Here's How Much Kamala Harris Will Make As Vice President

One might assume the salary of the vice president of the United States of America is gigantic, since the role and lifestyle is all encompassing. It's definitely not a 9 to 5 job! But depending on your point of view, you would be wrong about just how much a world leader, like the VP, makes. Let's start with the fact that salaries for elected officials are controlled by the Federal government. To get a raise, a bill has to be passed through Congress — and we all know how that can process can go! 

Yes, salaries of our president and vice president have risen over time — consider that the president would only make $25,000 per year in 1789 (via Infoplease.com). Of course, for the time, that was an incredible amount of money. According to OfficialData.org, in 2020, it would be equal to over $739,000! Meanwhile, in 1969, the presidential salary was $200,000. By 2001, that number was $400,000, and has stayed at that level until now. So yes, President Trump's salary was $400,000, but he is said to donate the money. Joe Biden may or may not make more than that as president.

As far as vice presidential salaries go, Mike Pence reportedly made $230,700 as second in command, per USA Today. That number was frozen from 2010, and at one point, was under review for an increase — unlike the top job, the vice president's salary is subject to cost of living increases. USA Today reports Pence's paycheck increased by 1.9 percent in 2019, as did those of other government workers.

So, how much would Kamala Harris net stepping into the White House role? It's likely that Harris would make the same amount of money as Pence, which again, was $230,700 last year (via Business Insider). Of course, this is a large chunk of change — but given the scope of the job, it is not as much as one might expect. In any case, Harris could likely donate the money if she chose to given that in combination with her husband Douglas Emhoff's income, she is pretty much set without it.

Harris and Emhoff, who is a lawyer at an international firm, reported $1.9 million in income in 2018, according to Fortune. Their net worth is as high as $6.3 million, per Town & Country. In fact, Harris was one of the wealthiest Democratic candidates for president in the 2020 cycle. It may surprise many to learn that according to Forbes, some estimates rank her as having more money than even Joe Biden, whose 2018 tax return reported $4.6 million of income. It's worth noting onetime candidate Elizabeth Warren reported nearly $9 million of assets.

Meanwhile, Harris previously earned a paltry (by comparison) government salary serving as San Francisco's district attorney, attorney general, and then in the Senate — her earnings were $128,000 per year before she wed Emhoff in 2014. More recently, the accomplished 56-year-old netted considerable earnings from her The Truths We Hold book deal. T&C estimates that number to be over $320,000.

All of that to say that a six-figure vice presidential salary probably figured very little into Harris' decision to step up as Joe Biden's running mate. But there's no doubt she would work hard enough to earn every penny — and then some!