[dingaling]

> $400k is what one-trick ponies like doctors and lawyers and traditional industry local small business owners earn.

Or a little under twice that of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom ( pop. 60 million ), when summing his MP and Government jobs.

The combined ministerial and parliamentary salary of the Prime Minister is £142,500 at April 2013

I'm fairly confident in saying that David Cameron puts in considerably more effort than the CEO of Mozilla. I really don't see how anyone can justify $400k for such a job.

[TheCoelacanth]

No one goes into a political office because they want the salary. Any one who can get there is usually already rich enough that the salary doesn't make much difference. If you consider the amount of money they spend campaigning, they effectively end up paying to have the job. They take the job because of the power that comes with the job, not because of the salary.

[jordanthoms]

Salary isn't based on effort, it's based on value created and how difficult it is to find someone else who could create that value.

[philwelch]

Getting to be PM is its own reward.

[devcpp]

Politicians often pull this sort of "I'm not here for the money and I'm proving it" trick. Please don't compare them with corporations.