Okay, but they need money to champion their causes. How much do they earn?

Not a cent. Because they're not elected officials and the role is considered an "office of honor," the first lady position is unpaid. Yes, the job certainly comes with some perks, such as a house, personal security detail, and a pension. But you still have to consider that first ladies have given up well-remunerated jobs in order to perform her public and ceremonial duties, and are in the spotlight basically 24/7 just by virtue of being married to the president. It's no surprise then that first lady Pat Nixon called it "the hardest unpaid job in the world." Even President Ronald Reagan made note of just how hard his wife, Nancy, worked in 1982, "You know, with the first lady the government gets an employee free; they have her just about as busy as they have me." The first lady's office does have a federal budget however, thanks to a 1978 law signed by President Jimmy Carter. This made it much easier for first ladies to funnel resources into social causes. It was also during the Carter administration that the first lady acquired a particular workspace in the White House: the East Wing. His wife Rosalyn Carter was the first to officially call it "The Office of the First Lady." It's important to note however, that Hillary Clinton broke tradition and moved her office to the West Wing, which caused a lot of controversy at the time . She is the only first lady to do so. The FLOTUS office employs a staff of around 15, even though that number has gone up and down over time. And her personnel makes way less than the president's staff.