After leaving the White House, every POTUS walks away with some amazing former president perks
8 Perks U.S. Presidents Get to Keep After Leaving Office
Help saying goodbye
Leaving the Oval Office for good means going back to “real life,” but that transition takes time and effort … and some extra cash. For example, in 2021, the Government Accountability Office reported $34.6 million in spending for the presidential transition between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. And the ex-president might get some of that money in the six months after his term to use when “winding up the affairs in his office.”
Big pension paychecks
If you think the $400,000 salary presidents get every year they’re leading the country sounds great, you’ll be blown away by how much they continue to earn after they leave office. Every year for the rest of their lives, former presidents get pensions that match the salary of a Cabinet secretary—about $246,000 in 2024.
Office staff
Here’s one of the most surprising former president perks: Not only do ex-presidents earn pension checks, but they also get to expense the money they use to pay for office staff. When they first leave office, they get up to $150,000 for staffing every year, but after the first 30 months, that number drops to $96,000 per year.
Free office space
The U.S. General Services Administration includes former presidents’ office space as part of its yearly budget. The administrator of this department can set a cap on how much money goes to that office, but the president can choose any U.S. location, which could explain why some get more cash for their office space. In fiscal year 2017, Barack Obama got $84,000 for office space, and Bill Clinton used $511,000 for his. The government provides furnishings and office supplies too.
Secret Service protection
Former presidents remain public figures for the rest of their lives, so it’s no surprise that they’re entitled to a lifetime of Secret Service protection. Their spouses get the same benefit (unless an ex-spouse remarries), and their kids keep free security until they turn 16.
Financial security for their spouse
This former president perk gives them some extra peace of mind if they die before their spouse does: Widows and widowers of ex-presidents still get a $20,000 pension every year, as long as they aren’t holding another federal office job and don’t remarry before age 60.
Health benefits
Just like any other federal employee, presidents can keep their health benefits through retirement as long as they’ve been with the government for five years or more—in most presidents’ cases, that means serving two terms. Jimmy Carter, for instance, didn’t qualify, but George H.W. Bush did because of his pre-presidential positions (though he chose not to take the health benefits).
Funeral costs
Early into their presidencies, U.S. commanders-in-chief are given the unsettling task of planning their own presidential funerals. When they do pass away (hopefully long after their time in office ends), they can choose a state funeral funded by the federal government to help the nation say goodbye.
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Sources:
- The Hill: “Here are the benefits all U.S. presidents get when they retire”
- U.S. Government Accountability Office: “Presidential Transitions: GSA’s Reported Cost for 2020-2021 Transition and Its Budget Request for the 2024-2025 Election Cycle”
- National Archives: “Former Presidents Act”
- Federation of American Scientists: “Allowances and Office Staff for Former Presidents, FY2016-FY2018 Appropriations”
- Congress.gov: “H.R.6620 – Former Presidents Protection Act of 2012”
- Congressional Research Service: “Former Presidents: Pensions, Office Allowances, and Other Federal Benefits”
- The White House Historical Association: “A Presidential Funeral”
