Vice President Salary: What The Office Pays Today
- 01. Vice President salary: what the office pays today
- 02. Current statutory salary and how it's set
- 03. Historical evolution of the vice president's pay
- 04. Comparison with other top federal officials
- 05. Benefits, allowances, and non-salary compensation
- 06. How the vice president's pay compares to corporate roles
Vice President salary: what the office pays today
The current annual salary of the Vice President of the United States is $235,100, as fixed by the Government Salary Reform Act of 1989 and adjusted under the same executive pay schedule that covers the president and senior federal officials. This figure reflects the statutory base compensation only and does not include certain benefits, transition allowances, or potential post-service income such as book deals or speaking fees.
Current statutory salary and how it's set
The federal statute governing executive pay fixes the president's salary at $400,000 per year and the vice president's salary at $235,100, with both amounts tied to the same executive pay scale administered by the Office of Personnel Management. A 2019 executive pay adjustment raised the vice president's scheduled rate to about $243,500, but a broader federal pay freeze left the effective amount at $235,100 for several years thereafter.
Unlike many private-sector corporate vice president roles, which can exceed $200,000 or more in large enterprises, the constitutional office of the vice president is constrained by a fixed statutory cap rather than market negotiation. For context, the average salary for a private-sector "vice president" in the U.S. ranges from roughly $136,000 to over $170,000, depending on the dataset and industry, underscoring that the U.S. vice president's pay sits above broad corporate averages but below many Fortune 500 C-suite roles.
Historical evolution of the vice president's pay
The salary of the vice president has not always been as high as it is today. In the early 2000s, the office earned about $175,000 annually, and the Government Salary Reform Act of 1989 set the framework for indexing executive pay to senior federal compensation levels. By 2019, the statutory rate for the vice president had risen to $230,700 before the 1.9 percent adjustment that pushed it to $235,100.
Two key milestones stand out for the modern vice presidential pay scale. First, the 1989 act aligned the vice president's salary with the pay of the most senior federal civil servants, effectively professionalizing the role. Second, the early-2020s pay freeze froze cost-of-living increases for the president, the vice president, and most senior officials, which temporarily flattened the growth of the constitutional office's compensation despite statutory formulas.
Comparison with other top federal officials
The vice president's salary is lower than that of several other top federal officials. The president earns $400,000 annually, while the Chief Justice of the United States earns about $300,000, and associate Supreme Court justices top roughly $298,500. In practice, the second-highest office in the U.S. government is paid less than the second-highest paid federal judge, underscoring that prestige and influence do not always track directly with the salary figures on paper.
For comparison, the head of the executive branch outearns the vice president by more than 70 percent, while the top federal judges earn about 25-30 percent more than the vice president. This gap reflects the distinct roles and responsibilities of the offices, as well as the separate statutory formulas that govern judicial pay versus executive pay.
| Office | Annual salary | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| President of the United States | $400,000 | Fixed by statute; includes some expense allowances. |
| Vice President of the United States | $235,100 | Statutory base; subject to federal pay freeze. |
| Chief Justice of the United States | $300,000 | Includes cost-of-living adjustments; higher than VP. |
| Associate Justice of the Supreme Court | $298,500 | Still above the vice president's rate. |
| Senior federal executive (GS-15 step 10) | Around $197,000 | Illustrative top civil-service rate; below VP. |
Benefits, allowances, and non-salary compensation
The official salary of the vice president is supplemented by a package of federal benefits and allowances that are not captured in the $235,100 figure. These include a dedicated office budget, staff support, travel allowances, and security protection funded by the U.S. government. The vice president also receives access to executive transportation and housing, including a formal residence and official vehicles, which effectively reduce out-of-pocket living and security costs.
After leaving office, former vice presidents may receive certain retirement and transition benefits analogous to those for other senior federal officials, though the details depend on the length of service and applicable statutes. Some former vice presidents also earn substantial income from post-office opportunities such as university appointments, book publishing, and speaking engagements, which can dramatically exceed their in-office salary over time.
- Base salary: $235,100 per year for the incumbent vice president.
- Office and staff budget: Taxpayer-funded resources for meetings, policy work, and communications.
- Travel and security: Access to executive aircraft, armored vehicles, and full Secret Service protection.
- Residence and housing: Official vice presidential residence and related facilities.
- Retirement considerations: Eligibility for federal retirement programs based on prior federal service.
- Post-office earnings: Potential income from books, speeches, and advisory roles.
How the vice president's pay compares to corporate roles
In the private sector, the term "vice president" spans a wide pay band. In many large corporations, a corporate vice president earns median base pay of roughly $136,000 to $170,000, with total compensation often climbing into the low-to-mid six figures when bonuses and stock are included. By contrast, specialized roles such as Vice President of People or other senior executives can exceed $180,000-$250,000 in total compensation, depending on the company and experience.
Under these benchmarks, the constitutional vice president's salary compares favorably to entry-level corporate vice presidents but falls short of highly compensated C-suite or senior executive roles at major tech or financial firms. This dichotomy highlights that the U.S. vice president's job is not primarily a market-driven position; it is a public office whose pay is shaped by legislative intent and cost-of-living rules rather than shareholder-driven compensation committees.
- The federal statute setting the vice president's pay is fixed by law, not by competition for talent.
- Private-sector vice presidents often negotiate higher pay in capital-rich industries.
- Market-based executive compensation can exceed $250,000 in large companies.
- Public-office pay prioritizes transparency and consistency over individual negotiation.
- Some former vice presidents later earn more from media and advisory work than from their in-office salary.
Helpful tips and tricks for Who Is Vice President Of The United States Salary
How much does the vice president of the United States earn annually?
The current annual salary of the Vice President of the United States is $235,100, as established under the Government Salary Reform Act of 1989 and adjusted under the executive-level federal pay schedule. This amount has remained effectively frozen since 2019 due to a broader federal pay-freeze policy, even though a 2019 adjustment pushed the statutory rate slightly higher.
Do vice presidents receive any additional benefits beyond their salary?
Yes, the incumbent vice president receives a range of benefits in addition to the $235,100 base salary. These include a fully funded office budget, staff support, taxpayer-covered executive travel and security, and access to an official residence and vehicles, which together reduce the vice president's personal operating costs.
Is the vice president paid more than the president of the United States?
No; the president of the United States earns $400,000 per year, which is significantly higher than the vice president's $235,100. In fact, several other senior officials, including the Chief Justice of the United States and Supreme Court associate justices, are paid more than the vice president.
Has the vice president's salary changed over the past decade?
Yes, the statutory salary of the vice president has increased over the past decade in line with federal compensation formulas. In 2001, the rate was about $175,000, and by 2019 it had risen to $230,700 before the 1.9 percent adjustment that set the current effective rate at $235,100. A subsequent federal pay freeze has limited further increases, even though the formula would otherwise allow higher figures.
How does the vice president's pay compare to other high-status political roles?
The vice president's salary sits below that of the president and members of the Supreme Court, but it is still among the highest federal salaries available to an elected official. Compared with the broader federal workforce, the vice president exceeds the top rung of the general civil-service scale, which peaks around the $197,000 level for senior GS-15 officials. This places the vice president in a hybrid category: well compensated by civil-service standards but modest relative to the very top tier of federal judicial and executive pay.
Do former vice presidents continue to receive a salary after leaving office?
Former vice presidents do not automatically receive a continuing salary simply for having held the office of the vice president. However, they may qualify for certain retirement and transition benefits if they have prior federal service, and many supplement their income through books, appearances, and consulting, which can substantially exceed their in-office earnings over time.
Why is the vice president not paid the "second highest" salary in government?
Although the vice president is the second-highest constitutional office in the U.S. government, the salary is not set by rank alone but by statutory formulas tied to the broader federal pay structure. The top federal judges, for example, are compensated under a separate judicial pay formula that has historically allowed higher rates than the executive pay scale; as a result, the vice president's salary is lower than that of the Chief Justice and associate justices. Separately, the president's rate is fixed at $400,000, which also creates a gap between the first and second highest offices.