How Much Is the President Paid? Salary, Benefits, and Pension

The President of the United States is paid a $400,000 annual salary, plus a $50,000 expense allowance that is not taxed, a $100,000 travel account, and a $19,000 entertainment budget. The cash compensation package comes to roughly $569,000 a year. On top of that, the job includes free housing at the White House, military-run healthcare, government transportation, Secret Service protection, and a lifetime pension of $253,100 a year after leaving office.

The $400,000 Salary

The base pay is $400,000 per year, paid monthly and subject to federal income tax like any other salary. Congress set that figure in 1999 through Public Law 106-58, and it took effect on January 20, 2001, at the start of the next presidential term.¹ It has not changed since. Before the 2001 increase, the salary was $200,000, a rate in place since 1969.

Any future raise can only take effect at the start of a new presidential term. The Constitution prohibits increasing or decreasing the President’s compensation during the term for which the President was elected.²

Allowances Added to the Salary

Beyond the base pay, the President receives a $50,000 annual expense allowance for costs tied to official duties. This allowance is excluded from the President’s gross income, so it is effectively tax-free. Any portion left unspent goes back to the Treasury.¹

Congress also appropriates $100,000 for travel and $19,000 for entertainment each year through annual appropriations legislation. Both are designated for official use only.

Benefits That Come With the Job

Several major benefits carry significant value but never appear on a pay stub.

Housing

The President lives rent-free in the White House and has the use of all government-owned furniture and furnishings in the Executive Residence. Federal funds cover maintenance, repairs, utilities, and improvements.³ The President personally pays for food, dry cleaning, and other private household expenses for the First Family.

Transportation and Security

The President travels on Air Force One, a modified Boeing 747, on the Marine One helicopter fleet, and in an armored limousine known informally as “The Beast.” The military and Secret Service maintain and operate these assets at taxpayer expense. Federal law authorizes continuous Secret Service protection for the President, the Vice President, and their immediate families.⁴

Healthcare and Staff

The White House Medical Unit, staffed by military physicians and medical professionals, provides healthcare to the President, the Vice President, and their families. It operates around the clock and travels with the President. A large staff of senior advisors and administrative personnel supports the President’s daily work, all funded through congressional appropriations.³

Limits on Outside Pay and Gifts

The same constitutional clause that locks the salary during a term also bars the President from receiving “any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them.” The President cannot accept payments or financial benefits from the federal government or any state government beyond the set compensation.²

A separate clause in Article I, Section 9 covers foreign governments. The President cannot accept gifts, titles, or payments from foreign states without congressional consent. The Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act allows acceptance of foreign gifts worth $525 or less as souvenirs or gestures of courtesy.⁵ Anything worth more is treated as accepted on behalf of the United States and becomes government property.⁶

Public Financial Disclosure

The President must file a public financial disclosure report every year by May 15, covering the prior calendar year. The report must include all investment and non-investment income exceeding $200 from any single source, all assets worth more than $1,000, all debts exceeding $10,000, and all gifts from a single source totaling more than $480.⁷ Unlike most federal employees, the President must also disclose a mortgage on a personal residence. Tax returns are a separate matter; Presidents have released them voluntarily, but no law requires it.

Pay After Leaving Office

A former President receives a taxable annual pension equal to the pay of a Cabinet Secretary, set at the Executive Level I rate on the federal pay scale. For 2026, that comes to $253,100 per year.⁸ The pension adjusts automatically whenever Cabinet-level pay changes, and payments begin as soon as the former President leaves office. The pension is suspended during any period in which the former President holds a federal or D.C. government position that carries a salary.⁹

The General Services Administration also provides each former President with office space, communications, furniture, and supplies. GSA spent about $4.6 million total on allowances for all living former Presidents in fiscal year 2023, with office rent as the largest share.¹⁰ A former President can spend up to $150,000 per year on staff compensation during the first 30 months after leaving office, then up to $96,000 per year after that.⁹

Former Presidents and their spouses receive Secret Service protection for life. Coverage had been capped at 10 years for Presidents taking office after 1997, but the Former Presidents Protection Act of 2012 restored lifetime protection.⁴ A spouse loses protection upon remarriage, and children of former Presidents are protected until age 16.¹¹

1
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 3 USC 102 – Compensation of the President
2
Congress.gov. Article 2 Section 1 Clause 7
3
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 3 USC 105 – Assistance and Services for the President
4
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 3056 – Powers, Authorities, and Duties of United States Secret Service
5
GSA. Foreign Gifts
6
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 U.S. Code 7342 – Receipt and Disposition of Foreign Gifts and Decorations
7
eCFR. Part 2634 Executive Branch Financial Disclosure, Qualified Trusts, and Certificates of Divestiture
8
White House (Executive Order Pay Tables). Schedule 5 – Executive Schedule (Effective January 2026)
9
National Archives. Former Presidents Act
10
U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). FY 2025 Congressional Justification
11
Secret Service. Frequently Asked Questions About Us