Obama aides' pay ranges from six-figure salaries to $0

— -- Ah, the rites of summer: July 4 celebrations, the first day at the pool, and the ritualized, voyeuristic peak into White House staffer salary information.

The White House on Friday released annual pay data for President Barack Obama's aides, showing a wide span from the top salary of $172,200 for folks like National Security Advisor Tom Donilon and Press Secretary Jay Carney to the $0 (yes, zero) paid to senior policy advisor David Kaden and Special Assistant Andrew Parker.

Under a 1995 law, the White House must inform Congress how much it pays staff. The Obama administration made the information public  in a searchable database.