12 of the biggest perks of being a US senator

Bernie Sanders has been a senator representing Vermont since 2007. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images Like millions of Americans across the country, you might be spending today glued to the TV or social media as Election Day predictions and results roll in.After months, and sometimes years, of campaigning, hours spent prepping, and thousands of dollars raised, 35 winners will be sworn into the US Senate in January. Senate races in Michigan, Texas, Ohio, and Maine have been garnering headlines for months.In addition to their many new responsibilities in office, there are also a bunch of perks that come with being a top lawmaker, including some that last far beyond their time in Congress.Here are some of the biggest bonuses of being a US senator. A senator's lifelong pension can be up to 80% of their salary. Nancy Pelosi and John Sarbanes, D-Md., at a news conference. J. Scott Applewhite/AP The Federal Employees Retirement System provides individual pension plans to members of Congress, and the amount depends on their age, salary, and number of years in the Senate.Based on the congressional pay of $174,000 a year for most senators (it hasn't been updated since 2009), an 80% pension provides a lifelong benefit of $139,200.This places members ahead of the majority of Americans, for whom the 2025 median household income was $87,460, according to the Census Bureau. If a member of Congress dies in office, their family usually receives a $174,000 payout. A joint session of Congress met to count the electoral vote. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images It's called a death gratuity, and it equals one year of the member's salary, paid to an eligible survivor or next of kin.By comparison, eligible survivors of military personnel who die while on active duty or in certain reserve statuses receive $100,000. Every senator gets an allowance from the government to run their offices. Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell in 2008. Alex Wong/Getty Images The Senators' Official Personnel and Office Expense Account, or SOPOEA, is for official office operations, staff salaries, travel, and other expenses.It comes directly from the US Treasury, aka our taxes. While both senators from the same state are allocated the same amount of money, not all states receive the same amount.It's based on a formula that takes population, distance from DC, and mail allocations into consideration.There is a flat rate, which means every senator will receive at least $677,100, though the 2026 Senate Appropriations Committee report showed that SOPOEA funds actually ranged from $4,296,524 to $6,621,784, with an average of $4,664,423. For 90 days after they leave office, members have access to "franking" mail, or sending official mail to their constituents. A corporate mailroom employee sifted through mail. Mario Tama/Getty Images You might be wondering, what's so special about that?Well, there's one big benefit to franking mail: You don't have to pay postage, which saves the senator a lot of money in the long run. Congressional benefits extend beyond Capitol Hill, including free parking at DC-area airports. Cars of members of the House and Senate in a restricted parking lot near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in 1998. Scott J. Ferrell/Congressional Quarterly/Getty Images Members of Congress, as well as Supreme Court justices and diplomats, get free parking at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport.The perk dates back decades, as shown in the photo above of a car owned by a member of the 105th Congress, parked at Reagan in 1998. Senators also receive preferential treatment regarding airline customer service. Aircraft on the tarmac of Reagan airport in DC. Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images A lobbyist told Roll Call in 2011 that most major airlines have dedicated customer service phone lines to help those on Capitol Hill, and that senators can double-book flights.During the TSA strike earlier this year, Delta suspended some of its perks for senators, such as expedited security, though the special desk remained operational. There's also the great haircuts. A view of a closed barber shop in the US Senate at the US Capitol. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images The Senate Hair Care Services has been in operation since the early 19th Century, providing a variety of grooming services including haircuts and manicures. Don't forget the private subway, either. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, was seen in the Senate subway in the US Capitol. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images The Capitol subway system, which runs beneath the Capitol and connects it to congressional office buildings, has been in place since 1909. It consists of three lines: Two for the Senate and one for the House of Representatives.According to the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), which operates the train line, it's there to "allow for safe and expedient travel" for members to travel from their offices to chambers within the Capitol to vote. Senators get access to fancy gyms that no one's allowed to see inside. Then-Senator Barack Obama shot a basketball on the court in 2008. Mark Wilson/Getty Images Per a 2011 ABC News report, senators paid $40 a month for gyms equipped with "flat-screen TVs, workout machines and a swimming pool." Former members can still enjoy on-site amenities including the House and Senate dining rooms. The hallway in front of the US Senate Chamber is seen. Mark Wilson/Getty Images Once you leave the Senate, that doesn't mean your perks disappear. You still get access to the gym, special parking, materials through the Library of Congress, and dining facilities. They can also still buy from the Senate Stationery Room, which carries many supplies and furnishings. The statue of George Washington, the first US president, in the rotunda of the US Capitol. KAREN BLEIER/AFP via Getty Images It's basically a Senators-only Staples that operates via the Senate Stationery Room Revolving Fund — so the sales go back into the store's budget and are used to restock inventory. Senators get plenty of time in their home states. Senator Chuck Schumer in front of the US Capitol. Alex Wong/Getty Images The Senate's calendar includes long stretches away from Washington.Its 2026 schedule lists 133 days of planned recess periods, when senators are generally back in their states rather than holding floor sessions in the chamber.That time is not necessarily a vacation: Senators often use it to meet constituents, hold events, conduct oversight, and work on legislation.Ellen Cranley worked on an earlier version of this story.Editor's Note: This story was originally published in January 2019 and was most recently updated in November 2026. Read next Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Gabbi Shaw is a reporter on Business Insider's editorial partnerships team. She has covered entertainment, travel, food, and lifestyle for Business Insider and Insider Inc.'s partners, including MSN, Apple News, and Yahoo since 2018, and her work has taken her to iconic mansions of the Gilded Age, the Westminster Dog Show, Disney World, the Hamptons, and more fast-food restaurants than she cares to remember.She graduated from Tulane University in 2017 with a degree in public health and now lives in New York City. Congress