What is Jen Psaki's Net Worth and Salary?
Jen Psaki is a political commentator and former government official who has a net worth of $2 million. According to her very first financial disclosure submitted in 2020, at that point Jen Psaki controlled assets worth between $32,000 and $130,000. The same disclosure showed she earned $125,000 in the previous year. Her 2022 disclosure showed that her assets had increased in value to $1.5 million and her income in the year had jumped to $657,000. The vast majority of those earnings came from her consulting company, Evergreen Consulting LLC, which showed business income of $579,918.
Jen Psaki served under the Obama and Biden presidential administrations. Her last government role was serving as the White House press secretary under Biden from early 2021 until May of 2022. She reportedly earned a salary of $183,000 during her tenure as White House press secretary.
Psaki went on to launch her own weekly Sunday morning television show, "Inside with Jen Psaki," on MSNBC in 2023.
(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Early Life and Education
Jen Psaki was born on December 1, 1978 in Stamford, Connecticut as the eldest of three daughters of psychotherapist Eileen and retired real estate developer Dimitrios. She is of Greek, Irish, and Polish descent. As a teenager, Psaki attended Greenwich High School, graduating in 1996. She went on to attend the College of William & Mary in Virginia, earning her Bachelor's degree in English and sociology in 2000. In college, Psaki was a competitive backstroke swimmer with the William & Mary Tribe swim team.
Career Beginnings
Psaki began her career in politics in 2001, working on the reelection campaigns for Iowa senator Tom Harkin and Iowa governor Tom Vilsack. A few years later, she served as the deputy press secretary for John Kerry's presidential campaign. From 2005 to 2006, Psaki was the communications director for US representative Joseph Crowley, as well as the regional press secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Obama Administration
Psaki first became involved with Barack Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign, when she served as his traveling press secretary. After he won the presidency, she became the White House deputy press secretary. In late 2009, Psaki was promoted to deputy communications director. She left that position in 2011 to become senior vice president and managing director at the Washington, DC office of the PR firm Global Strategy Group. Psaki returned to political communications in 2012 to serve as the press secretary for Obama's reelection campaign. The next year, she became the spokesperson for the US Department of State. In 2015, Psaki returned to the White House to serve as communications director, a role she remained in through the end of Obama's presidency.
(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Biden Administration
In late 2020, following the election of Joe Biden to the presidency, Psaki joined Biden's transition team. She was subsequently named the White House press secretary. In that position, Psaki held her first press briefing on the evening of Biden's inauguration in early 2021. She went on to make many historic moves in her position, such as introducing an American Sign Language interpreter to attend every daily briefing. Coming after four years of a rotating gallery of belligerent press secretaries who routinely spread misinformation on behalf of Donald Trump, Psaki was widely praised for her civility and honesty behind the lectern.
A little under four months after she started serving as the White House press secretary, Psaki said in an interview with political consultant David Axelrod that she would leave her position after a year. She ultimately kept her word, as she left the White House on May 13, 2022. Psaki was replaced by her principal deputy, Karine Jean-Pierre.
Political Commentator
Psaki began doing political commentary on television in early 2017, when she joined CNN. She remained on the network until late 2020, when she left to join Biden's White House transition team. After leaving the Biden administration in May of 2022, Psaki became a contributor to MSNBC, where she helped cover the 2022 midterms. She also appeared on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," on which she discussed the Robb Elementary School mass shooting. In early 2023, MSNBC announced that Psaki would host her own Sunday morning show, "Inside with Jen Psaki." Focusing on public policy issues, the program premiered in mid-March.
Personal Life
In 2010, Psaki married Greg Mecher, who was at the time the chief of staff to congressman Steve Driehaus. He later served as the chief of staff to congressman Joe Kennedy. Psaki and Mecher have two children.
Real Estate
In March 2019 Jen and Greg paid $1.6 million for a 4,500 square foot home in Arlington, Virginia. Today this home is worth an estimated $2.1 million.
