House Committee Staff Pay, Selected Positions, 2001-2023
Changes from December 15, 2015 to November 9, 2016
This page shows textual changes in the document between the two versions indicated in the dates above. Textual matter removed in the later version is indicated with red strikethrough and textual matter added in the later version is indicated with blue.
Contents
Tables
- Table 1. House Committee Staff Positions and Availability of Pay Data Since 2001
- Table 2. House Committee Staff Pay, Annual Maximums, 2001-
20142015
- Table 3. Selected House Committee Staff Change in Pay, Selected Periods
- Table 4. Chief Counsel, 2002-
20142015
- Table 5. Communications Director, 2006-
20142015
- Table 6. Counsel, 2001-
20142015
- Table 7. Deputy Staff Director, 2009-
20142015
- Table 8. Minority Professional Staff Member, 2001-2014
- Table 9. Minority Staff Director, 2009-
20142015
- Table 10. Professional Staff Member, 2001-
20142015
- Table 11. Senior Professional Staff Member, 2008-2014
- Table 12. Staff Assistant, 2001-
20142015
- Table 13. Staff Director, 2001-
20142015
- Table 14. Subcommittee Staff Director, 2001-
20142015
Summary
The level of pay for congressional staff is a source of recurring questions among Members of Congress, congressional staff, and the public. There may be interest in congressional pay data from multiple perspectives, including assessment of the costs of congressional operations; guidance in setting pay levels for staff in committee offices; or comparison of congressional staff pay levels with those of other federal government pay systems.
This report provides pay data for 11 staff position titles that are used in House committees, and include the following: Chief Counsel; Communications Director; Counsel; Deputy Staff Director; Minority Professional Staff Member; Minority Staff Director; Professional Staff Member; Senior Professional Staff Member; Staff Assistant; Staff Director; and Subcommittee Staff Director.
Tables provide tabular pay data for each House committee staff position. Graphic displays are also included, providing representations of pay from three perspectives, including the following:
- a line graph showing change in pay, depending on data availability;
- a comparison at 5-, 10-, and
1415-year intervals from20142015, depending on data availability, of the cumulative percentage change of pay of that position, to changes in pay of Members of Congress and federal civilian workers paid under the General Schedule in Washington, DC, and surrounding areas; and - distributions of
20142015 pay, in $10,000 increments.
In the past five years (2010 and 20142011-2015), the change in median pay, in constant 20152016 dollars, ranged from a 2.0914.96% increase for counsels to a -26.93% decrease for senior professional staff members. Of the 11 staff positions, two saw pay increases while nine saw declinescommunications directors to a -12.24% decrease for subcommittee staff directors. Of the eight staff positions for which data are available, two positions saw pay increases while six saw declines from 2011 to 2015. This may be compared to changes to the pay of Members of Congress, -7.895.10%, and General Schedule, DC, -6.973.19%, over the same period.
Pay data for staff working in Senate committee offices are available in CRS Report R44325, Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in Senate Committees, FY2001-FY2014. Data describing the pay of congressional staff working in the personal offices of Senators and Members of the House are available in CRS Report R44324, Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in Senators' Offices, FY2001-FY2014, and CRS Report R44323, Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2001-2014, respectively.
Information about the duration of staff employment is available in CRS Report R44683, Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Committees, 2006-2016, CRS Report R44685, Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in Senate Committees, 2006-2016, CRS Report R44682, Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016, and CRS Report R44684, Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in Senators' Offices, 2006-2016.
Staff Pay LevelsIntroduction
Levels of pay for congressional staff are a source of recurring questions among Members of Congress, congressional staff, and the public. In House committees, the chair and ranking Membermember set the terms and conditions of employment for majority and minority staff, respectively. This includes job titles and descriptions; rates of pay, subject to maximum levels;1 and resources available to carry out their official duties.2 There may be interest in congressional pay data from multiple perspectives, including assessment of the costs of congressional operations; guidance in setting pay levels for staff in committee offices; or comparison of congressional staff pay levels with those of other federal government pay systems.
Publicly available information sources do not provide aggregated congressional staff pay data in a readily retrievable form. Pay3 information in this report is based on the House Statement of Disbursements (SOD), published quarterly by the Chief Administrative Officer,4 as collated by LegiStorm, a private entity that provides some congressional data by subscription.5 Data in this report are based on official House reports, which afford the opportunity to use consistently collected data from a single source. Additionally, this report provides annual data, which allows for observations about the nature of House committee staff compensation over time.
This report provides pay data for 11 staff position titles that are used in House committees, and for which sufficient data could be identified. Position titles and the years for which data are available since 2001 are provided in Table 1. Titles were identified through a two-step process. The first step identified 358 job titles used in House committees in 2014. Of those titles, 282, or 78.8%, were filled by only one staff member, and were excluded. In the second step, the remaining 76 titles were assessed to determine how many of the House committees for which data were available6 employed staff with each title. Fifty-nine position titles that were used by six or fewer panels (five for minority positions) were excluded.
Pay data were then collected for the remaining 17 positions. In order to be included, annual pay data for staff in each position needed to be available from at least five committees (four for minority positions). This eliminated another six6 positions, leaving 11. When committees had more than one staff member with the same job title, data for no more than two staff per committee were collected.7 House committee staff had to hold a position with the same job title in the same committee for the entire year examined, and not receive pay from any other congressional employing authority for their data to be included. Every recorded payment ascribed in the LegiStorm data to those staff for the fiscal year is tabulated. Data collected for this report may differ from an employee's stated annual salary due to the inclusion of overtime, bonuses, or other payments8 in addition to base salary paid in the course of a year.
|
Position Title |
Available Data |
|
Chief Counsel |
2002, 2004- |
|
Communications Director |
2006- |
|
Counsel |
2001- |
|
Deputy Staff Director |
2009- |
|
Minority Professional Staff Member |
2001-2006, 2008- |
|
Minority Staff Director |
2009, 2010, 2012, 2014 -2015 |
|
Professional Staff Member |
2001- |
|
Senior Professional Staff Member |
2008-2010, 2012-2014 |
|
Staff Assistant |
2001- |
|
Staff Director |
2001-2006, 2008- |
|
Subcommittee Staff Director |
2001-2006, 2009-2010, 2013- |
Source: CRS. Available data column provides years in which sufficient data (annual pay data for each position from at least five committees, four for minority positions), were available.
Pay data for staff working in Senate committee offices are available in CRS Report R44325, Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in Senate Committees, FY2001-FY2014. Data describing the pay of congressional staff working in the personal offices of Senators and Members of the House are available in CRS Report R44324, Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in Senators' Offices, FY2001-FY2014, and CRS Report R44323, Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2001-2014, respectively.
9Data Concerns
Data presented here are subject to some challenges that could affect findings presented or their interpretation. Some of the concerns include the following:
- Given the large number of positions with titles held by one House employee, data provided here almost certainly do not represent all of the jobs carried out by House committee staff.
- The manner in which staff titles are assigned might have implications about the representativeness of the data provided. Of positions for which data were collected, two broad categories emerge. The first category identifies position titles that usually apply to one staff member per committee
,9while the.10 Since almost all available data were collected for those positions, pay information provided is likely to be highly representative of what House committees pay staff in those positions. The second category includes positions for which committees might hire two or more staff members.10Consequently, pay data that include all staff working in that position are likely to be more representative of what House committees pay staff in those positions than positions for which a smaller sample of pay data may have been collected11 Since pay data were collected for no more than two staff per committee for each position, it is more likely that data for those positions are a sample of staff in those positions rather than nearly complete data, and therefore may be less closely representative of what all staff in those positions are paid. - Pay data provide no insight into the education, work experience, position tenure, full- or part-time status of staff, or other potential explanations for levels of compensation.
- Potential differences might exist in the job duties of positions with the same title. Aggregation of pay by job title rests on the assumption that staff with the same title carry out the same or similar tasks. Given the wide discretion congressional employing authorities have in setting the terms and conditions of employment, there may be differences in the duties of similarly titled staff that could have effects on their levels of pay.
Data Tables and Visualizations
Tables in this section provide background information on House pay practices, comparative data for each position, and detailed data and visualizations for each position. Table 2 provides the maximum payable rates for House committee staff since 2001 in both nominal (current) and constant 20152016 dollars.
Constant dollar calculations throughout the report are based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), various years, expressed in constant, 20152016 dollars.11
Table 3 provides the available cumulative percentage changes in pay in constant 20152016 dollars for each of the 11 positions, Members of Congress, and federal civilian workers paid under the General Schedule in Washington, DC, and surrounding areas.1213 Table 4- Table 14 provide tabular pay data for each House committee staff position. The numbers of staff whose data were counted are identified as observations in the data tables. Graphic displays are also included, providing representations of pay from three perspectives, including the following:
- a line graph showing change in pay, depending on data availability, in nominal (current) and constant
20152016 dollars; - a comparison at 5-, 10-, and
1415-year intervals from2014,132015,14 depending on data availability, of the cumulative percentage change of pay for that position, in constant20152016 dollars, to changes in pay of Members of Congress and federal civilian workers paid under the General Schedule in Washington, DC, and surrounding areas; and - distributions of
20142015 pay in20152016 dollars, in $10,000 increments.
Between 20102011 and 20142015, the change in median1415 pay, in constant 20152016 dollars, ranged from a 2.0914.96% increase for counsels to a -26.93% decrease for senior professional staff members. Of the 11 staff positions, two saw pay increases while ninecommunications directors to a -12.24% decrease for subcommittee staff directors. Of the eight staff positions for which data were available,16 two positions saw pay increases while six saw declines. This may be compared to changes to the pay of Members of Congress, -7.895.10%, and General Schedule, DC, -6.973.19%, over the same period.
Between 20052006 and 20142015, all of the seven staff positions for which data were available in 2005 and 20141517 saw decreases. The change in median pay, in constant 20152016 dollars, ranged from a -10.504.78% decrease for staff directorscounsels to a -26.7231.06% decrease for professional staff members. This may be compared to changes to the pay of Members of Congress, -11.4510.41%, and General Schedule, DC, -0.8013%, over the same period.
Between 2001 and 20142015, all of the sixfive staff positions for which data were available in 2001 and 20141618 saw decreases. The change in median pay, in constant 20152016 dollars, ranged from a -6.739.22% decrease for minority professional staff memberscounsels to a -27.8322.32% decrease for professional staff membersstaff assistants. This may be compared to changes to the pay of Members of Congress, -10.2940%, and General Schedule, DC, 6.427.36%, over the same period.
|
Year |
Nominal $ |
Constant |
||
|
2001 |
$143,600 |
$ |
||
|
2002 |
$148,500 |
$ |
||
|
2003 |
$153,200 |
$ |
||
|
2004 |
$156,600 |
$ |
||
|
2005 |
$160,600 |
$ |
||
|
2006 |
$163,700 |
$ |
||
|
2007 |
$163,700 |
$ |
||
|
2008 |
$167,800 |
$ |
||
|
2009 |
$172,500 |
$ |
||
|
2010 |
$172,500 |
$ |
||
|
2011 |
$172,500 |
$ |
||
|
2012 |
$172,500 |
$ |
||
|
2013 |
$172,500 |
$ |
||
|
2014 |
$172,500 |
$
|
2015
|
$172,500 $173,785 |
Source: 2 U.S.C. 4532 note, CRS calculations. Detailed information about data sources is available above in "Data Tables and Visualizations."
|
Change (Based on 2016 constant dollars) |
|||
|
5 Years |
10 Years |
|
|
|
Chief Counsel |
- |
- |
— |
|
Communications Director |
|
— |
— |
|
Counsel |
|
-11. |
- |
|
Deputy Staff Director |
|
— |
— |
|
Minority Professional Staff Member |
-14.99% |
-11.72% |
-6.73% |
|
Minority Staff Director |
-10.04% |
— |
— |
|
Professional Staff Member |
- |
- |
- |
|
Senior Professional Staff Member |
-26.93% |
— |
— |
|
Staff Assistant |
- |
- |
- |
|
Staff Director |
- |
- |
-9. |
|
Subcommittee Staff Director |
-12. |
- |
-10. |
|
Members of Congress |
- |
- |
-10. |
|
General Schedule, DC |
- |
-0. |
|
Source: CRS calculations, based on data provided in Table 4- Table 14 for congressional positions, CRS Report 97-1011, Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables, by [author name scrubbed], for Members of Congress, and the Office of Personnel Management for federal civilian workers in the District of Columbia and surrounding areas, various years. "—" indicates no data available. Detailed information about data sources is available above in "Data Tables and Visualizations."
Notes: Insufficient data were available for minority staff directors for 2011. Between 2010 and 2015, change in pay for that position was -8.64%. Insufficient data were available for senior professional staff members for 2011 and 2015. Between 2010 and 2014, change in pay for that position was -26.93%. Insufficient data were available for minority professional staff members for 2011 and 2015. Between 2010 and 2014, change in pay for that position was -14.99%.
|
Nominal $ |
Constant $ |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Year |
Committees |
Observations |
Minimum |
Average |
Median |
Maximum |
Minimum |
Average |
Median |
Maximum |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2002 |
5 |
6 |
$119,250 |
$133,741 |
$133,127 |
$147,170 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2003 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2004 |
6 |
7 |
$115,500 |
$141,037 |
$143,786 |
$156,600 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2005 |
9 |
10 |
$118,817 |
$145,037 |
$150,900 |
$160,600 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2006 |
7 |
8 |
$131,188 |
$149,070 |
$152,250 |
$161,997 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2007 |
5 |
7 |
$130,099 |
$150,315 |
$155,892 |
$161,997 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2008 |
12 |
14 |
$127,983 |
$153,277 |
$154,055 |
$167,800 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2009 |
12 |
14 |
$136,200 |
$158,277 |
$157,449 |
$172,500 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2010 |
11 |
14 |
$140,111 |
$160,547 |
$162,500 |
$172,500 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2011 |
6 |
7 |
$156,400 |
$162,890 |
$160,188 |
$170,696 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2012 |
9 |
11 |
$139,000 |
$157,525 |
$162,673 |
$170,696 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2013 |
7 |
10 |
$141,961 |
$159,148 |
$161,003 |
$170,696 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2014 |
8 |
10 |
$145,333 |
$161,897 |
$161,894 |
$172,500 |
$ |
$161,574 |
$161,572 |
$172,157
|
$163,296
|
$163,293
|
$173,991
|
2015
|
7
|
8
|
$144,201
|
$162,320
|
$163,322
|
$172,500
|
$145,275
|
$163,529
|
$164,538 $173,785 |
||||||
|
Change |
5 Years, |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
10 Years, |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Median Pay |
Change in Pay |
2014 Distribution of Pay |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Dollars in figures are in thousands. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, various years, and CRS calculations. "—" indicates insufficient data available. Tabular change is based on change in median pay for the periods noted. In the visualizations, position pay information based on constant 20152016 dollars in thousands of dollars, or change in those levels, is presented in green. Detailed information about data sources is available above in "Data Tables and Visualizations."
|
Nominal $ |
Constant $ |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Year |
Committees |
Observations |
Minimum |
Average |
Median |
Maximum |
Minimum |
Average |
Median |
Maximum |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2006 |
5 |
5 |
$85,163 |
$103,872 |
$111,667 |
$121,929 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2007 |
5 |
5 |
$85,917 |
$103,084 |
$100,069 |
$126,100 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2008 |
12 |
16 |
$81,515 |
$113,158 |
$119,000 |
$151,921 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2009 |
14 |
16 |
$79,458 |
$113,739 |
$106,045 |
$163,224 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2010 |
8 |
10 |
$83,000 |
$120,632 |
$121,446 |
$149,328 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2011 |
8 |
8 |
$83,667 |
$107,173 |
$103,197 |
$133,889 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2012 |
10 |
10 |
$100,000 |
$126,218 |
$120,976 |
$164,034 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2013 |
8 |
9 |
$104,000 |
$134,395 |
$137,700 |
$168,411 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2014 |
13 |
14 |
$89,000 |
$128,454 |
$123,167 |
$168,411 |
$ |
$128,198 |
$122,922 |
$168,076
|
$129,564
|
$124,231
|
$169,866
|
2015
|
11
|
11
|
$95,500
|
$131,881
|
$125,003
|
$168,411
|
$96,211
|
$132,863
|
$125,934 $169,665 |
||||||
|
Change |
5 Years, |
|
10 Years, 2006-2015 -4.78% |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Median Pay |
Change in Pay |
2014 Distribution of Pay |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Dollars in figures are in thousands. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, various years, and CRS calculations. Tabular change is based on change in median pay for the periods noted. In the visualizations, position pay information based on constant 20152016 dollars in thousands of dollars, or change in those levels, is presented in green. Detailed information about data sources is available above in "Data Tables and Visualizations."
|
Nominal $ |
Constant $ |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Year |
Committees |
Observations |
Minimum |
Average |
Median |
Maximum |
Minimum |
Average |
Median |
Maximum |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2001 |
10 |
16 |
$71,167 |
$97,784 |
$98,767 |
$143,283 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2002 |
11 |
19 |
$65,750 |
$100,279 |
$108,000 |
$143,600 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2003 |
9 |
14 |
$75,388 |
$104,678 |
$100,317 |
$149,467 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2004 |
12 |
19 |
$58,233 |
$101,021 |
$99,500 |
$150,000 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2005 |
12 |
19 |
$79,087 |
$104,912 |
$104,880 |
$134,567 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2006 |
13 |
19 |
$56,250 |
$111,987 |
$115,647 |
$154,083 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2007 |
7 |
14 |
$59,167 |
$102,363 |
$96,177 |
$139,041 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2008 |
12 |
19 |
$64,694 |
$111,010 |
$107,136 |
$147,415 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2009 |
13 |
20 |
$94,261 |
$123,682 |
$117,900 |
$170,696 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2010 |
8 |
15 |
$55,733 |
$104,700 |
$101,854 |
$142,000 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2011 |
6 |
10 |
$79,356 |
$105,961 |
$107,371 |
$130,917 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2012 |
10 |
17 |
$77,000 |
$108,888 |
$114,267 |
$142,050 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2013 |
10 |
16 |
$78,383 |
$112,593 |
$115,417 |
$166,048 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2014 |
12 |
19 |
$49,917 |
$106,016 |
$112,895 |
$159,717 |
$ |
$105,805 |
$112,671 |
$159,400
|
$106,932
|
$113,871
|
$161,098
|
2015
|
15
|
23
|
$54,833
|
$114,886
|
$120,000
|
$170,696
|
$55,242
|
$115,741
|
$120,894 $171,967 |
||||||
|
Change |
5 Years, |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
10 Years, |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Median Pay |
Change in Pay |
2014 Distribution of Pay |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Dollars in figures are in thousands. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, various years, and CRS calculations. Tabular change is based on change in median pay for the periods noted. In the visualizations, position pay information based on constant 20152016 dollars in thousands of dollars, or change in those levels, is presented in green. Detailed information about data sources is available above in "Data Tables and Visualizations."
|
Nominal $ |
Constant $ |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Year |
Committees |
Observations |
Minimum |
Average |
Median |
Maximum |
Minimum |
Average |
Median |
Maximum |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2009 |
5 |
5 |
$136,250 |
$159,050 |
$168,139 |
$172,500 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2010 |
5 |
6 |
$122,500 |
$145,128 |
$145,257 |
$172,500 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2011 |
6 |
6 |
$142,015 |
$162,374 |
$169,516 |
$172,500 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2012 |
12 |
12 |
$140,124 |
$161,167 |
$169,206 |
$172,500 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2013 |
8 |
9 |
$140,100 |
$158,695 |
$154,300 |
$172,500 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2014 |
11 |
12 |
$134,000 |
$161,029 |
$164,417 |
$172,500 |
$ |
$160,709 |
$164,090 |
$172,157
|
$162,421
|
$165,838
|
$173,991
|
2015
|
8
|
10
|
$137,500
|
$160,161
|
$165,500
|
$172,500
|
$138,524
|
$161,354
|
$166,732 $173,785 |
||||||
|
Change |
5 Years, |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Median Pay |
Change in Pay |
2014 Distribution of Pay |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Dollars in figures are in thousands. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, various years, and CRS calculations. Tabular change is based on change in median pay for the periods noted. In the visualizations, position pay information based on constant 20152016 dollars in thousands of dollars, or change in those levels, is presented in green. Detailed information about data sources is available above in "Data Tables and Visualizations."
|
Nominal $ |
Constant $ |
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Year |
Committees |
Observations |
Minimum |
Average |
Median |
Maximum |
Minimum |
Average |
Median |
Maximum |
|||||||||||||
|
2001 |
7 |
13 |
$73,667 |
$95,925 |
$88,827 |
$139,559 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||
|
2002 |
7 |
14 |
$65,267 |
$106,863 |
$102,642 |
$147,170 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||
|
2003 |
7 |
13 |
$59,350 |
$98,384 |
$97,957 |
$135,613 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||
|
2004 |
8 |
15 |
$64,812 |
$105,503 |
$102,333 |
$155,098 |
$81, |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||
|
2005 |
6 |
11 |
$71,833 |
$106,447 |
$103,500 |
$139,091 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||
|
2006 |
7 |
13 |
$71,917 |
$106,739 |
$107,044 |
$144,583 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||
|
2007 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|||||||||||||
|
2008 |
4 |
7 |
$62,500 |
$104,167 |
$109,376 |
$143,124 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||
|
2009 |
5 |
8 |
$59,750 |
$96,173 |
$96,467 |
$127,408 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||
|
2010 |
4 |
7 |
$73,667 |
$115,362 |
$120,000 |
$140,000 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||
|
2011 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|||||||||||||
|
2012 |
4 |
5 |
$67,500 |
$101,786 |
$105,085 |
$143,760 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||
|
2013 |
5 |
8 |
$45,117 |
$90,613 |
$92,417 |
$143,591 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||
|
2014 |
4 |
6 |
$60,000 |
$110,397 |
$110,750 |
$155,207 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||
2015
|
— — |
Change
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
— — |
5 Years, 2010-2014 |
| |||||||||||||
|
10 Years, 2005-2014 |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Change |
-14.99% |
| |||||||||||||||||||||
Median Pay | Change in Pay |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
Dollars in figures are in thousands. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, various years, and CRS calculations. "—" indicates insufficient data available. Tabular change is based on change in median pay for the periods noted. In the visualizations, position pay information based on constant 20152016 dollars in thousands of dollars, or change in those levels, is presented in green. Detailed information about data sources is available above in "Data Tables and Visualizations."
|
Nominal $ |
Constant $ |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Year |
Committees |
Observations |
Minimum |
Average |
Median |
Maximum |
Minimum |
Average |
Median |
Maximum |
||||||||||||||||||
|
2009 |
6 |
6 |
$165,000 |
$170,597 |
$172,250 |
$172,500 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||||||||||||
|
2010 |
7 |
7 |
$169,587 |
$171,558 |
$172,500 |
$172,500 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||||||||||||
|
2011 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||||||||
|
2012 |
7 |
7 |
$157,838 |
$169,602 |
$172,400 |
$172,500 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||||||||||||
|
2013 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||||||||
|
2014 |
8 |
8 |
$144,712 |
$166,098 |
$168,480 |
$172,500 |
$ |
$165,767 |
$168,144 |
$172,157
|
$167,533
|
$169,936
|
$173,991
|
2015
|
5
|
5
|
$165,011
|
$169,626
|
$171,300
|
$172,500
|
$166,240
|
$170,889
|
$172,576 $173,785 |
|||||
|
Change |
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Median Pay |
Change in Pay | 2014 Distribution of Pay |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Dollars in figures are in thousands. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, various years, and CRS calculations. "—" indicates insufficient data available. Tabular change is based on change in median pay for the periods noted. In the visualizations, position pay information based on constant 20152016 dollars in thousands of dollars, or change in those levels, is presented in green. Detailed information about data sources is available above in "Data Tables and Visualizations."
|
Nominal $ |
Constant $ |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Year |
Committees |
Observations |
Minimum |
Average |
Median |
Maximum |
Minimum |
Average |
Median |
Maximum |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2001 |
13 |
24 |
$45,930 |
$79,533 |
$80,423 |
$140,865 |
$61, |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2002 |
15 |
27 |
$43,000 |
$81,293 |
$80,429 |
$148,500 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2003 |
13 |
25 |
$44,667 |
$86,645 |
$91,000 |
$121,335 |
$57, |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2004 |
16 |
32 |
$41,083 |
$90,763 |
$91,792 |
$143,211 |
$51, |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2005 |
15 |
28 |
$42,200 |
$96,007 |
$99,635 |
$138,000 |
$51, |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2006 |
15 |
29 |
$40,833 |
$100,719 |
$103,161 |
$157,013 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2007 |
11 |
21 |
$44,700 |
$99,295 |
$97,657 |
$136,433 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2008 |
13 |
22 |
$51,250 |
$96,048 |
$97,783 |
$135,000 |
$56, |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2009 |
15 |
25 |
$47,917 |
$109,033 |
$109,000 |
$172,049 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2010 |
14 |
27 |
$51,868 |
$89,333 |
$86,498 |
$135,762 |
$56, |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2011 |
12 |
22 |
$49,000 |
$94,787 |
$90,344 |
$142,000 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2012 |
16 |
28 |
$53,000 |
$96,110 |
$96,333 |
$134,083 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2013 |
17 |
29 |
$41,667 |
$93,765 |
$92,475 |
$151,083 |
$42, |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2014 |
16 |
30 |
$54,000 |
$89,714 |
$88,506 |
$155,000 |
$ |
$89,535 |
$88,330 |
$154,692
|
$90,489
|
$89,271
|
$156,340
|
2015
|
14
|
26
|
$53,500
|
$95,061
|
$83,611
|
$135,000
|
$53,898
|
$95,769
|
$84,234 $136,005 |
||||||
|
Change |
5 Years, |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
10 Years, |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Median Pay |
Change in Pay |
2014 Distribution of Pay |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Dollars in figures are in thousands. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, various years, and CRS calculations. Tabular change is based on change in median pay for the periods noted. In the visualizations, position pay information based on constant 20152016 dollars in thousands of dollars, or change in those levels, is presented in green. Detailed information about data sources is available above in "Data Tables and Visualizations."
|
Nominal $ |
Constant $ |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
Year |
Committees |
Observations |
Minimum |
Average |
Median |
Maximum |
Minimum |
Average |
Median |
Maximum |
||||||||||||
|
2008 |
5 |
9 |
$101,700 |
$129,285 |
$131,875 |
$153,841 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||||||
|
2009 |
5 |
10 |
$87,028 |
$141,473 |
$145,358 |
$170,696 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||||||
|
2010 |
5 |
9 |
$114,631 |
$148,295 |
$145,853 |
$170,696 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||||||
|
2011 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
|
2012 |
7 |
12 |
$82,000 |
$133,660 |
$135,250 |
$164,000 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||||||
|
2013 |
6 |
9 |
$66,000 |
$114,418 |
$125,000 |
$164,000 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||||||
|
2014 |
6 |
10 |
$73,000 |
$115,499 |
$115,708 |
$164,000 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||||||
2015 |
— — |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
Change
|
—
|
—
|
Change
|
5 Years, 2010-2014
|
Median-26.93% |
5 Years, 2010-2014 |
| ||||||||
Median Pay | Change in Pay |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Dollars in figures are in thousands. |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, various years, and CRS calculations. "—" indicates insufficient data available. Tabular change is based on change in median pay for the periods noted. In the visualizations, position pay information based on constant 20152016 dollars in thousands of dollars, or change in those levels, is presented in green. Detailed information about data sources is available above in "Data Tables and Visualizations."
|
Nominal $ |
Constant $ |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Year |
Committees |
Observations |
Minimum |
Average |
Median |
Maximum |
Minimum |
Average |
Median |
Maximum |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2001 |
12 |
20 |
$25,750 |
$54,489 |
$42,111 |
$124,500 |
$34, |
$ |
$56, |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2002 |
18 |
30 |
$24,923 |
$51,071 |
$42,187 |
$123,500 |
$ |
$67, |
$55, |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2003 |
16 |
22 |
$28,391 |
$52,471 |
$40,867 |
$128,063 |
$36, |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2004 |
14 |
26 |
$29,222 |
$53,364 |
$39,056 |
$155,010 |
$36, |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2005 |
13 |
20 |
$32,416 |
$54,621 |
$43,743 |
$156,848 |
$39, |
$66, |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2006 |
14 |
19 |
$29,417 |
$59,980 |
$42,500 |
$161,997 |
$34, |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2007 |
8 |
12 |
$36,032 |
$77,341 |
$66,239 |
$161,997 |
$41, |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2008 |
12 |
18 |
$34,000 |
$60,085 |
$55,000 |
$134,385 |
$37, |
$ |
$60, |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2009 |
11 |
15 |
$36,325 |
$66,030 |
$50,750 |
$170,696 |
$40, |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2010 |
16 |
26 |
$24,750 |
$53,749 |
$44,521 |
$154,039 |
$ |
$58, |
$48, |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2011 |
7 |
12 |
$30,000 |
$63,876 |
$46,491 |
$153,000 |
$31, |
$67, |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2012 |
14 |
25 |
$30,000 |
$49,506 |
$40,617 |
$151,534 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2013 |
10 |
15 |
$33,000 |
$66,141 |
$50,000 |
$168,411 |
$33, |
$67, |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2014 |
10 |
11 |
$32,000 |
$62,975 |
$40,625 |
$163,701 |
$ |
$62,849 |
$40,544 |
$163,375
|
$63,519
|
$40,976
|
$165,116
|
2015
|
7
|
10
|
$25,938
|
$62,883
|
$44,200
|
$165,409
|
$26,131
|
$63,351
|
$44,529 $166,641 |
||||||
|
Change |
5 Years, |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
10 Years, |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Median Pay |
Change in Pay |
2014 Distribution of Pay |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Dollars in figures are in thousands. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, various years, and CRS calculations. Tabular change is based on change in median pay for the periods noted. In the visualizations, position pay information based on constant 20152016 dollars in thousands of dollars, or change in those levels, is presented in green. Detailed information about data sources is available above in "Data Tables and Visualizations."
|
Nominal $ |
Constant $ |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Year |
Committees |
Observations |
Minimum |
Average |
Median |
Maximum |
Minimum |
Average |
Median |
Maximum |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2001 |
5 |
5 |
$109,270 |
$136,410 |
$143,133 |
$143,600 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2002 |
9 |
9 |
$117,755 |
$143,242 |
$148,000 |
$148,500 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2003 |
5 |
5 |
$148,473 |
$150,769 |
$150,316 |
$153,174 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2004 |
7 |
7 |
$129,583 |
$148,326 |
$156,417 |
$156,600 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2005 |
8 |
10 |
$126,000 |
$150,959 |
$158,997 |
$160,600 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2006 |
8 |
10 |
$134,000 |
$154,948 |
$162,916 |
$163,700 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2007 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2008 |
9 |
11 |
$140,791 |
$164,854 |
$167,800 |
$168,217 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2009 |
8 |
9 |
$167,800 |
$170,758 |
$171,500 |
$172,500 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2010 |
11 |
13 |
$168,000 |
$171,146 |
$172,500 |
$172,500 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2011 |
8 |
8 |
$165,006 |
$170,679 |
$172,495 |
$172,500 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2012 |
8 |
10 |
$164,593 |
$170,575 |
$172,330 |
$172,500 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2013 |
10 |
11 |
$145,250 |
$168,843 |
$172,500 |
$172,500 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2014 |
12 |
13 |
$112,833 |
$165,939 |
$172,500 |
$172,500 |
$ |
$165,608 |
$172,157 |
$172,157
|
$167,373
|
$173,991
|
$173,991
|
2015
|
10
|
13
|
$135,000
|
$167,383
|
$172,500
|
$172,500
|
$136,005
|
$168,630
|
$173,785 $173,785 |
||||||
|
Change |
5 Years, |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
10 Years, |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Median Pay |
Change in Pay |
2014 Distribution of Pay |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Dollars in figures are in thousands. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, various years, and CRS calculations. "—" indicates insufficient data available. Tabular change is based on change in median pay for the periods noted. In the visualizations, position pay information based on constant 20152016 dollars in thousands of dollars, or change in those levels, is presented in green. Detailed information about data sources is available above in "Data Tables and Visualizations."
|
Nominal $ |
Constant $ |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Year |
Committees |
Observations |
Minimum |
Average |
Median |
Maximum |
Minimum |
Average |
Median |
Maximum |
||||||||||||||||
|
2001 |
5 |
8 |
$64,694 |
$108,922 |
$115,331 |
$134,891 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||||||||||
|
2002 |
9 |
16 |
$68,250 |
$112,430 |
$116,733 |
$134,905 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||||||||||
|
2003 |
7 |
13 |
$70,783 |
$127,704 |
$131,417 |
$151,358 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||||||||||
|
2004 |
8 |
16 |
$77,583 |
$125,937 |
$129,966 |
$147,947 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||||||||||
|
2005 |
8 |
12 |
$82,761 |
$135,548 |
$135,667 |
$158,954 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||||||||||
|
2006 |
8 |
14 |
$91,761 |
$138,231 |
$135,406 |
$161,745 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||||||||||
|
2007 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||||||
|
2008 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||||||
|
2009 |
6 |
10 |
$105,198 |
$141,675 |
$144,957 |
$170,696 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||||||||||
|
2010 |
10 |
16 |
$98,293 |
$144,215 |
$144,661 |
$170,499 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||||||||||
|
2011 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||||||
|
2012 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||||||
|
2013 |
6 |
11 |
$105,000 |
$143,609 |
$151,838 |
$170,696 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||||||||||
|
2014 |
6 |
12 |
$102,395 |
$141,386 |
$137,750 |
$168,411 |
$ $142,608 |
$ |
$ | $168,076
|
2015
|
5
|
9
|
$110,000
|
$138,476
|
$138,000
|
$170,683
|
$110,819
|
$139,508
|
$139,028 $171,954 |
||||||
|
Change |
5 Years, |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
10 Years, |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Median Pay |
Change in Pay |
2014 Distribution of Pay |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Dollars in figures are in thousands. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, various years, and CRS calculations. "—" indicates insufficient data available. Tabular change is based on change in median pay for the periods noted. In the visualizations, position pay information based on constant 20152016 dollars in thousands of dollars, or change in those levels, is presented in green. Detailed information about data sources is available above in "Data Tables and Visualizations."
Author Contact Information
Acknowledgments
Jacobo Licona and Brian Hamel, former CRS interns, collected data for this report[author name scrubbed], Research Assistant, provided update support. Jacobo Licona, Brian Hamel, Joe Wisniewski, and Claire Laurence, former CRS interns, collected data for this report. [author name scrubbed], Visual Information Specialist, created the visualizations for this report. Claudia Guidi and Sandra L. Edwards, User Support Specialists, and Alex Marine, Publications Editor, provided formatting and editorial support.
Footnotes
| 1. |
Since 2009, the maximum annual pay for staff in House committees has been $172,500. See Order of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, January 9, 2009, set out as a note following 2 U.S.C. 4532. Maximum payable rates for House committee staff since 2001 are available in Table 2. |
|
| 2. |
For discussion of resources available to committees, and their distribution, see CRS Report R42778, House Committee Funding: Description of Process and Analysis of Disbursements, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]. |
|
| 3. |
In this report, pay refers to monies paid by the House to staff, and excludes other components of total compensation, which might include paid leave or employer contributions to various insurance and retirement benefits. |
|
| 4. |
Volumes of the Statement of Disbursements since July 2009 are available at http://disbursements.house.gov/. |
|
| 5. | ||
| 6. |
The Statements of Disbursement of the House provided data for the following panels in |
|
| 7. |
The numbers of staff whose data were counted are identified as observations in the data tables. |
|
| 8. |
Other forms of payment do not appear to be recorded in a consistent manner. Sometimes overtime and other pay is listed as separate entries and in other instances, significant one-time changes in a quarterly total may suggest payments in addition to regular salary. |
|
| 9. |
Information about the duration of staff employment is available in CRS Report R44683, Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Committees, 2006-2016, CRS Report R44685, Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in Senate Committees, 2006-2016, CRS Report R44682, Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016, and CRS Report R44684, Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in Senators' Offices, 2006-2016.
|
|
|
Positions that typically employ two or more staff members per committee include counsel, staff assistant, and professional staff member. |
||
|
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index, at http://www.bls.gov/cpi/tables.htm. |
||
|
General Schedule pay change is based on changes in pay levels, and not the pay of individuals. General Schedule pay tables are available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2015/general-schedule/. For a complete description of areas covered under the Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA locality pay table, see http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2014/locality-pay-area-definitions/#w. |
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|
5 years, |
||
|
The median is the midpoint at which half of the numbers in a list are higher and the other half lower. |
||
|
Sufficient data are not available in |
||
|
Sufficient data are not available in 2001 for chief counsels, communications directors, deputy staff directors, minority staff directors, and senior professional staff members. Sufficient data are not available in 2015 for minority professional staff members. |