dollar-a-year

[dol-er-uh yeer]

adjective

of or being an official or employee, especially a federal appointee, who receives a token annual salary, usually of one dollar: a dollar-a-year man.

Origin of dollar-a-year

An Americanism dating back to 1915–20

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

I know a few folks—like Vikram Pandit at Citigroup and even Edward Liddy at AIG—have jumped in to serve as dollar-a-year CEOs.
Give the Bonuses Back—Or Else
Matt Miller
March 16, 2009

As a substitute Blodgett spoke of some dollar-a-year work in Washington.
The Guarded Heights
Wadsworth Camp
"Because they'll make you a dollar-a-year man and we're not in this to make any stinking dollar a year," Harry Bettis said.
Summer Snow Storm
Adam Chase