12 of the biggest perks of being a US senator

Bernie Sanders has been a senator representing Vermont since 2007. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images November 3 is Election Day. Thirty-five seats in the US Senate are being voted upon in this year's midterms. There are plenty of perks to being a senator besides governing the country. 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. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is joined by Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Md., at a news conference to discuss their priorities when they assume the majority in the 116th Congress in January, at the Capitol in Washington. 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 meets to count the Electoral College vote from the 2008 presidential election the House Chamber in the U.S. Capitol January 8, 2009 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. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) (C) poses for photographers during a photo-op prior to a meeting in McConnell's office on Capitol Hill September 30, 2008 in Washington, DC. U.S. 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 uses gloves while sifting through letters October 15, 2001 in New York City. 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 on October 1, 2013 in Washington. The US government is in a forced shutdown after lawmakers failed to pass a budget