The President makes more: the White House states the presidential salary is $400,000 a year. The Vice President’s adjusted 2026 scheduled rate is $292,300, but a statutory pay freeze holds the rate payable during calendar 2026 at the amount payable on December 31, 2025. That means $292,300 is not necessarily the Vice President’s actual 2026 pay.
How the 2026 figures compare
| Office | Annual amount | What the figure means |
|---|---|---|
| President | $400,000 | The White House stated this as the President’s salary in a March 11, 2026 memorandum. The memorandum does not describe it as total compensation or include benefits and office expenses. White House memorandum |
| Vice President | $292,300 | The adjusted Schedule 6 annual rate for 2026, effective on the first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2026. It is a scheduled rate, not necessarily the amount payable during 2026. Executive Order 14368, Schedule 6 |
Why the Vice President’s actual payable rate is different
Current Title 5 of the U.S. Code provides that the Vice President’s rate payable during calendar year 2026 is the rate payable on December 31, 2025. The freeze, rather than the adjusted Schedule 6 figure, determines the payable rate for the year. 5 U.S.C. § 104
The cited statute gives the rule but does not state the December 31, 2025 dollar amount. So while the President’s $400,000 stated salary is higher than the Vice President’s $292,300 adjusted scheduled rate, these figures alone do not establish the exact dollar difference between their actual payable 2026 rates.
Salary is not the same as the cost of the office
These figures concern the officeholders’ salary or basic-pay rates. Staff budgets, official residences, transportation, security, and other operating costs are separate government expenses, not part of either person’s personal salary.
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