How Much Does the President Make During and After Office?

The Constitution requires a president to take a salary. The Founding Fathers wanted to protect even wealthy presidents from misfortune that could tempt them to take bribes. The salary rule may also have been designed to ensure a lack of personal wealth would not prohibit a president-elect from taking office.

Salaries have understandably varied considerably over time, and four presidents declined to personally accept the money. Additionally, there are several benefits a president has even after they leave office.

Types of Presidential Compensation

Joe Biden makes about seven times more than the average American per year, but the founding fathers designed the presidency that way.

The U.S. president receives a salary of $400,000 a year and a $50,000 expense account while in office. Congress added the expense account in 1949. This pays for the president's personal expenses, such as food and dry cleaning.

Americans make an average of about $59,200 per year based on a weekly pay of $1,139 multiplied by 52 weeks.

Title 2 of the U.S. Code also grants the president a $100,000 non-taxable travel account. Other perks include free transportation in the presidential limousine, Marine One, and Air Force One.

The president receives free furnished housing in the White House. The First Family also receives $100,000 to redecorate the White House to feel more at home. White House upkeep requires permanent residents, including maids, cooks, valets, and groundskeepers.

The president receives free health care from the official physician who directs the White House Medical Unit.

Presidents and vice presidents are expressly permitted to receive any gift for themselves or on behalf of any family members, unlike other federal employees. But the gift can't be solicited, coerced, or given in exchange for an official act.

Presidents Who Didn't Take a Salary

Four presidents have refused a salary, either in whole or in part. They donated all or some of their salary instead.

• Donald J. Trump donated his $400,000 annual salary to various federal departments from 2017 through 2020. Trump's net worth is about $7 billion, making him the richest president in history.
• John F. Kennedy donated his $100,000 salary to charity. He was the beneficiary of a multimillion-dollar trust fund. He also donated his salary while serving 14 years in Congress.
• Herbert Hoover divided his salary between various charities. He gave some of it to his staff. Hoover's net worth was around $4 million in 1913.
• George Washington initially wanted to forgo his $25,000 salary. He had also foregone a salary while he was our nation's military commander.
  

Salary for First Spouses

The First Spouse receives no salary.

What Is the Vice President's Salary?

Kamala Harris, the Vice President of the United States as of 2024, receives an annual salary of $284,600. The chief justice of the United States earns $312,200, and the speaker of the House earns $223,500. The Vice President receives an annual cost of living adjustment.

The Vice President's pension is calculated like that of other members of Congress. Former Vice Presidents and their families are entitled to Secret Service protection for six months after leaving office and temporarily at any time after that if it's warranted.

Presidents' Salaries Throughout History

Congress has only given the president a raise five times. A president cannot get a raise while serving a current term. Most raises are gifts from an outgoing president to future ones as a result.

These are the president's salaries through history and what they would be worth in current dollars. All previous presidents received more buying power than the nation's top executive does today, thanks to inflation.

• 1789: The president's salary was $25,000. It would have been worth over $880,000 in 2024.
• 1873: President Ulysses S. Grant signed the bill that authorized his raise for his second term. The $50,000 salary would be worth $1.3 million in 2024.
• 1909: William Taft received a $75,000 salary. It would be worth nearly $2.6 million in 2024.
• 1949: Harry Truman received a $100,000 salary. It would be worth $1.3 million in 2024.
• 1969: Richard Nixon's $200,000 salary would be worth $1.7 million in 2024.
• 2001: George W. Bush received $400,000. That amount would be worth about $705,000 in 2024.

How Long Do Presidents Get Paid?

The Former Presidents Act of 1958 ensures that U.S. presidents are paid for life. Congress passed the act to provide for President Harry Truman. He had many financial problems after he left office. The Act provides former presidents with a pension. They also receive funds for travel, office space, support staff, and mailing costs. The pay should equal that of a head of a federal government executive department. These Executive Level I employees received $246,400 in 2024.

Ex-presidents also receive seven months of transition services. This covers the costs of winding down the outgoing administration and briefing the incoming administration. 

They receive funds for office space and office staff. The aggregate salary for the staff is capped at $150,000 a year for the first 30 months and $96,000 a year thereafter. Widows or widowers of former presidents receive $20,000 a year.

How Long Do Presidents Get Secret Service?

Former presidents and their spouses receive Secret Service protection for life. Congress reduced it in 1994 to 10 years for presidents who entered office after 1997, but Congress reinstated lifetime protection in 2012. Children of former presidents receive Secret Service protection until they're 16 years old. The cost of Secret Service protection is not made public.

The Former Presidents Act provides $1 million a year for security and travel expenses if former presidents didn't receive Secret Service protection. Former first spouses receive $500,000 a year for security and travel purposes if they didn't receive Secret Service protection.

Salaries of Some Former Presidents

The salaries of ex-presidents are set by the Former Presidents Act. The amount is equivalent to the salary of the head of an executive department. The other costs vary according to each president's needs.

The figures cited are from the 2024 fiscal year budget.

Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter served from 1977 to 1981. He earned $200,000 a year while in office, with a $50,000 expense account.

As an ex-president, Carter received $551,000 for fiscal year 2024. That included $236,000 in pension benefits, $118,000 for office space, and $173,000 for contracted personnel compensation and benefits.

Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton served from 1993 to 2001. He earned $200,000 a year with $50,000 in expenses.

As an ex-president, Clinton received about $1.3 million for fiscal year 2024. That included $222,000 in personnel compensation and benefits and $255,000 in pensions. He had no travel budget but received $661,000 for office space.

George W. Bush

George W. Bush served from 2001 to 2009. He was the first president to earn $400,000 a year.

As ex-president, Bush received about $1.3 million for fiscal year 2024. That included $224,000 for staff and $255,000 in pension benefits. He had no travel budget but received $542,000 for office space, $124,000 for communications and utilities, and tens of thousands more for other costs.

Barack Obama

Barack Obama served from 2009 to 2017. He earned $400,000 a year while president, with a $50,000 expense account.

As an ex-president, Obama received about $1.3 million for fiscal year 2024. That included $255,000 for his pension. He was allocated $209,000 in benefits and compensation for his staff. Obama received $605,000 for office space and communications, utilities, and miscellaneous expenses. He had no travel budget for 2024.

Donald Trump

Donald Trump's term was from 2017 to 2021. He earned $400,000 a year with a $50,000 expense account. He donated his salary to a different federal department each quarter.

As an ex-president, Trump received about $1.1 million for fiscal year 2024. That included $236,000 for his pension. He also received $259,000 for personnel compensation and benefits, $406,000 for office space, and $35,000 for communications and miscellaneous expenses.

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