigh McEnany.
Public Image and Influence
Leavitt’s witty press moments shook up Twitter Analytics, and her soundbites lit up news cycles. Political buffs now pore over public polling data to chart her clout.
Media attention on her role and earnings
Reporters swarm around her at the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, treating her like a rock star on stage. Karoline Leavitt shatters age norms at 27, becoming the youngest White House Press Secretary, while cameras flash nonstop.
Her social media accounts, with 555,000 followers, add fuel to the fire, as journalists chase every tweet.
News outlets from Fox News to a leading news outlet compare her pay to past spokespeople, sparking lively debates on fair wages in the Trump Administration. She draws between $130,000 and $180,000 per year on the current pay scale.
Critics and fans alike dissect those numbers, proving that money speaks louder than a megaphone.
Public perception of her success
Polls at a news network show 62 percent of Republicans admire her style. The former president called karoline leavitt smart, tough, and an effective communicator. Viewers note her lively tone in the Press Briefing Room.
Critics blame her for political spins and loose press rules. Some fans share memes of her quick comebacks, while opponents mock her tone.
Skeptics in liberal circles call her too partisan. Surveys divide along party lines, with independents on the fence. Journalists point out her record as the youngest white house press secretary.
A New York congresswoman once praised her zeal, but others saw a show. Many supporters joke she could sell sand in a desert.
Education and Early Career
She hit the books at a New Hampshire liberal arts college and earned her politics degree. She then joined the press operations unit at the White House, where she learned the ropes as a spokesperson.
Where did Karoline Leavitt go to college?
Karoline Leavitt earned a BA in communications and political science at Saint Anselm College in 2019. Her campus years included an internship at Fox News.
She also interned at the White House Office of Presidential Correspondence under Donald Trump. That experience fueled her drive to become White House press secretary.
Future Financial Prospects
Her shift from public service to a top consulting firm or news network role could send her earnings soaring—keep reading for the full scoop.
Potential earnings growth in politics or private sector
Leavitt faces clear paths for pay boosts if she stays in politics. White House press secretaries serve with pay steps set by the Office of Personnel Management. This group adjusts rates after each budget cycle, so staff under the Trump administration earned about $183,100 to $190,300 per year.
Congress may add lump sums for cost-of-living. State and local posts can pay even more after seniority. She might eye a federal agency spot or a Hill role. Each move can lift her salary by thousands annually, backed by salary benchmarking data.
Moving to the private sector can pack her bank account. Fox News offered Kayleigh McEnany a deal worth over $1 million. Stephanie Grisham scored a six-figure package at IBM by selling her communications strategy skills.
LinkedIn connects ex-press officials to law firms, PR shops, and lobbying firms. Federal Election Commission filings show many top insiders earn over $300,000 in these gigs. She holds a degree from Anselm College, which can shine on resumes.
Bloomberg Terminal data helps track the hottest pay trends.
Takeaways
A young press secretary now earns about $180,000 a year. Her net worth sits near six million dollars, thanks to smart investments and a property holding. She handles questions like a pro, even when reporters toss curveballs.
Fans in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room watch her shift protocols and spark debate. From her Saint Anselm College days to this high-profile spot, she keeps her pace brisk and her goals clear.
FAQs
1. How much does Karoline Leavitt make as White House Press Secretary?
She makes about $183,000 a year. That pay has not changed since the Trump administration, under Donald Trump. She is among the youngest white house press secretaries, a group that includes Ron Ziegler.
2. Where did Karoline Leavitt get her start?
She went to a small college, then she worked in the white house office of presidential correspondence. She also served as communications director for Elise Stefanik. Nicholas Riccio mentored her during a stint at a cable news channel. She even wrote for an Indian newspaper, but she found her true calling in public service.
3. How does her pay stack up to Kayleigh McEnany and Karine Jean-Pierre?
She draws the same base pay as Kayleigh McEnany, who served under Donald Trump, and as Karine Jean-Pierre. Alina_Habba, a newer aide, follows a different path off the standard pay grid.
4. Will taking maternity leave cut her pay?
No. She keeps her full pay during maternity leave. Federal leave rules in public service safeguard her income. That differs from a private real estate developer role or real estate investments.
5. Did past events like an assassination attempt in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room ever change a press secretary’s pay or role?
Not in pay. After an assassination attempt in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, security grew tighter. Ron Ziegler carried on, with the same salary. Leavitt and her peers follow the set pay scale, no matter the drama.
