Donald Trump will receive the same annual salary as his predecessor: $400,000, as outlined in Title 3 of the U.S. Code. This salary is paid monthly. Additionally, the president receives $50,000 for expenses (non-taxable), a $100,000 travel account, and a $19,000 entertainment budget.
Increase In President’s Pay
The president is also entitled to several other benefits, most notably a government-provided residence, the White House.
Between 1969 and 2001, the last time Congress approved an increase in the president’s pay, the salary was $200,000 annually. During a 1999 hearing regarding the proposed pay raise, it was noted that compensation for “one of the most difficult, demanding and important jobs on the face of the earth” had remained stagnant for three decades, while the salaries of private-sector CEOs had surged. Government reform expert Paul C. Light testified that he supported raising the presidential salary “if only to signal that the American political system values its chief executive enough to occasionally boost the base salary.”
Trump Salary: Presidential Salaries Through History
Historically, presidential salaries were worth significantly more when adjusted for inflation. According to the University of Michigan, citing Congressional Quarterly’s Guide to the Presidency, here is a breakdown of U.S. presidents’ salaries during different periods, with inflation-adjusted figures in parentheses (from Officialdata.org):
- 1789: $25,000 ($895,741)
- 1873: $50,000 ($1.3 million)
- 1909: $75,000 ($2.6 million)
- 1949: $100,000 (plus $50,000 taxable expense account) ($1.3 million)
- 1969: $200,000 (plus $50,000 taxable expense account) ($1.7 million)
Earnings After the Presidency
It’s important to note that former presidents continue to receive a salary from the federal government after leaving office. Since 1958, former presidents have been eligible for an annual pension, currently exceeding $200,000. Additionally, they are provided office space and travel expenses as stipulated by the Former Presidents Act of 1958.
Presidents also typically earn substantial sums after their terms through book deals, speaking engagements, media appearances, and other ventures. Ulysses S. Grant became the first U.S. president to write a memoir, which he completed just days before his death in 1885. Since then, nearly every president, with the exceptions of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy, has authored a memoir.