The US Presidency is said to be the hardest problem in the humans , so does it pay well ? Put it this way : the pay would well put you in thetop 5 percent of earnersin the US , although there are arguably well-to-do ways to get rich quick .

As of January 2025 , the US President receives a total yearly remuneration of $ 400,000 , pay monthly , according tothe United States Code .

Of course , some serious perks come with being the US President on top of the paycheque . They get anadditional annual expenseallowance of $ 50,000 , plus a $ 100,000 travel account and a $ 19,000 budget for prescribed entertainment . Any fresh amount of that expense allowance account is paid back to the US Treasury .

Presidents and their contiguous families also get to live in the White House economic rent - free during their term in office . The 5,109 solid meter ( 55,000 square foot ) dimension hold 132 way , includinga motion-picture show field , a bowling alley , and a flower shop .

The latest “ pay rise ” of the US President came from an amendment in 1999 . At face time 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 adjust 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 time value ) .

Lookingeven further back , the President was give $ 75,000 from 1909 until 1949 ( deserving roughly $ 2.6 million today ) . From 1873 , they were paid $ 50,000 ( worth roughly $ 1.3 million ) and , from 1789 , the earnings was $ 25,000 ( worth around $ 896,000 ) .

A small telephone number of US Presidents have turn down to swallow their salaries in the past . President Donald Trump , a multi - billionaire , famouslyrefused to takehis presidential salary of $ 400,000 . Instead , he kept $ 1 of the salary and donated the sleep to various government agencies , include 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 concern ventures . Hereportedlymade $ 1.6 billion in outside receipts and income during his clock time as president , although his overall lucre worthdropped a solid amount .

President John F. Kennedy , another politician of immense wealthiness , alsodonated his salaryto several Jacob’s ladder , as didHerbert Hoover .