U.S. presidents are paid a $400,000 annual salary, plus a $50,000 tax-free expense allowance and up to $100,000 for official travel, for $550,000 a year in direct monetary compensation. After leaving office, a former president receives a lifetime pension currently set at $253,100 a year, along with government-funded office space, capped staff funding, and Secret Service protection.
The $400,000 Salary
The salary is fixed by federal law at $400,000 per year, paid monthly, and taxed as ordinary income.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 3 USC 102 – Compensation of the President Congress last raised it in 1999. The increase took effect at noon on January 20, 2001, when the next presidential term began. Before that, the figure had been $200,000 since 1969, and $100,000 before that.
The Constitution prohibits changing the president’s pay during a sitting term. Any raise Congress passes can only take effect with the next inauguration, which is why the 1999 law was written to begin in January 2001.
The Two Allowances on Top of Salary
Beyond salary, the president receives a $50,000 annual expense allowance for costs tied to official duties. It is completely excluded from the president’s gross income, making it tax-free, and anything unspent returns to the Treasury at the end of the year.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 3 USC 102 – Compensation of the President
A separate statute authorizes up to $100,000 a year for travel expenses associated with official duties.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 3 USC 103 – Traveling Expenses Combined with the salary, direct compensation reaches $550,000 a year, with $150,000 of that tax-free.
What Else Comes With the Job
The pay figures don’t include the value of living and working at government expense. The president and their family live in the White House, a 132-room residence maintained by a permanent staff of roughly 100 people, and are entitled to use all United States furniture and furnishings kept in the Executive Residence.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 3 USC 102 – Compensation of the President Camp David, about 60 miles outside Washington, is available as an additional retreat.
The White House Medical Unit provides round-the-clock healthcare to the president, the vice president, and their families anywhere in the world, at no personal cost during the term. Air Force One handles long-distance travel and Marine One handles shorter helicopter trips, both equipped as mobile command centers. The Secret Service protects the president and immediate family throughout the term.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 3056 – Powers, Authorities, and Duties of United States Secret Service
What the President Pays For Personally
Not every White House expense is on the taxpayer. The president pays personally for groceries, private family meals, dry cleaning, toiletries, and other household incidentals. The head usher tracks these costs and bills the first family monthly. State dinners and official entertaining are covered by government funds; a Tuesday night dinner with the family is not.
The Pension After Leaving Office
The Former Presidents Act of 1958 guarantees every former president a lifetime annual pension equal to the salary of a Cabinet secretary, which is Level I of the Executive Schedule.4National Archives. Former Presidents Act For 2026, that rate is $253,100.5U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Salary Table 2026-EX – Rates of Basic Pay for the Executive Schedule The pension is paid monthly, begins immediately after a president leaves office, and rises automatically whenever Congress adjusts pay for senior federal executives.
A former president who takes another paid federal or District of Columbia government position loses the pension for that period of service. No former president has returned to a salaried government role, so the provision has never been triggered.
Office, Staff, and Other Post-Office Support
The General Services Administration funds office space for each former president, with annual rental allowances in GSA’s fiscal year 2026 budget request ranging from roughly $540,000 to over $700,000 depending on location and needs. Staff spending is capped by statute: up to $150,000 per year for the first 30 months after leaving office, dropping to $96,000 annually after that. A seven-month transition period provides services and facilities to wind down the outgoing administration.
Secret Service protection continues for life for former presidents and their spouses, with the Former Presidents Protection Act of 2012 restoring lifetime coverage after Congress had earlier limited it to ten years.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 3056 – Powers, Authorities, and Duties of United States Secret Service A spouse loses protection if they remarry, and children are protected until age 16. Former presidents and their surviving spouses can also send non-political mail as franked mail within the United States and its territories.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 39 USC 3214 – Mailing Privilege of Former President; Surviving Spouse of Former President
Surviving Spouse Pension
When a former president dies, the surviving spouse is entitled to a $20,000 annual pension, paid monthly by the Treasury.4National Archives. Former Presidents Act To receive it, the spouse must waive any other federal annuity or pension available under a separate law. Payments stop on death or on remarriage before age 60, and the spouse cannot collect while holding a paid federal government position. The $20,000 figure has remained unchanged since the Act was enacted.
The Totals
Across a four-year term, the direct monetary compensation adds up to $1.6 million in salary, $200,000 in tax-free expense allowances, and $400,000 in travel funds, for $2.2 million total. The residence, medical care, transportation, and security are worth substantially more, though difficult to price precisely; the annual cost of operating Air Force One alone runs into the hundreds of millions.
After leaving office, a $253,100 pension means a former president who lives 25 years past their term collects over $6.3 million in pension payments alone, before adding office space, staff funding, and ongoing Secret Service protection.