How Much Does the President Make

Appointed with the responsibility of running an entire country, and one that is considered the most powerful in the world, one would assume that the president of the United States of America is given an unimaginable sum as pay for his duties.

However, a look into the details of his salary, and you will find that though the figure is higher than the salary earned by the average American, there is much more that can be made by an individual with similar capabilities in a different industry.

It is interesting to know that the president is the highest paid member of government. No one in the government earns as much as he does. However, no one also deals with as many responsibilities as does the president. How much does the president of the United States get paid? Here is a look into the exact amount made by him per year.

The president earns US $400,000 per year. Between the period 1969-2001, the annual salary of the president was US $200,000, but has now increased as a result of the efforts of former president Bill Clinton. An interesting point to note here is that based on the rate of inflation, the president today actually earns much less than the one in 1969.

Apart from his annual salary, the president is also given a large sum of US $169,000 for personal expenses.

Any expense that allows the president to improve any aspect of himself is taken care of by the annual expense account with an amount of US $50,000. This means, president Donald Trump can use this amount for the purpose of personal grooming, clothes shopping, food and nutrition advice, etc.

However, this amount simply accumulates as part of the total pay, because almost every service is provided free of cost to the president.

The travel expenses the president is entitled to is US $100,000. This amount is non-taxable, and can be used when he wishes to travel and spend money on a personal account. All official travel expenses are taken care of by the government. This is the amount that he is given to spend over and above the expenses that are managed by the government.

Even the president needs a break. For this purpose, he is provided an entertainment expense of US $19,000. Again, this is just another amount that is collected by him simply because almost every source of entertainment is available in the White House, from a movie theater to a golf course.

It is only if a particular source of entertainment is outside the White House, that the president will have to tap into this account.

Apart from these expenses, the president gets to live in the White House, provided with a 132 room mansion, with separate staff to take care of it, plus cooks and other staff to take care of his family's requirements.

While the responsibilities of the president end at the end of his term, his pay does not stop. After retirement from this job, he continues to receive a lifetime pension. This amounts to about US $200,000 per year, along with additional travel expenses.

Many argue that being the president of the United States is a job one would hardly consider for the money. In spite of the perks and the freebies, the amount that can be made by people who are deemed capable enough to run a country as powerful as the United States is much larger.

A lot of other factors drive people into running for the presidential election, such as power and fame, but one can certainly argue that money does not feature on the top of this list.