The President of the United States is paid a salary of $400,000 a year, delivered in monthly installments and taxed like any other income. On top of that, the job comes with a $50,000 tax-free expense allowance, a $100,000 travel account, and a package of in-kind benefits — housing, aircraft, security, medical care — whose real value runs far beyond the paycheck itself.
The $400,000 Salary
Federal law fixes the President’s pay at $400,000 per year under 3 U.S.C. § 102.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 3 USC 102 – Compensation of the President Congress last raised the figure in 1999, doubling it from $200,000, and the change took effect at noon on January 20, 2001. It has stayed at $400,000 ever since.
The salary is fully subject to federal income tax. State income tax may also apply, depending on the President’s residence for tax purposes.
One reason the number moves so rarely: the Constitution won’t let Congress adjust a sitting President’s pay. Article II, Section 1 says the compensation “shall neither be encreased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected.”2Cornell Law Institute. U.S. Constitution Annotated – Emoluments Clause and Presidential Compensation Congress can vote a raise or a cut, but it only takes effect for the next term. No sitting President gets rewarded or punished with a paycheck change.
Expense Allowance and Travel Account
The same statute gives the President a $50,000 annual expense allowance for costs tied to official duties. This one is excluded from gross income and is not taxed.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 3 USC 102 – Compensation of the President
A separate travel account allows up to $100,000 per year for the President’s traveling expenses, spent at the President’s discretion and accounted for by presidential certificate alone.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 3 USC Chapter 2 – Office and Compensation of President Congress also appropriates money for official entertainment, though the statute sets no fixed cap on that line. Entertainment costs sit inside the broader Executive Residence budget, which also covers state dinners and White House upkeep.
Housing, Travel, Security, and Medical Care
The in-kind benefits are where the value of the office really sits. Together they would cost tens of millions a year to replicate privately.
The Executive Residence and Camp David
The President and family live in the White House Executive Residence. Congress funds the care, maintenance, and operation of the residence under 3 U.S.C. § 105, which pays for the full-time domestic staff — chefs, housekeepers, florists, groundskeepers — along with utilities and upkeep.4GovInfo. USC Title 3 – The President The family pays for its own personal food and incidentals.
Camp David, the presidential retreat in Frederick County, Maryland, is available for rest and for hosting foreign leaders. It is maintained by the U.S. Navy and staffed by military personnel year-round.5The White House. Camp David
Air Force One, Marine One, and the Motorcade
Presidential air travel uses Air Force One, the call sign for any Air Force aircraft carrying the President, generally one of two specially modified Boeing 747s. Operating costs exceed $200,000 per hour once fuel, crew, maintenance, and onboard communications are counted. Marine One handles shorter helicopter trips. Ground travel uses an armored motorcade with a Secret Service protective detail, communications vehicles, and support staff.
Secret Service Protection
The U.S. Secret Service provides 24-hour protection to the President, the Vice President, and their immediate families under 18 U.S.C. § 3056.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 3056 – Powers, Authorities, and Duties of United States Secret Service The operation includes advance teams that sweep venues before the President arrives, counter-surveillance work, and coordination with local law enforcement. A modest private executive-protection detail runs upward of half a million dollars a year; the presidential operation is orders of magnitude larger.
The White House Medical Unit
Military physicians and nurses staff the White House Medical Unit, which provides on-site care to the President at no personal cost. The unit travels with the President and keeps a medical suite inside the White House.
What the President Cannot Accept
The Constitution caps the President’s federal pay at the fixed salary. The Domestic Emoluments Clause in Article II bars accepting “any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them” beyond that amount.2Cornell Law Institute. U.S. Constitution Annotated – Emoluments Clause and Presidential Compensation No state supplement, no federal bonus.
Foreign gifts are handled under the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act. The President and other federal employees may accept a gift from a foreign government only if it qualifies as “minimal value.” As of January 1, 2026, that threshold is $525, adjusted every three years for inflation.7GSA. GSA Bulletin FMR B-2025-01 Foreign Gifts and Decorations Minimal Value Anything above becomes property of the United States.
Pay and Benefits for Former Presidents
Compensation continues after the term ends. Under the Former Presidents Act of 1958, a former President receives a taxable annual pension pegged to the pay of a Cabinet secretary — the Executive Schedule Level I rate. For 2026, that is $253,100.8OPM. Salary Table 2026-EX – Rates of Basic Pay for the Executive Schedule The pension moves with Cabinet pay, and a former President who takes another paid federal or D.C. government job forfeits it for that period.9National Archives. Former Presidents Act (3 USC 102 Note)
The General Services Administration funds office space and staff for each former President at a location of their choosing. For the first 30 months out of office, the aggregate staff compensation allowance can reach $150,000 a year. After that, the cap drops to $96,000, and no single staffer may be paid more than the Executive Schedule Level II rate ($228,500 in 2026).9National Archives. Former Presidents Act (3 USC 102 Note)8OPM. Salary Table 2026-EX – Rates of Basic Pay for the Executive Schedule
Secret Service protection continues for life for former Presidents and their spouses, though a spouse’s coverage ends on remarriage. Children of former Presidents are covered until they turn 16.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 3056 – Powers, Authorities, and Duties of United States Secret Service
How the Salary Has Changed Since 1789
Congress has raised the presidential salary only five times. George Washington earned $25,000 starting in 1789. That doubled to $50,000 in 1873, rose to $75,000 in 1909, to $100,000 in 1949, to $200,000 in 1969, and to $400,000 effective January 20, 2001.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 3 USC 102 – Compensation of the President Adjusted for inflation, Washington’s $25,000 would be worth roughly $500,000 today, so the current salary has actually lost ground against the original. The long gaps between raises reflect the constitutional rule: any increase only takes effect with a future term, and no Congress wants to look like it is enriching a sitting President.