Culture and Society
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The US Presidency is said to be the hardest job in the world, so does it pay well? Put it this way: the salary would comfortably put you in the top 5 percent of earners in the US, although there are arguably easier ways to get rich quick.
The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.As of January 2025, the US President receives a total annual salary of $400,000, paid monthly, according to the United States Code.
Of course, some serious perks come with being the US President on top of the paycheque. They get an additional annual expense allowance of $50,000, plus a $100,000 travel account and a $19,000 budget for official entertainment. Any unused amount of that expense allowance is paid back to the US Treasury.
Presidents and their immediate families also get to live in the White House rent-free during their term in office. The 5,109 square meter (55,000 square foot) property contains 132 rooms, including a movie theater, a bowling alley, and a flower shop.
The latest “pay rise” of the US President came from an amendment in 1999. At face value, it looks as if the salary has increased significantly over the past decades. However, despite these nominal increases, the salary has effectively lost value over time when adjusted for inflation.
From 1969 until 1999, the President’s annual salary was $200,000 (in 1969, this was around $1.7 million in today’s value). From 1949 to 1969, the salary was $100,000 (in 1949, this was around $1.3 million in today’s value).
Looking even further back, the President was paid $75,000 from 1909 until 1949 (worth roughly $2.6 million today). From 1873, they were paid $50,000 (worth roughly $1.3 million) and, from 1789, the salary was $25,000 (worth around $896,000).
A small number of US Presidents have declined to accept their salaries in the past. President Donald Trump, a multi-billionaire, famously refused to take his presidential salary of $400,000. Instead, he kept $1 of the salary and donated the rest to various government agencies, including the National Park Service, the US Surgeon General's Office, the US Department of Agriculture, and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Bear in mind, though, that Trump continued to make a huge amount of money through his properties, hotels, golf courses, and other business ventures. He reportedly made $1.6 billion in outside revenue and income during his time as president, although his overall net worth dropped a substantial amount.
President John F. Kennedy, another politician of immense wealth, also donated his salary to several charities, as did Herbert Hoover.
