13 perks of being the vice president of the United States

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• Kamala Harris was sworn in on January 20 as the first female vice president in US history.
• Every US vice president since 1977 has lived in Number One Observatory Circle, a Victorian mansion.
• The vice president also earns a generous yearly salary of $235,100 per year.
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While you may know the financial perks of being the president and the luxurious amenities of the White House, you might not realize there are also quite a few perks to being second-in-command.

From access to Air Force Two and being able to call the vice presidential residence home, there is a number of perks and benefits exclusive to the vice president.

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Here are 13 perks of being the vice president.

Vice presidents receive a generous annual salary in addition to cost-of-living adjustments.

While the salary of the president is capped at $400,000, the salary of the vice president is more fluid, possibly due to the fact that the Constitution said nothing about the vice president's earnings.

Former Vice President Mike Pence earned $230,700 in 2019, but it was set to increase to $243,500 due to the position's pay freeze expiring, according to USA Today. However, instead of the freeze lifting entirely, Pence received a 1.9% salary raise, the same pay raise amount allotted for all federal workers. This brought his expected current salary up to about $235,100 per year.

They get to live in Number One Observatory Circle, a 9,150-square-foot Victorian mansion just a stone's throw away from the White House.

Built in 1893, Number One Observatory Circle has been the home of every vice president since 1977. According to the White House, Walter Mondale was the first vice president to live in the home, and it has since been the primary residence of vice presidents Bush, Quayle, Gore, Cheney, Biden, Pence, and their families.

The historic home features beautiful chandeliers, mahogany floors, black marble fireplaces, and a desk previously used by Theodore Roosevelt.

Vice presidents can redecorate the home as they choose.

Vice presidents and their families have been known to put their own personal touches on the home.

"It really changed from one administration to another," Charles Denyer, a historian and the author of "Number One Observatory Circle: The Home of the Vice President of the United States," told USA Today in 2017.

According to a previous article by Business Insider, Dick Cheney and his family redecorated the home using a neutral color scheme of creams and greens after moving in, while George H.W. Bush installed a horseshoe pit on the grounds during his term as vice president.

Vice presidents have access to Air Force Two.

While the president flies on a modified Boeing 747 dubbed Air Force One, the second in command travels on a Boeing 757 plane aptly named Air Force Two when in use.

The first lady, secretary of state, and vice president are the most frequent flyers on Air Force Two, but the plane is only referred to by that name if the vice president is on board.

They use military aircraft for official travel, which is also paid for by the government.

According to a report by Congress on presidential travel, both presidents and vice presidents are entitled to government-sponsored travel while on official White House business. Food, lodging, car rentals, and other incidentals are paid for by the government.

However, while the vice president is always entitled to travel on military aircraft, the second spouse only uses a military aircraft when he or she accompanies the vice president, or when he or she "is designated as the vice president's representative to attend a special function," the report states.