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Staff Pay, Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2001-2023

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Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2001-2014

December 15, 20152015 November 9, 2016 (R44323)
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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 Member offices; or comparison of congressional staff pay levels with those of other federal government pay systems.

This report provides pay data for 12 staff position titles that are typically used in House Members' offices. The positions include the following: Caseworker, Chief of Staff, District Director, Executive Assistant, Field Representative, Legislative Assistant, Legislative Correspondent, Legislative Director, Office Manager, Press Secretary, Scheduler, and Staff Assistant.

Tables provide tabular pay data for each House Member office staff position. Graphic displays are also included, providing representations of pay from three perspectives, including the following:

  • a line graph showing change in pay, 2001-20142015;
  • a comparison, at 5-, 10-, and 1415-year intervals from 20142015, of the cumulative percentage change in pay of that position to changes in pay of Members of Congress and salaried 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, decreased for all 12increased for one position, office manager, by 0.22%, and decreased for 11 staff positions, ranging from a -1.383.53% decrease for press secretary/communications directors to a -21.81field representatives to a -25.83% decrease for executive assistants. This may be compared to changes over the same period to the pay of Members of Congress, -7.895.10%, and General Schedule, DC, -6.973.19%.

Pay data for staff working in Senators' offices are available in CRS Report R44324, Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in Senators' Offices, FY2001-FY2014. Data describing the pay of congressional staff working in House and Senate committee offices are available in CRS Report R44322, Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in House Committees, 2001-2014, and CRS Report R44325, Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in Senate Committees, FY2001-FY2014, 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 Levels for Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2001-2014
2015

Introduction

The level of pay for congressional staff is a source of recurring questions among Members of Congress, congressional staff, and the public. Members of the House of Representatives typically set the terms and conditions of employment for staff in their offices. This includes job titles, duties, and rates of pay, subject to a maximum level,1 and resources available to them 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 Member offices; or comparison of congressional staff pay levels with those of other federal government pay systems.

Publicly available resources do not provide aggregated congressional staff pay data in a readily retrievable form. The most recent staff compensation report was issued in 2010,3 which, like previous compensation reports, relied on anonymous, self-reported survey data. Pay4 information in this report is based on the House Statement of Disbursements (SOD), published quarterly by the Chief Administrative Officer,5 as collated by LegiStorm, a private entity that provides some congressional data by subscription.6 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 Member staff compensation over time.

This report provides pay data for 12 staff position titles that are typically used in House Members' offices.7 The positions include the following:

  • Caseworker8
  • Chief of Staff
  • District Director
  • Executive Assistant
  • Field Representative
  • Legislative Assistant
  • Legislative Correspondent
  • Legislative Director
  • Office Manager
  • Press Secretary9
  • Scheduler
  • Staff Assistant

House Member staff pay data for the years 2001-20142015 were developed based on a random sampling of staff for each position in each year. In order to be included, House staff had to hold a position with the same job title in the Member's office for the entire calendar year. For each year, the SOD reports pay data for five time periods: January 1 and 2;10 January 3-March 31; April 1-June 30; July 1-September 30; and October 1-DemberDecember 31. The aggregate pay of those five periods equals the annual pay of a congressional staff member.

For each year, 2001-20142015, a random sample11 of 45 staff for each position, and who did not receive pay from any other congressional employing authority, was taken. Every recorded payment ascribed to those staff for the calendar year is included.12 Data collected for this report may differ from an employee's stated annual salary due to the inclusion of overtime, bonuses, or other payments13 in addition to base salary paid in the course of a year. For some positions, it was not possible to identify 45 employees who held that title for the entire year. In circumstances when data for 18 or fewer staff were identified for a position, this report provides no data. Generally, data provided in this report are based on no more than three observations per Member office per year, and only one per office per position each year.

Pay data for staff working in Senators' offices are available in CRS Report R44324, Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in Senators' Offices, FY2001-FY2014. Data describing the pay of congressional staff working in House and Senate committee offices are available in CRS Report R44322, Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in House Committees, 2001-2014, and CRS Report R44325, Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in Senate Committees, FY2001-FY2014, respectively.

14

Data Concerns

There may be some advantages to relying on official salary expenditure data instead of survey findings, but data presented here are subject to some challenges that could affect the findings or their interpretation. Some of the concerns include the following:

  • There is a lack of data for first-term Members in the first session of a Congress. Authority to use the Member Representational Allowance (MRA) for the previous year expires January 2, and new MRA authority begins on January 3. As a consequence, no data are available for first-term Members of the House in the first session of a Congress.14
  • 15
  • 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.
  • Data do not differentiate between staff based in Washington, DC, district offices, or both.
  • Member offices that do not utilize any of the 12 job position titles or their variants, or whose pay data were not reported consistently,1516 are excluded.
  • Potential differences could 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 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 pay data and visualizations for each position. Table 1 provides the maximum payable rates for House Member 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) for various years, expressed in constant, 20152016 dollars.16

17

Table 2 provides the available cumulative percentage changes in pay in constant 20152016 dollars for each of the 12 positions, Members of Congress,1718 and salaries paid under the General Schedule in Washington, DC, and surrounding areas.1819 Table 3-Table 14 provide tabular pay data for each House Member office staff position. The numbers of staff for which 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, 2001-20142015, in nominal (current) and constant 20152016 dollars;
  • a comparison, at 5-, 10-, and 1415- year intervals from 2014,192015,20 of the cumulative percentage change in median pay for that position to changes in pay, in constant 20152016 dollars, 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 20152016 dollars, in $10,000 increments.

Between 20102011 and 20142015, the change in median2021 pay, in constant 2015 dollars, decreased for all 122016 dollars, increased for one position, office manager, by 0.22%, and decreased for 11 staff positions, ranging from a -1.383.53% decrease for press secretary/communications directors to a -21.81field representatives to a -25.83% decrease for executive assistants. This may be compared to changes over the same period to Members of Congress, -7.895.10%, and General Schedule, DC, -6.973.19%.

Between 20052006 and 20142015, the change in median pay, in constant 20152016 dollars, decreased for all 12 staff positions, ranging from a -3.021.99% decrease for legislative directors to a -17.6324.82% decrease for executive assistants. This may be compared to changes over the same period to Members of Congress, -11.4510.41%, and General Schedule, DC, -0.8013%.

Between 2001 and 20142015, the change in median pay, in constant 20152016 dollars, ranged from a 3.424.27% increase for press secretary/communications directors to a -25.46chiefs of staff to a -23.35% decrease for office managersexecutive assistants. Of the 12 positions, 3 saw increases and 9one saw a pay increase, while 11 saw declines. This may be compared to changes over the same period to the pay of Members of Congress, -10.2940%, and General Schedule, DC, 6.427.36%.


Table 1. House Member Office Staff Pay, Annual Maximums, 2001-2014

2015

$169,665

Year

Nominal $

Constant, 2015 2016 $

2001

$140,451

$187,658

189,369

2002

$145,226

$191,018

192,759

2003

$149,728

$192,551

194,306

2004

$153,022

$191,683

193,430

2005

$156,848

$190,037

191,769

2006

$159,828

$187,596

189,306

2007

$159,828

$182,401

184,063

2008

$163,795

$180,016

181,657

2009

$168,411

$185,750

187,443

2010

$168,411

$182,752

184,418

2011

$168,411

$177,160

178,775

2012

$168,411

$173,568

175,151

2013

$168,411

$171,063

172,622

2014

$168,411

$168,332

169,866

2015

$168,411

Source: 2 U.S.C. 4532 note, CRS calculations. Detailed information about data sources is available above in "Data Tables and Visualizations."


Table 2. Selected House Member Staff Change in Pay, Selected Periods

 

Change

(Based on Constant, 2016 Dollars)
 

5 Years
2010-2014

2011-2015

10 Years
2005-2014

2006-2015

1415 Years
2001-2014

2015

Caseworker

-3.7015.41%

-3.6512.42%

0.53-4.67%

Chief of Staff

-12.928.47%

-11.817.09%

-0.284.27%

District Director

-11.924.14%

-12.984.91%

-9.113.10%

Executive Assistant

-21.8125.83%

-17.6324.82%

-22.9223.35%

Field Rep

Representative

-8.593.53%

-3.5014.09%

0.45-2.76%

Legislative Assistant

-11.845.99%

-10.1815.55%

-10.3911.99%

Legislative Correspondent

-34.85%

-5.848.11%

-3.885.25%

Legislative Director

-9.446.07%

-3.021.99%

-4.343.16%

Office Manager

-13.530.22%

-12.5914.46%

-25.4619.67%

Press Secretary/Communication Director

-1.3816.95%

-8.629.49%

3.42-4.59%

Scheduler

-2.018.46%

-6.4415.39%

-11.5415.96%

Staff Assistant

-16.005.73%

-13.0016.31%

-12.5216.60%

Members of Congress

-7.895.10%

-11.4510.41%

-10.2940%

General Schedule, DC

-6.973.19%

-0.8013%

6.427.36%

Source: CRS calculations, based on data provided in Table 3-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. Detailed information about data sources is available above in "Data Tables and Visualizations."


TableTable 3. Caseworker

   

$84,667

 

 

 

Nominal $

 

Constant $

Year

Observations

 

Minimum

Average

Median

Maximum

 

Minimum

Average

Median

Maximum

2001

45

 

$21,750

$35,841

$34,231

$61,572

 

$29,016

325

$47,815

48,324

$45,667

46,154

$82,141

83,016

2002

45

 

$23,846

$37,733

$37,358

$100,500

 

$31,317

651

$49,555

50,083

$49,063

586

$131,988

133,394

2003

45

 

$27,000

$38,492

$36,500

$63,333

 

$34,669

35,039

$49,426

953

$46,868

47,367

$81,323

82,189

2004

45

 

$27,500

$42,439

$43,160

$63,900

 

$34,395

762

$53,081

646

$53,982

54,557

$79,922

80,774

2005

45

 

$27,250

$42,527

$39,386

$76,836

 

$32,966

33,317

$51,448

996

$47,648

48,155

$92,953

93,943

2006

45

 

$21,500

$43,963

$42,417

$66,867

 

$25,197

465

$51,522

52,071

$49,710

50,240

$78,364

79,199

2007

45

 

$20,733

$43,694

$42,500

$72,500

 

$23,626

877

$49,789

50,319

$48,428

944

$82,613

83,493

2008

45

 

$22,500

$44,331

$44,409

$60,000

 

$24,691

954

$48,647

49,165

$48,732

49,251

$65,842

66,543

2009

45

 

$25,000

$45,806

$44,363

$86,210

 

$27,532

825

$50,445

983

$48,856

49,377

$94,941

95,953

2010

45

 

$28,405

$47,592

$44,000

$82,062

 

$30,777

31,105

$51,566

52,115

$47,674

48,182

$88,914

89,862

2011

45

 

$31,200

$49,697

$49,000

$83,155

 

$32,771

33,120

$52,199

755

$51,467

52,015

$87,342

88,273

2012

45

 

$30,135

$50,182

$47,492

$72,000

 

$31,011

341

$51,640

52,190

$48,872

49,393

$74,092

881

2013

45

 

$24,000

$49,805

$50,000

$84,353

 

$24,341

600

$50,512

51,050

$50,710

51,250

$85,551

86,462

2014

45

 

$26,250

$47,823

$46,000

$88,833

 

$26,198

445

$47,728

$45,908

$88,657

48,180

$46,343

$89,495

2015

45

$28,500

$46,269

$44,000

$84,667

$28,500

$46,269

$44,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change

5 Years, 2010-2014

2011-2015

-3.70%

-15.41%
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Years, 2005-2014

2006-2015

-3.65%

-12.42%
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1415 Years, 2001-2014

2015

0.53-4.67%

Median Pay

Change in Pay

2014 Distribution of Pay

2015 Pay Distribution

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."


Table 4. Chief of Staff

   

$168,411

 

 

 

Nominal $

 

Constant $

Year

Observations

 

Minimum

Average

Median

Maximum

 

Minimum

Average

Median

Maximum

2001

45

 

$76,361

$106,313

$104,250

$137,020

 

$101,872

102,957

$141,830

143,341

$139,078

140,559

$182,795

184,742

2002

45

 

$65,000

$113,580

$115,089

$145,226

 

$85,365

86,275

$149,167

150,756

$151,148

152,758

$190,727

192,759

2003

45

 

$81,000

$114,406

$110,750

$148,978

 

$104,008

105,116

$146,903

148,468

$142,208

143,723

$191,295

193,332

2004

45

 

$86,500

$122,278

$124,000

$151,974

 

$108,189

109,342

$152,938

154,567

$155,092

156,744

$190,080

192,105

2005

45

 

$70,196

$129,013

$130,000

$156,827

 

$84,920

85,825

$156,074

157,736

$157,268

158,944

$189,722

191,743

2006

45

 

$94,000

$135,327

$133,180

$159,828

 

$110,163

111,337

$158,597

160,286

$156,080

157,743

$187,310

189,306

2007

45

 

$96,833

$138,937

$141,652

$159,828

 

$110,341

111,517

$158,318

160,005

$161,412

163,132

$182,123

184,063

2008

45

 

$93,508

$145,683

$149,972

$163,795

 

$102,612

103,705

$159,866

161,569

$164,574

166,327

$179,742

181,657

2009

45

 

$42,708

$133,877

$134,344

$168,411

 

$47,034

535

$147,436

149,007

$147,950

149,527

$185,467

187,443

2010

45

 

$98,500

$143,697

$147,000

$168,411

 

$106,725

107,862

$155,697

157,355

$159,275

160,972

$182,474

184,418

2011

45

 

$103,124

$146,853

$150,833

$168,411

 

$108,316

109,470

$154,247

155,890

$158,428

160,116

$176,891

178,775

2012

45

 

$98,220

$143,040

$144,000

$168,411

 

$101,074

102,151

$147,196

148,765

$148,184

149,763

$173,304

175,151

2013

45

 

$90,501

$142,480

$143,800

$168,411

 

$91,786

92,764

$144,503

146,043

$145,842

147,395

$170,802

172,622

2014

45

 

$89,401

$140,803

$138,968

$168,411

 

$89,223

$140,523

$138,692

$168,076

90,067

$141,851

$140,003

$169,665

2015

45

$114,173

$147,650

$146,561

$168,411

$114,173

$147,650

$146,561

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change

5 Years, 2010-2014

2011-2015

-12.92%

-8.47%
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Years, 2005-2014

2006-2015

-11.81%

-7.09%
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1415 Years, 2001-2014

2015

-0.28%

4.27%

Median Pay

Change in Pay

2014 Distribution of Pay

2015 Pay Distribution

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."


Table 5. District Director

   

$162,600

 

 

 

Nominal $

 

Constant $

Year

Observations

 

Minimum

Average

Median

Maximum

 

Minimum

Average

Median

Maximum

2001

45

 

$49,538

$70,062

$72,844

$101,624

 

$66,087

792

$93,468

94,464

$97,180

98,215

$135,575

137,019

2002

45

 

$45,000

$73,706

$72,925

$106,487

 

$59,099

729

$96,800

97,831

$95,773

96,794

$139,850

141,340

2003

45

 

$44,400

$76,558

$76,045

$122,450

 

$57,012

619

$98,304

99,352

$97,646

98,686

$157,232

158,907

2004

45

 

$42,500

$77,877

$77,100

$116,568

 

$53,156

723

$97,404

98,442

$96,432

97,459

$145,797

147,350

2005

45

 

$49,583

$83,325

$83,904

$123,500

 

$59,984

60,623

$100,803

101,877

$101,503

102,584

$149,405

150,996

2006

45

 

$53,000

$86,077

$84,501

$141,100

 

$62,113

775

$100,878

101,953

$99,031

100,086

$165,362

167,124

2007

45

 

$50,000

$90,807

$86,631

$148,500

 

$56,975

57,582

$103,474

104,577

$98,715

99,767

$169,215

171,018

2008

45

 

$52,042

$89,141

$87,599

$138,083

 

$57,108

717

$97,820

98,862

$96,128

97,152

$151,527

153,141

2009

45

 

$60,000

$90,238

$88,274

$120,450

 

$66,077

781

$99,377

100,436

$97,214

98,250

$132,649

134,062

2010

45

 

$48,100

$95,323

$92,545

$136,003

 

$52,117

672

$103,283

104,384

$100,273

101,341

$147,360

148,930

2011

45

 

$68,000

$99,733

$93,519

$165,000

 

$71,424

72,185

$104,755

105,871

$98,228

99,275

$173,308

175,154

2012

45

 

$52,500

$91,280

$88,795

$163,564

 

$54,025

601

$9394,932

$91,375

92,348

$168,316

170,109

2013

45

 

$48,333

$90,637

$87,247

$162,600

 

$49,020

542

$91,924

92,903

$88,486

89,429

$164,909

166,666

2014

45

 

$45,000

$93,519

$88,500

$144,667

 

$44,910

$93,333

$88,324

$144,379

45,335

$94,215

$89,159

$145,744

2015

45

$59,433

$97,911

$95,167

$162,600

$59,433

$97,911

$95,167

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change

5 Years, 2010-2014

2011-2015

-11.92%

-4.14%
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Years, 2005-2014

2006-2015

-12.98%

-4.91%
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1415 Years, 2001-2014

2015

-9.11%

-3.10%

Median Pay

Change in Pay

2014 Distribution of Pay

2015 Pay Distribution

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."


Table 6. Executive Assistant

   

$92,426

 

 

 

Nominal $

 

Constant $

Year

Observations

 

Minimum

Average

Median

Maximum

 

Minimum

Average

Median

Maximum

2001

45

 

$27,583

$56,922

$53,136

$104,167

 

$36,798

37,190

$75,939

76,748

$70,887

71,642

$138,966

140,447

2002

45

 

$21,667

$54,469

$52,667

$111,517

 

$28,455

758

$71,535

72,297

$69,168

905

$146,456

148,017

2003

45

 

$27,354

$58,093

$55,500

$113,500

 

$35,124

498

$74,595

75,389

$71,265

72,024

$145,740

147,292

2004

45

 

$27,446

$55,603

$51,933

$87,602

 

$34,328

694

$69,545

70,286

$64,955

65,647

$109,567

110,734

2005

45

 

$27,000

$60,504

$54,837

$97,275

 

$32,663

33,011

$73,195

975

$66,340

67,047

$117,679

118,933

2006

44

 

$34,167

$65,704

$61,672

$109,617

 

$40,042

468

$77,001

822

$72,276

73,046

$128,465

129,834

2007

45

 

$33,513

$67,000

$62,542

$145,849

 

$38,188

595

$76,346

77,159

$71,266

72,025

$166,194

167,964

2008

44

 

$26,750

$60,839

$59,231

$107,037

 

$29,354

667

$66,762

67,473

$64,998

65,690

$117,458

118,709

2009

45

 

$30,000

$58,062

$57,500

$108,047

 

$33,038

390

$63,942

64,623

$63,324

998

$118,989

120,257

2010

45

 

$20,500

$67,102

$64,500

$134,278

 

$22,212

448

$72,706

73,480

$69,886

70,631

$145,491

147,041

2011

37

 

$27,000

$67,839

$69,750

$138,000

 

$28,359

662

$71,255

72,014

$73,262

74,043

$144,948

146,493

2012

39

 

$28,000

$61,871

$58,500

$122,609

 

$28,814

29,121

$63,669

64,347

$60,200

841

$126,172

127,516

2013

21

 

$33,750

$61,167

$53,500

$121,109

 

$34,229

594

$62,036

696

$54,260

838

$122,829

124,137

2014

30

 

$32,000

$55,748

$54,750

$89,167

 

$31,936

$55,637

$54,641

$88,989

32,238

$56,163

$55,158

$89,831

2015

38

$21,000

$55,918

$54,917

$92,426

$21,000

$55,918

$54,917

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change

5 Years, 2010-2014

2011-2015

-21.81%

-25.83%
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Years, 2005-2014

2006-2015

-17.63%

-24.82%
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1415 Years, 2001-2014

2015

-22.9223.35%

Median Pay

Change in Pay

2014 Distribution of Pay

2015 Pay Distribution

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."


Table 7. Field Representative

   

$100,000

 

 

 

Nominal $

 

Constant $

Year

Observations

 

Minimum

Average

Median

Maximum

 

Minimum

Average

Median

Maximum

2001

45

 

$22,131

$38,242

$35,500

$75,275

 

$29,524

838

$51,018

562

$47,360

864

$100,423

101,492

2002

45

 

$24,720

$41,209

$40,500

$66,333

 

$32,465

811

$54,120

697

$53,189

756

$87,116

88,044

2003

45

 

$21,344

$41,594

$40,775

$74,501

 

$27,407

699

$53,409

978

$52,357

915

$95,663

96,682

2004

45

 

$26,017

$42,892

$39,472

$78,967

 

$32,540

887

$53,646

54,218

$49,369

895

$98,767

99,819

2005

45

 

$25,805

$43,791

$40,750

$72,000

 

$31,218

550

$52,976

53,540

$49,297

823

$87,102

88,030

2006

45

 

$24,750

$47,080

$45,743

$90,454

 

$29,006

315

$55,175

763

$53,608

54,179

$106,007

107,136

2007

45

 

$25,928

$45,483

$42,901

$66,502

 

$29,545

859

$51,828

52,380

$48,885

49,406

$75,778

76,585

2008

44

 

$26,750

$60,839

$59,231

$107,037

 

$29,354

667

$66,762

67,473

$64,998

65,690

$117,458

118,709

2009

45

 

$34,033

$47,299

$45,000

$81,917

 

$37,480

879

$52,089

644

$49,558

50,085

$90,213

91,174

2010

45

 

$28,917

$48,932

$48,033

$77,311

 

$31,332

665

$53,018

582

$52,044

599

$83,767

84,659

2011

45

 

$21,000

$46,732

$45,450

$72,992

 

$22,057

292

$49,085

608

$47,738

48,247

$76,667

77,484

2012

45

 

$30,167

$47,153

$46,920

$79,159

 

$31,043

374

$48,523

49,040

$48,283

798

$81,459

82,327

2013

45

 

$32,125

$47,466

$48,783

$77,988

 

$32,581

928

$48,140

653

$49,475

50,002

$79,095

938

2014

45

 

$25,750

$48,428

$47,667

$94,625

 

$25,699

942

$48,332

$47,572

$94,437

789

$48,022

$95,330

2015

45

$22,100

$49,031

$46,544

$100,000

$22,100

$49,031

$46,544

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change

5 Years, 2010-2014

2011-2015

-8.59%

-3.53%
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Years, 2005-2014

2006-2015

-3.50%

-14.09%
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1415 Years, 2001-2014

2015

0.45-2.76%

Median Pay

Change in Pay

2014 Distribution of Pay

2015 Pay Distribution

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."


Table 8. Legislative Assistant

   

$83,336

 

 

 

Nominal $

 

Constant $

Year

Observations

 

Minimum

Average

Median

Maximum

 

Minimum

Average

Median

Maximum

2001

45

 

$30,154

$43,493

$41,092

$70,000

 

$40,228

656

$58,023

641

$54,819

55,403

$93,385

94,380

2002

45

 

$29,068

$44,295

$43,333

$61,296

 

$38,175

582

$58,173

793

$56,910

57,517

$80,501

81,358

2003

45

 

$29,025

$45,828

$42,542

$121,750

 

$37,270

667

$58,845

59,472

$54,626

55,208

$156,333

157,998

2004

45

 

$30,081

$46,008

$43,750

$95,585

 

$37,623

38,024

$57,544

58,158

$54,720

55,303

$119,552

120,826

2005

45

 

$29,542

$50,609

$45,208

$104,290

 

$35,738

36,119

$61,224

877

$54,691

55,274

$126,165

127,509

2006

45

 

$35,994

$50,584

$48,750

$69,631

 

$42,184

633

$59,282

914

$57,133

741

$81,604

82,474

2007

45

 

$32,750

$50,261

$45,600

$120,136

 

$37,318

716

$57,272

882

$51,961

52,515

$136,894

138,353

2008

45

 

$35,267

$53,668

$49,389

$94,841

 

$38,700

39,113

$58,893

59,521

$54,197

775

$104,074

105,183

2009

45

 

$34,000

$49,982

$50,500

$63,500

 

$37,444

842

$55,044

630

$55,615

56,207

$69,931

70,676

2010

45

 

$37,637

$54,346

$51,427

$114,814

 

$40,780

41,214

$58,884

59,511

$55,721

56,315

$124,402

125,727

2011

45

 

$32,500

$50,506

$48,863

$96,400

 

$34,136

500

$53,049

614

$51,323

870

$101,254

102,333

2012

45

 

$29,000

$49,916

$49,250

$78,833

 

$29,843

30,161

$51,367

914

$50,681

51,221

$81,124

988

2013

45

 

$29,500

$48,395

$47,917

$72,802

 

$29,919

30,238

$49,083

605

$48,597

49,115

$73,836

74,623

2014

45

 

$31,333

$50,854

$49,219

$90,833

 

$31,271

$50,753

$49,122

$90,653

567

$51,233

$49,586

$91,510

2015

45

$30,000

$49,860

$48,760

$83,336

$30,000

$49,860

$48,760

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change

5 Years, 2010-2014

2011-2015

-11.845.99%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Years, 2005-2014

2006-2015

-10.1815.55%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1415 Years, 2001-2014

2015

-10.3911.99%

Median Pay

Change in Pay

2014 Distribution of Pay

2015 Pay Distribution

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."


Table 9. Legislative Correspondent

2015

   
 

 

 

Nominal $

 

Constant $

Year

Observations

 

Minimum

Average

Median

Maximum

 

Minimum

Average

Median

Maximum

2001

31

 

$24,500

$33,552

$31,313

$84,267

 

$32,685

33,033

$44,761

45,238

$41,773

42,218

$112,418

113,616

2002

45

 

$25,000

$34,141

$31,983

$52,000

 

$32,833

33,183

$44,837

45,315

$42,004

452

$68,292

69,020

2003

45

 

$23,958

$36,698

$35,614

$64,077

 

$30,764

31,091

$47,122

624

$45,730

46,217

$82,279

83,155

2004

40

 

$25,372

$36,524

$34,720

$66,667

 

$31,734

32,072

$45,682

46,168

$43,426

888

$83,383

84,271

2005

37

 

$26,000

$37,095

$35,250

$60,750

 

$31,454

789

$44,875

45,353

$42,644

43,098

$73,493

74,276

2006

45

 

$27,583

$39,217

$36,750

$73,315

 

$32,326

671

$45,960

46,450

$43,069

528

$85,922

86,837

2007

45

 

$28,544

$40,299

$39,617

$56,333

 

$32,526

872

$45,921

46,410

$45,143

624

$64,191

875

2008

45

 

$28,867

$39,190

$38,500

$55,680

 

$31,678

32,015

$43,006

464

$42,248

699

$61,101

752

2009

45

 

$29,085

$41,173

$38,875

$75,917

 

$32,031

372

$45,343

826

$42,812

43,268

$83,605

84,496

2010

45

 

$28,000

$40,366

$38,542

$75,833

 

$30,338

661

$43,737

44,203

$41,760

42,205

$82,166

83,041

2011

45

 

$28,833

$42,489

$39,600

$86,250

 

$30,285

608

$44,628

45,104

$41,594

42,037

$90,593

91,558

2012

45

 

$26,000

$39,351

$39,000

$65,000

 

$26,755

27,041

$40,495

926

$40,133

561

$66,889

67,601

2013

45

 

$28,900

$38,589

$37,500

$65,000

 

$29,310

623

$39,137

554

$38,033

438

$65,923

66,625

2014

45

 

$30,000

$41,122

$40,233

$63,000

 

$29,940

30,223

$41,040

428

$40,153

533

$62,875

63,469
 

45

$25,000

$41,290

$40,000

$77,000

$25,000

$41,290

$40,000

$77,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change

5 Years, 2010-2014

2011-2015

-3.85%

-4.85%
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Years, 2005-2014

2006-2015

-5.84%

-8.11%
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1415 Years, 2001-2014

2015

-3.88%

-5.25%

Median Pay

Change in Pay

2014 Distribution of Pay

2015 Pay Distribution

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."


Table 10. Legislative Director

   

$132,800

 

 

 

Nominal $

 

Constant $

Year

Observations

 

Minimum

Average

Median

Maximum

 

Minimum

Average

Median

Maximum

2001

45

 

$47,000

$66,932

$66,250

$91,412

 

$62,702

63,370

$89,292

90,243

$88,383

89,324

$121,950

123,249

2002

45

 

$48,399

$71,594

$70,000

$117,000

 

$63,563

64,240

$94,025

95,027

$91,932

92,911

$153,658

155,295

2003

45

 

$51,048

$72,020

$70,500

$105,000

 

$65,548

66,246

$92,477

93,462

$90,525

91,490

$134,825

136,261

2004

45

 

$51,761

$73,294

$70,300

$124,833

 

$64,740

65,430

$91,672

92,649

$87,927

88,864

$156,134

157,798

2005

45

 

$58,963

$75,692

$72,068

$133,833

 

$71,330

72,090

$91,569

92,545

$87,185

88,113

$161,905

163,630

2006

45

 

$55,542

$76,599

$74,515

$101,917

 

$65,093

786

$89,770

90,726

$87,328

88,258

$119,441

120,714

2007

45

 

$58,000

$85,941

81,721

$81,667

$284,300

102,683
 

$66,091

795

$97,929

94,112

$93,059

94,050

$323,958

118,254

2008

45

 

$54,500

$82,548

$82,000

$124,333

 

$59,806

60,443

$90,585

91,550

$89,984

90,942

$136,438

137,892

2009

45

 

$51,500

$85,883

$84,417

$127,411

 

$56,716

57,320

$94,581

95,588

$92,966

93,957

$140,315

141,810

2010

45

 

$61,303

$87,717

$86,167

$118,000

 

$66,423

67,130

$95,042

96,054

$93,362

94,357

$127,854

129,216

2011

45

 

$47,075

$85,639

$86,750

$117,500

 

$49,445

972

$89,951

90,909

$91,118

92,089

$123,416

124,731

2012

45

 

$48,400

$82,327

$80,000

$138,000

 

$49,806

50,337

$84,720

85,622

$82,324

83,202

$142,010

143,523

2013

45

 

$50,736

$79,804

$80,000

$106,000

 

$51,457

52,005

$80,937

81,800

$81,136

82,000

$107,505

108,650

2014

45

 

$50,417

$87,256

$84,718

$127,000

 

$50,316

792

$87,082

$84,550

$126,747

906

$85,349

$127,946

2015

45

$55,133

$84,862

$86,500

$132,800

$55,133

$84,862

$86,500

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change

5 Years, 2010-2014

2011-2015

-9.44%

-6.07%
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Years, 2005-2014

2006-2015

-3.02%

-1.99%
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1415 Years, 2001-2014

2015

-4.34%

-3.16%

Median Pay

Change in Pay

2014 Distribution of Pay

2015 Pay Distribution

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."


Table 11. Office Manager

2015

   
 

 

 

Nominal $

 

Constant $

Year

Observations

 

Minimum

Average

Median

Maximum

 

Minimum

Average

Median

Maximum

2001

45

 

$22,949

$44,639

$46,167

$84,750

 

$30,615

941

$59,552

60,186

$61,590

62,246

$113,063

114,268

2002

45

 

$18,260

$47,760

$45,833

$102,292

 

$23,980

24,236

$62,724

63,393

$60,193

835

$134,341

135,772

2003

45

 

$22,500

$49,497

$49,673

$76,500

 

$28,891

29,199

$63,557

64,234

$63,782

64,462

$98,230

99,276

2004

43

 

$20,024

$52,846

$51,000

$86,650

 

$25,045

311

$66,097

801

$63,788

64,467

$108,377

109,531

2005

40

 

$22,041

$47,198

$43,417

$89,688

 

$26,664

948

$57,098

707

$52,523

53,083

$108,500

109,656

2006

44

 

$29,150

$50,636

$49,352

$89,329

 

$34,162

526

$59,342

974

$57,838

58,454

$104,689

105,805

2007

26

 

$30,750

$51,840

$46,133

$93,389

 

$35,039

413

$59,072

701

$52,569

53,129

$106,416

107,549

2008

35

 

$26,989

$52,321

$50,583

$98,566

 

$29,617

932

$57,415

58,026

$55,508

56,099

$108,162

109,314

2009

25

 

$29,983

$55,578

$51,818

$106,877

 

$33,020

372

$61,207

859

$57,066

674

$117,701

118,955

2010

31

 

$32,250

$51,484

$49,000

$88,333

 

$34,943

35,315

$55,783

56,377

$53,092

657

$95,710

96,729

2011

21

 

$36,000

$52,858

$47,000

$82,500

 

$37,813

38,215

$55,519

56,111

$49,367

892

$86,654

87,577

2012

21

 

$30,103

$54,036

$50,319

$91,333

 

$30,978

31,308

$55,606

56,199

$51,781

52,333

$93,987

94,988

2013

 

 

2014

27

 

$33,434

$52,283

$46,000

$116,583

 

$33,367

683

$52,179

673

$45,909

46,343

$116,351

117,451
 

 

23

$35,850

$51,961

$50,000

$85,038

$35,850

$51,961

$50,000

$85,038

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

Change

5 Years, 2010-2014

2011-2015

-13.53%

0.22%
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Years, 2005-2014

2006-2015

-12.59%

-14.46%
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1415 Years, 2001-2014

2015

-25.46%

-19.67%

Median Pay

Change in Pay

2014 Distribution of Pay

2015 Pay Distribution

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."


Table 12. Press Secretary/Communications Director

   

$108,333

 

 

 

Nominal $

 

Constant $

Year

Observations

 

Minimum

Average

Median

Maximum

 

Minimum

Average

Median

Maximum

2001

45

 

$29,000

$54,897

$52,083

$99,020

 

$38,688

39,100

$73,236

74,016

$69,483

70,223

$132,100

133,508

2002

45

 

$37,226

$58,411

$57,625

$95,527

 

$48,889

49,410

$76,712

77,530

$75,680

76,486

$125,457

126,793

2003

45

 

$32,668

$59,875

$59,000

$93,000

 

$41,947

42,394

$76,882

77,701

$75,759

76,566

$119,417

120,689

2004

45

 

$32,378

$59,282

$56,000

$93,500

 

$40,496

928

$74,146

936

$70,042

788

$116,944

118,190

2005

45

 

$41,739

$65,916

$65,000

$101,000

 

$50,494

51,032

$79,743

80,592

$78,634

79,472

$122,185

123,487

2006

45

 

$29,010

$62,757

$62,500

$111,188

 

$33,998

34,360

$73,549

74,332

$73,247

74,027

$130,307

131,695

2007

45

 

$36,281

$67,472

$69,000

$110,000

 

$41,342

782

$76,884

77,703

$78,625

79,463

$125,344

126,680

2008

45

 

$40,000

$70,609

$69,948

$112,860

 

$43,894

44,362

$77,484

78,309

$76,759

77,576

$123,848

125,168

2009

45

 

$40,400

$72,711

$69,174

$128,992

 

$44,492

966

$80,075

928

$76,180

991

$142,056

143,569

2010

45

 

$46,000

$72,512

$67,250

$132,596

 

$49,841

50,372

$78,567

79,404

$72,866

73,642

$143,668

145,199

2011

45

 

$48,000

$76,528

$76,000

$120,000

 

$50,417

954

$80,382

81,238

$79,827

80,677

$126,042

127,385

2012

45

 

$29,959

$74,514

$73,167

$121,805

 

$30,829

31,157

$76,679

77,496

$75,293

76,095

$125,345

126,680

2013

45

 

$36,439

$70,351

$65,000

$124,861

 

$36,956

37,350

$71,350

72,110

$65,923

66,625

$126,634

127,983

2014

45

 

$42,500

$73,199

$72,000

$124,233

 

$42,415

816

$73,053

$71,857

$123,986

744

$72,536

$125,158

2015

45

$43,878

$69,302

$67,000

$108,333

$43,878

$69,302

$67,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change

5 Years, 2010-2014

2011-2015

-1.38%

-16.95%
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Years, 2005-2014

2006-2015

-8.62%

-9.49%
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1415 Years, 2001-2014

2015

3.42%

-4.59%

Median Pay

Change in Pay

2014 Distribution of Pay

2015 Pay Distribution

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."


Table 13. Scheduler

   

$96,418

 

 

 

Nominal $

 

Constant $

Year

Observations

 

Minimum

Average

Median

Maximum

 

Minimum

Average

Median

Maximum

2001

19

 

$34,117

$42,699

$42,286

$57,000

 

$45,514

999

$56,964

57,571

$56,412

57,013

$76,042

853

2002

27

 

$29,500

$44,874

$43,483

$61,375

 

$38,743

39,155

$58,934

59,561

$57,107

716

$80,605

81,463

2003

31

 

$26,833

$47,053

$44,393

$104,367

 

$34,455

822

$60,418

61,062

$57,003

610

$134,012

135,440

2004

25

 

$30,625

$50,838

$45,100

$104,367

 

$38,304

712

$63,585

64,262

$56,408

57,009

$130,536

131,926

2005

37

 

$28,625

$44,975

$44,090

$69,250

 

$34,629

998

$54,408

988

$53,338

906

$83,775

84,668

2006

42

 

$30,167

$50,781

$47,817

$83,000

 

$35,354

730

$59,513

60,147

$56,039

636

$97,272

98,308

2007

29

 

$32,000

$55,354

$52,167

$93,162

 

$36,464

852

$63,075

747

$59,444

60,077

$106,157

107,288

2008

45

 

$32,625

$51,427

$50,481

$82,674

 

$35,801

36,183

$56,434

57,036

$55,395

986

$90,723

91,690

2009

41

 

$32,000

$52,879

$52,450

$93,000

 

$35,241

616

$58,234

855

$57,762

58,377

$102,419

103,510

2010

41

 

$31,547

$51,968

$47,000

$110,750

 

$34,181

545

$56,307

907

$50,925

51,467

$119,998

121,277

2011

26

 

$35,000

$53,293

$49,309

$90,942

 

$36,762

37,154

$55,976

56,573

$51,792

52,344

$95,521

96,539

2012

36

 

$34,533

$49,421

$46,333

$80,500

 

$35,537

915

$50,857

51,399

$47,680

48,188

$82,839

83,721

2013

26

 

$31,883

$51,910

$47,500

$85,833

 

$32,336

681

$52,647

53,208

$48,175

688

$87,052

980

2014

45

 

$29,667

$53,342

$50,000

$96,950

 

$29,608

888

$53,236

$49,901

$96,757

739

$50,372

$97,672

2015

45

$33,000

$51,932

$47,917

$96,418

$33,000

$51,932

$47,917

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change

5 Years, 2010-2014

2011-2015

-2.01%

-8.46%
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Years, 2005-2014

2006-2015

-6.44%

-15.39%
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1415 Years, 2001-2014

2015

-11.54%

-15.96%

Median Pay

Change in Pay

2014 Distribution of Pay

2015 Pay Distribution

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."


Table 14. Staff Assistant

   

$69,500

 

 

 

Nominal $

 

Constant $

Year

Observations

 

Minimum

Average

Median

Maximum

 

Minimum

Average

Median

Maximum

2001

45

 

$21,667

$33,302

$31,000

$79,516

 

$28,905

29,213

$44,427

900

$41,356

797

$106,080

107,210

2002

45

 

$24,500

$34,378

$33,000

$62,317

 

$32,176

519

$45,150

631

$43,339

801

$81,841

82,713

2003

45

 

$20,000

$37,518

$35,917

$74,394

 

$25,681

955

$48,174

688

$46,119

610

$95,526

96,544

2004

45

 

$21,200

$35,866

$36,227

$52,750

 

$26,516

798

$44,859

45,336

$45,310

793

$65,977

66,680

2005

45

 

$22,000

$38,296

$34,375

$105,950

 

$26,615

898

$46,328

822

$41,585

42,028

$128,173

129,539

2006

45

 

$21,834

$38,120

$35,167

$63,830

 

$25,588

861

$44,675

45,151

$41,214

653

$74,806

75,603

2007

45

 

$24,486

$39,808

$38,400

$60,790

 

$27,902

28,199

$45,361

844

$43,757

44,223

$69,270

70,008

2008

45

 

$25,500

$40,657

$36,156

$73,300

 

$27,983

28,281

$44,615

45,091

$39,676

40,098

$80,437

81,293

2009

45

 

$20,175

$37,829

$37,504

$67,333

 

$22,218

455

$41,661

42,105

$41,302

742

$74,153

943

2010

45

 

$25,000

$42,084

$39,750

$93,750

 

$27,088

376

$45,598

46,084

$43,069

528

$101,579

102,661

2011

45

 

$26,250

$38,681

$34,833

$87,500

 

$27,572

865

$40,628

41,061

$36,587

977

$91,906

92,885

2012

45

 

$22,000

$41,076

$35,767

$167,411

 

$22,639

880

$42,269

720

$36,806

37,198

$172,275

174,111

2013

45

 

$21,095

$37,726

$34,986

$67,167

 

$21,395

623

$38,261

669

$35,483

861

$68,120

846

2014

45

 

$21,067

$37,176

$36,250

$88,058

 

$21,025

224

$37,102

452

$36,178

$87,883

520

$88,714

2015

45

$25,950

$37,958

$34,857

$69,500

$25,950

$37,958

$34,857

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change

5 Years, 2010-2014

2011-2015

-16.00%

-5.73%
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Years, 2005-2014

2006-2015

-13.00%

-16.31%
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1415 Years, 2001-2014

2015

-12.52%

-16.60%

Median Pay

Change in Pay

2014 Distribution of Pay

2015 Pay Distribution

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."

Author Contact Information

[author name scrubbed], Coordinator, Specialist in American National Government ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])
[author name scrubbed], Research Assistant ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])

Acknowledgments

[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

Staff of all Members who serve an entire calendar year may be included in the data. For information on the number of first-term Members in each Congress, see CRS Report R41283, First-Term Members of the House of Representatives and Senate, 64th - 113th Congresses, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed].

1.

Since 2009, the maximum annual pay for staff in House Member offices has been $168,411. 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 Member office staff since 2001 are available in Table 1.

2.

For discussion of resources available to Members to carry out their official duties, see CRS Report RL30064, Congressional Salaries and Allowances: In Brief, by [author name scrubbed].

3.

ICF International, 2010 House Compensation Study: Guide for the 112th Congress, prepared for the Chief Administrative Officer, House of Representatives (Washington: 2010).

4.

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.

5.

Volumes of the Statement of Disbursements since July 2009 are available at http://disbursements.house.gov/.

6.

http://www.legistorm.com/.

7.

For a discussion of staff roles in Members' offices, see, CRS Report RL34545, Congressional Staff: Duties and Functions of Selected Positions, by [author name scrubbed].

8.

Other job titles which may indicate similar duties, and for which pay data were collected for this category, include Constituent Services Representative and Federal Caseworker.

9.

Another job title which may indicate similar duties and for which pay data were collected for this category, was Communications Director.

10.

The brief reporting period accommodates accounting of the Member Representational Allowance (MRA), which authorizes expenditures from January 3 to January 2 of the following year. For a discussion of MRA usage, see CRS Report R40962, Members' Representational Allowance: History and Usage, by [author name scrubbed].

11.

Obtaining the salaries of every congressional staff member listed in the SOD was beyond the capacity of available resources. Each year, a different, random sample of Members' offices was taken for each position. The large random sample of each position means that a full accounting would be unlikely to yield significantly different results. At the same time, a study that examines pay data based on different job titles, or which combines pay data from positions of similar titles or duties (e.g., legislative assistant and senior legislative assistant, or executive assistants, schedulers, and executive assistant/schedulers), could result in findings that are different from those provided here.

12.

The numbers of staff for which data were counted are identified as observations in the data tables.

13.

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.

14.

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.

15.
1516.

Some offices reported pay data that excluded the January 1 and 2 period, or included those days in reports including the period from October 1 of the previous year.

1617.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index, at http://www.bls.gov/cpi/tables.htm.

1718.

Member pay data are taken from CRS Report 97-1011, Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables, by [author name scrubbed].

1819.

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.

1920.

5 years, 2010-20142011-2015; 10 years, 2005-20142006-2015; and 1415 years, 2001-20142015.

2021.

The median is the midpoint at which half of the numbers in a list are higher and the other half lower.