Knesset Details 2026 Salaries and Allowances for Lawmakers
Data published by the Knesset for 2026 reveals that lawmakers' monthly salaries of 48,700 shekels are only part of their compensation, which includes annual parliamentary budgets, vehicle allowances, and housing stipends.
A monthly gross salary of approximately 48,700 shekels is a figure many would envy, but examining the additional benefits of Knesset members reveals that the paycheck is only part of the equation. Alongside the payslip are an annual budget for parliamentary activity, a vehicle, various services, and in applicable cases, housing allowances.
According to updated figures published by the Knesset for 2026, the annual budget for parliamentary activity from which lawmakers can finance expenses stands at 110,795 shekels. A new Knesset member is entitled to an additional 12,008 shekels. The Knesset website clarifies that the actual budget may vary from one lawmaker to another depending on role, length of tenure, seniority, and the rollover of unused balances.
Accommodation benefits also amount to thousands of shekels per month. The updated amount for rent in 2026 reaches up to 5,033 shekels, subject to eligibility criteria. Alongside these are additional conditions and expenses related to parliamentary work, including a vehicle or vehicle expenses and communication services.
Lawmakers are also supported by parliamentary aides, whose costs are not part of the monthly salary appearing on the MK's payslip. This means the figure that usually attracts attention, the monthly wage, falls far short of reflecting the total expenditure involved in a public representative's activity. The scale is evident in the Knesset budget itself, where the 2026 proposal allocated 273.714 million shekels to the "Knesset members" item.
For comparison, during an official Knesset discussion in 2021, the deputy Knesset accountant stated that the cost of an MK, including offices, aides, and conditions, stood at about 1.7 million shekels annually. While this is an older figure that does not necessarily reflect current costs, it encompasses components missing when looking solely at the gross salary. Execution of the 2025 budget also offers insight into expenditures, with salary components totaling about 87.6 million shekels and conditions totaling about 139.8 million shekels.
