Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in Senate Committees, FY2001-FY2015

November 9, 2016 (R44325)
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Introduction
Data Concerns
Data Tables and Visualizations

Tables

Table 1. Senate Committee Staff Positions and Availability of Pay Data Since FY2001
Table 2. Senate Committee Pay, Annual Maximums, 2001-2015
Table 3. Selected Senate Committee Staff Change in Pay, Selected Periods
Table 4. Chief Clerk, FY2001-FY2015
Table 5. Chief Counsel, FY2001-FY2015
Table 6. Communications Director, FY2007-F20Y13
Table 7. Counsel, FY2001-FY2015
Table 8. Legislative Assistant, FY2010-FY2014
Table 9. Minority Chief Counsel, FY2010-FY2014
Table 10. Minority Staff Director, FY2005-FY2014
Table 11. Press Secretary, FY2009-FY2014
Table 12. Professional Staff Member, FY2001-FY2015
Table 13. Senior Counsel, FY2005-FY2015
Table 14. Staff Assistant, FY2001-2015
Table 15. Staff Director, FY2001-FY2015
Table 16. Systems Administrator, FY2001-FY2015

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 13 staff position titles used in Senate committees. The positions include the following: Chief Clerk, Chief Counsel, Communications Director, Counsel, Legislative Assistant, Minority Chief Counsel, Minority Staff Director, Press Secretary, Professional Staff Member, Senior Counsel, Staff Assistant, Staff Director, and Systems Administrator.

Tables provide tabular pay data for each Senate 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 15-year intervals from FY2015, depending on data availability, of the cumulative percentage change of pay for that position, to the change in pay of Members of Congress and federal civilian workers paid under the General Schedule in Washington, DC, and surrounding areas; and
distributions of FY2015 pay, when available, in $10,000 increments.

In the past five years (FY2011 and FY2015), the change in median pay, in constant 2016 dollars, ranged from a 16.93% increase for professional staff members to a -16.48% decrease for staff assistants. Of the seven staff positions for which data were available in FY2011 and FY2015, two saw pay increases while five saw declines (data are not available in FY2011 or FY2015 for chief counsels, communications directors, legislative assistants, minority chief counsels, minority staff directors, and press secretaries). This may be compared to changes to the pay of Members of Congress, -5.10%, and General Schedule, DC, -3.19%, over approximately the same period (calendar years 2011-2015).

Pay data for staff working in House committee offices are available in CRS Report R44322, Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in House Committees, 2001-2014. 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 Levels for Selected Positions in Senate Committees, FY2001-FY2015

Introduction

The level of pay for congressional staff is a source of recurring questions among Members of Congress, congressional staff, and the public. In Senate committees, the chair and ranking Member set the terms and conditions of employment for majority and minority staff, respectively. This includes job titles and descriptions; rates of pay, subject to minimum and maximum levels;¹ and resources available to staff 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. Data in this report are based on official Senate reports, which afford the opportunity to use consistently collected data. Pay³ information in this report is based on the Senate's Report of the Secretary of the Senate, published semiannually, in periods from April 1 to September 30, and October 1 to March 31,⁴ as collected and organized by LegiStorm, a private entity that provides some congressional data by subscription.⁵ Additionally, this report provides annual data by fiscal year, which allows for observations about the nature of Senate committee staff compensation over time.

This report provides pay data for 13 staff position titles that are used in Senate committees, and for which sufficient data could be identified. Position titles and the years for which data are available since FY2001 are provided in Table 1. Titles were identified through a two-step process. The first step identified 302 job titles used in Senate committees in FY2014. Of those titles, 277, or 91.7%, were filled by only one staff member and excluded. In the second step, the remaining 25 titles were assessed to determine how many of the 20 Senate committees for which data were available⁶ employed staff with each title. Twelve position titles that were used by six or fewer panels (five for minority positions) were excluded.

Pay data were then collected for the remaining 13 positions. In order to be included, annual pay data for each position needed to be available from at least five committees (four for minority positions). 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 Senate committee staff had to hold a position with the same job title in the same committee for the entire fiscal 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.

Table 1. Senate Committee Staff Positions and Availability of Pay Data Since FY2001

Position Title	Available data
Chief Clerk	FY2001-FY2015
Chief Counsel	FY2001-FY2010, FY2012-FY2015
Communications Director	FY2007-FY2013
Counsel	FY2001-FY2015
Legislative Assistant	FY2010, FY2012-FY2014
Minority Chief Counsel	FY2010-FY2012, FY2014
Minority Staff Director	FY2005-FY2014
Press Secretary	FY2009, FY2011-FY2014
Professional Staff Member	FY2001-FY2015
Senior Counsel	FY2005-FY2015
Staff Assistant	FY2001-FY2015
Staff Director	FY2001-FY2015
Systems Administrator	FY2001-FY2012, FY2014-FY2015

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.

Data 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 Senate employee, data provided here almost certainly do not represent all of the jobs carried out by Senate 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. ¹⁰ Since almost all available data were collected for those positions, pay information provided is likely to be highly representative of what Senate committees pay staff in those positions. The second category includes positions for which committees might hire two or more staff members,¹¹ 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 is a sample of staff in those positions rather than nearly complete data, which 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. Acknowledging the imprecision inherent in congressional job titles, an older edition of the Senate Handbook states, "Throughout the Senate, individuals with the same job title perform vastly different duties."¹²

Data Tables and Visualizations

Tables in this section provide background information on Senate pay practices, comparative data for each position, and detailed data and visualizations for each position. Table 2 provides the maximum payable rates for Senate committee staff since 2001 in both nominal (current) and constant 2016 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, 2016 dollars.¹³

Table 3 provides the available cumulative percentage changes in median pay for each of the 13 positions, Members of Congress, and salaries paid under the General Schedule in Washington, DC, and surrounding areas.¹⁴ Table 4 - Table 16 provide tabular pay data for each Senate 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 2016 dollars;
a comparison at 5-, 10-, and 15-year intervals from FY2015,¹⁵ depending on data availability, of the cumulative percentage change of that position to changes in pay, in constant 2016 dollars, of Members of Congress and federal civilian workers paid under the General Schedule in Washington, DC, and surrounding areas;¹⁶ and
distributions of FY2015 pay, when available, in 2016 dollars, in $10,000 increments.

Between FY2011 and FY2015, the change in median¹⁷ pay, in constant 2016 dollars, ranged from a 16.93% increase for professional staff members to a -16.48% decrease for staff assistants. Of the seven staff positions for which data were available in FY2011 and FY2015,¹⁸ two positions saw pay increases while seven saw declines. This may be compared to changes to the pay of Members of Congress, -5.10%, and General Schedule, DC, -3.19%, over approximately the same period (calendar years 2011-2015).

Between FY2006 and FY2015, the change in median pay, in constant 2016 dollars, ranged from a 22.01% increase for senior counsels to a -26.72% decrease for staff assistants. Of the eight staff positions for which data were available in FY2006 and FY2015,¹⁹ four positions saw pay increases and four saw declines. This may be compared to changes to the pay of Members of Congress, -10.41%, and General Schedule, DC, -0.13%, over approximately the same period (calendar years 2006-2015).

Between FY2001 and FY2015, the change in median pay, in constant 2016 dollars, ranged from a 30.88% increase for systems administrators to a -26.67% decrease for staff assistants. Of seven staff positions for which data were available in FY2001 and FY2015,²⁰ five positions saw pay increases while two saw declines. This may be compared to changes to the pay of Members of Congress, -10.40%, and General Schedule, DC, 7.36%, over approximately the same period (calendar years 2001-2015).

Table 2. Senate Committee Pay, Annual Maximums, 2001-2015

Year	Nominal $	Constant 2016 $
2001	$142,415	$192,017
2002	$147,315	$195,532
2003	$152,015	$197,274
2004	$155,415	$196,455
2005	$159,415	$194,907
2006	$162,515	$192,488
2007	$162,515	$187,158
2008	$166,615	$184,785
2009	$171,315	$190,675
2010	$171,315	$187,598
2011	$171,315	$181,858
2012	$171,315	$178,171
2013	$171,315	$175,599
2014	$171,315	$172,796
2015	$171,315	$172,591

Source: 2 U.S.C. 4571, 2 U.S.C. 4575, note, CRS calculations. Detailed information about data sources is available above in "Data Tables and Visualizations."

Table 3. Selected Senate Committee Staff Change in Pay, Selected Periods

	Change (Based on Constant, 2016 Dollars)
	5 Years FY11-15	10 Years FY06-15	15 Years FY01-15
Chief Clerk	-11.80%	4.77%	22.55%
Chief Counsel	—	-2.35%	20.05%
Communications Director	—	—	—
Counsel	0.87%	-4.59%	2.85%
Legislative Assistant	—	—	—
Minority Chief Counsel	—	—	—
Minority Staff Director	—	—	—
Press Secretary	—	—	—
Professional Staff Member	16.93%	5.03%	20.18%
Senior Counsel	-2.45%	22.01%	—
Staff Assistant	-16.48%	-26.72%	-26.67%
Staff Director	-5.01%	-8.63%	-3.52%
Systems Administrator	-7.82%	0.82%	30.88%
Members of Congress	-5.10%	-10.41%	-10.40%
General Schedule, DC	-3.19%	-0.13%	7.36%

Source: CRS calculations, based on data provided in Table 4-Table 16 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.

Notes: Insufficient data were available for communications directors for FY2014-FY2015. Between FY2007 and FY2013, change in pay for that position was 17.43%. Insufficient data were available for legislative assistants for FY2011 and FY2015. Between FY2010 and FY2014, change in pay for that position was -12.19%. Insufficient data were available for minority chief counsels for FY2015. Between FY2010 and FY2014, change in pay for that position was -2.84%. Insufficient data were available for minority staff directors for FY2015. Between FY2005 and FY2014, change in pay for that position was -8.52%. Insufficient data were available for press secretaries for FY2010 and FY2015. Between FY2009 and FY2014, change in pay for that position was 38.10%. Detailed information about data sources is available above in "Data Tables and Visualizations."

Table 4. Chief Clerk, FY2001-FY2015

			Nominal $					Constant $
Year	Committees	Observations	Minimum	Average		Median	Maximum	Minimum		Average	Median	Maximum
FY01	12	13	$61,583	$80,403		$76,604	$103,271	$83,032		$108,407	$103,285	$139,240
FY02	15	18	$66,562	$88,542		$86,431	$113,739	$88,349		$117,522	$114,720	$150,966
FY03	14	15	$70,431	$94,909		$89,524	$135,000	$91,400		$123,167	$116,178	$175,193
FY04	16	18	$34,704	$97,442		$95,339	$149,295	$43,868		$123,173	$120,515	$188,719
FY05	13	15	$40,558	$100,062		$104,792	$142,402	$49,588		$122,340	$128,123	$174,106
FY06	13	14	$41,878	$100,753		$101,996	$146,260	$49,601		$119,335	$120,808	$173,235
FY07	12	13	$69,966	$114,958		$108,688	$162,515	$80,576		$132,390	$125,169	$187,157
FY08	14	14	$76,761	$113,709		$113,782	$162,473	$85,131		$126,109	$126,190	$180,191
FY09	17	18	$81,166	$126,366		$128,157	$168,757	$90,338		$140,646	$142,640	$187,829
FY10	18	19	$83,962	$134,475		$130,663	$171,000	$91,942		$147,256	$143,083	$187,253
FY11	17	18	$87,078	$138,801		$135,185	$171,000	$92,437		$147,343	$143,505	$181,524
FY12	17	18	$48,227	$132,908		$135,083	$171,000	$50,157		$138,226	$140,489	$177,843
FY13	12	12	$117,090	$139,721		$133,680	$171,000	$120,018		$143,215	$137,022	$175,276
FY14	13	14	$75,540	$126,002		$130,396	$171,000	$76,193		$127,091	$131,523	$172,478
FY15	13	13	$88,270	$127,237		$125,640	$171,000	$88,928		$128,185	$126,576	$172,273
								Change		5 Years, FY11-FY15		-11.80%
										10 Years, FY06-FY15		4.77%
										15 Years, FY01-FY15:		22.55%
Median Pay					Change in Pay				FY15 Distribution of Pay
Dollars in figures are in thousands.

Source: Report of the Secretary of the Senate, as collated by LegiStorm, various years, and CRS calculations. Tabular change is based on change in median pay expressed in constant dollars for the periods noted. In the visualizations, position pay information based on constant 2016 dollars in thousands of dollars, or change in those levels, is presented in blue. Change in Pay visualizations for General Schedule, Washington, DC, and Members of Congress are based on calendar year change calculated in constant, 2016 dollars; staff position is based on change by fiscal year. Detailed information about data sources is available above in "Data Tables and Visualizations."

Table 5. Chief Counsel, FY2001-FY2015

			Nominal $					Constant $
Year	Committees	Observations	Minimum	Average		Median	Maximum	Minimum		Average	Median	Maximum
FY01	6	7	$84,486	$107,951		$101,201	$136,993	$113,912		$145,550	$136,448	$184,706
FY02	7	8	$61,650	$113,507		$122,944	$146,090	$81,828		$150,659	$163,185	$193,906
FY03	5	6	$90,508	$123,015		$123,692	$150,840	$117,455		$159,640	$160,519	$195,749
FY04	6	7	$120,165	$144,151		$152,992	$154,382	$151,896		$182,217	$193,392	$195,148
FY05	5	6	$91,457	$136,380		$145,667	$158,032	$111,820		$166,744	$178,099	$193,216
FY06	9	11	$79,000	$132,776		$141,617	$161,740	$93,570		$157,265	$167,736	$191,570
FY07	6	6	$88,208	$135,139		$139,245	$161,776	$101,583		$155,630	$160,359	$186,306
FY08	5	6	$102,844	$140,442		$146,107	$163,542	$114,059		$155,757	$162,040	$181,376
FY09	5	6	$115,811	$147,836		$151,134	$168,091	$128,899		$164,543	$168,214	$187,088
FY10	5	6	$104,500	$141,385		$141,350	$171,315	$114,433		$154,823	$154,786	$187,598
FY11	—	—	—	—		—	—	—		—	—	—
FY12	5	7	$82,588	$144,430		$156,360	$171,315	$85,893		$150,209	$162,617	$178,171
FY13	6	8	$117,667	$151,158		$157,650	$171,315	$120,609		$154,938	$161,592	$175,599
FY14	6	8	$56,250	$144,077		$157,255	$171,315	$56,736		$145,323	$158,615	$172,795
FY15	8	9	$103,000	$154,973		$162,590	$171,315	$103,767		$156,127	$163,800	$172,591
								Change		6 Years, FY10-FY15		5.82%
										10 Years, FY06-FY15		-2.35%
										15 Years, FY01-FY15:		20.05%
Median Pay					Change in Pay				FY15 Distribution of Pay
Dollars in figures are in thousands.

Source Report of the Secretary of the Senate, as collated by LegiStorm, various years, and CRS calculations. "—" indicates insufficient data were available. Tabular change is based on change in median pay expressed in constant dollars for the periods noted. In the visualizations, position pay information based on constant 2016 dollars in thousands of dollars, or change in those levels, is presented in blue. Change in Pay visualizations for General Schedule, Washington, DC, and Members of Congress are based on calendar year change calculated in constant, 2016 dollars; staff position is based on change by fiscal year. Detailed information about data sources is available above in "Data Tables and Visualizations."

Table 6. Communications Director, FY2007-F20Y13

			Nominal $				Constant $
Year	Committees	Observations	Minimum	Average	Median	Maximum	Minimum	Average	Median	Maximum
FY07	9	10	$73,556	$107,862	$109,160	$134,132	$84,709	$124,218	$125,712	$154,471
FY08	9	12	$85,026	$119,613	$122,042	$145,043	$94,298	$132,657	$135,351	$160,860
FY09	7	7	$96,248	$131,961	$135,050	$158,855	$107,125	$146,874	$150,312	$176,807
FY10	7	9	$100,995	$139,589	$142,102	$163,230	$110,595	$152,857	$155,609	$178,745
FY11	5	5	$116,096	$128,866	$125,214	$153,024	$123,241	$136,796	$132,920	$162,441
FY12	7	8	$45,555	$122,498	$134,026	$171,000	$47,379	$127,400	$139,390	$177,843
FY13	5	5	$85,000	$139,038	$144,026	$171,000	$87,125	$142,515	$147,628	$175,276
FY14	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
FY15	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
							Change	7 Years, FY07-FY13		17.43%
Median Pay
Dollars in figures are in thousands.

Table 7. Counsel, FY2001-FY2015

			Nominal $					Constant $
Year	Committees	Observations	Minimum	Average		Median	Maximum	Minimum		Average	Median	Maximum
FY01	11	15	$45,667	$82,655		$84,134	$113,854	$61,572		$111,443	$113,437	$153,508
FY02	15	23	$64,750	$88,242		$86,862	$133,302	$85,943		$117,124	$115,292	$176,933
FY03	12	18	$46,625	$94,565		$92,492	$144,254	$60,506		$122,719	$120,029	$187,202
FY04	14	22	$52,750	$96,079		$94,462	$149,251	$66,679		$121,450	$119,406	$188,663
FY05	11	17	$58,926	$100,903		$99,076	$158,248	$72,046		$123,369	$121,135	$193,481
FY06	11	17	$57,500	$107,137		$103,245	$161,611	$68,105		$126,897	$122,287	$191,417
FY07	10	17	$51,083	$108,590		$104,969	$151,620	$58,829		$125,056	$120,886	$174,611
FY08	11	19	$82,694	$120,259		$122,423	$155,544	$91,712		$133,373	$135,773	$172,506
FY09	13	19	$68,347	$118,728		$118,751	$168,189	$76,071		$132,146	$132,171	$187,196
FY10	14	24	$53,125	$115,834		$124,146	$161,504	$58,174		$126,843	$135,946	$176,855
FY11	12	21	$65,587	$115,139		$108,961	$171,147	$69,623		$122,225	$115,666	$181,679
FY12	14	23	$62,167	$112,031		$107,330	$157,000	$64,654		$116,514	$111,625	$163,283
FY13	11	17	$53,000	$113,373		$105,000	$160,300	$54,325		$116,208	$107,625	$164,308
FY14	14	22	$53,000	$103,676		$101,875	$148,087	$53,458		$104,572	$102,755	$149,367
FY15	10	15	$63,425	$110,316		$115,812	$161,667	$63,897		$111,138	$116,675	$162,871
								Change		5 Years, FY11-FY15		0.87%
										10 Years, FY06-FY15		-4.59%
										15 Years, FY01-FY15:		2.85%
Median Pay					Change in Pay				FY15 Distribution of Pay
Dollars in figures are in thousands.

Table 8. Legislative Assistant, FY2010-FY2014

			Nominal $				Constant $
Year	Committees	Observations	Minimum	Average	Median	Maximum	Minimum	Average	Median	Maximum
FY10	5	9	$44,000	$54,821	$52,795	$75,698	$48,182	$60,032	$57,813	$82,892
FY11	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
FY12	6	10	$44,167	$51,990	$49,285	$69,091	$45,934	$54,071	$51,258	$71,856
FY13	6	8	$34,500	$45,915	$46,186	$60,623	$35,363	$47,063	$47,341	$62,139
FY14	5	7	$38,262	$51,101	$50,333	$75,250	$38,593	$51,543	$50,768	$75,900
FY15	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
							Change	5 Years, FY10-FY14		-12.19%
Median Pay
Dollars in figures are in thousands.

Source: Report of the Secretary of the Senate, as collated by LegiStorm, various years, and CRS calculations. "—" indicates insufficient data were available. Tabular change is based on change in median pay expressed in constant dollars for the periods noted. In the visualizations, position pay information based on constant 2016 dollars in thousands of dollars, or change in those levels, is presented in blue. Change in Pay visualizations for General Schedule, Washington, DC, and Members of Congress are based on calendar year change calculated in constant, 2016 dollars; staff position is based on change by fiscal year. Detailed information about data sources is available above in "Data Tables and Visualizations."

Table 9. Minority Chief Counsel, FY2010-FY2014

			Nominal $				Constant $
Year	Committees	Observations	Minimum	Average	Median	Maximum	Minimum	Average	Median	Maximum
FY10	4	4	$155,750	$160,401	$158,359	$169,136	$170,554	$175,647	$173,411	$185,213
FY11	5	5	$145,083	$161,337	$160,054	$171,187	$154,012	$171,266	$169,904	$181,722
FY12	4	4	$159,030	$164,649	$164,125	$171,315	$165,394	$171,238	$170,693	$178,171
FY13	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
FY14	5	6	$50,000	$142,659	$167,041	$171,315	$50,432	$143,892	$168,485	$172,795
FY15	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
							Change	5 Years, FY10-FY14		-2.84%
Median Pay
Dollars in figures are in thousands.

Table 10. Minority Staff Director, FY2005-FY2014

			Nominal $				Constant $
Year	Committees	Observations	Minimum	Average	Median	Maximum	Minimum	Average	Median	Maximum
FY05	4	4	$153,248	$156,659	$157,487	$158,415	$187,368	$191,538	$192,550	$193,685
FY06	6	6	$142,577	$156,150	$158,976	$161,740	$168,874	$184,949	$188,297	$191,570
FY07	4	4	$146,354	$158,185	$161,936	$162,515	$168,546	$182,171	$186,491	$187,157
FY08	9	9	$86,829	$155,917	$165,419	$165,590	$96,298	$172,920	$183,458	$183,648
FY09	8	8	$164,496	$167,310	$167,489	$169,161	$183,086	$186,218	$186,417	$188,278
FY10	10	10	$98,583	$162,978	$170,947	$171,315	$107,953	$178,469	$187,195	$187,598
FY11	10	11	$103,750	$160,060	$170,900	$171,315	$110,135	$169,910	$181,417	$181,858
FY12	13	14	$125,000	$164,312	$171,315	$171,315	$130,002	$170,887	$178,171	$178,171
FY13	5	5	$143,497	$164,241	$168,276	$171,315	$147,085	$168,347	$172,484	$175,599
FY14	9	10	$90,500	$160,094	$169,785	$171,315	$91,282	$161,477	$171,252	$172,795
FY15	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
							Change	5 Years, FY10-FY14		-8.52%
								10 Years, FY05-FY14		-11.06%
Median Pay
Dollars in figures are in thousands.

Table 11. Press Secretary, FY2009-FY2014

			Nominal $				Constant $
Year	Committees	Observations	Minimum	Average	Median	Maximum	Minimum	Average	Median	Maximum
FY09	6	7	$45,070	$69,463	$63,500	$108,072	$50,163	$77,313	$70,676	$120,285
FY10	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
FY11	5	5	$55,263	$82,915	$86,500	$101,146	$58,664	$88,018	$91,823	$107,370
FY12	8	8	$61,333	$89,138	$86,275	$140,225	$63,788	$92,705	$89,728	$145,836
FY13	5	6	$48,833	$86,476	$87,000	$141,520	$50,054	$88,638	$89,175	$145,059
FY14	6	8	$51,049	$96,271	$96,768	$144,277	$51,490	$97,103	$97,605	$145,524
FY15	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
							Change	6 Years, FY09-FY14		38.10%
Median Pay
Dollars in figures are in thousands.

Source: Report of the Secretary of the Senate, as collated by LegiStorm, various years, and CRS calculations. "—" indicates insufficient data were available. In the visualizations, position pay information based on constant 2016 dollars in thousands of dollars, or change in those levels, is presented in blue. Detailed information about data sources is available above in "Data Tables and Visualizations."

Table 12. Professional Staff Member, FY2001-FY2015

			Nominal $					Constant $
Year	Committees	Observations	Minimum	Average		Median	Maximum	Minimum		Average	Median	Maximum
FY01	12	20	$39,833	$77,309		$72,950	$132,792	$53,707		$104,234	$98,358	$179,041
FY02	17	29	$45,310	$77,372		$67,750	$142,500	$60,140		$102,696	$89,925	$189,141
FY03	16	27	$52,241	$84,021		$75,431	$130,622	$67,795		$109,037	$97,889	$169,512
FY04	18	32	$34,065	$85,743		$85,378	$134,736	$43,061		$108,385	$107,923	$170,315
FY05	16	29	$43,750	$90,783		$92,670	$146,717	$53,490		$110,995	$113,302	$179,382
FY06	17	31	$46,383	$90,325		$95,025	$132,982	$54,938		$106,984	$112,551	$157,508
FY07	18	34	$50,011	$88,776		$80,515	$154,750	$57,595		$102,238	$92,724	$178,215
FY08	19	35	$50,667	$93,804		$88,375	$160,473	$56,192		$104,034	$98,012	$177,973
FY09	17	29	$18,224	$101,308		$96,104	$169,161	$20,284		$112,756	$106,965	$188,278
FY10	18	34	$18,952	$94,800		$92,474	$169,839	$20,754		$103,811	$101,264	$185,982
FY11	17	31	$20,065	$97,814		$95,228	$171,184	$21,300		$103,834	$101,088	$181,719
FY12	19	33	$40,250	$97,808		$94,597	$168,500	$41,861		$101,722	$98,382	$175,243
FY13	14	25	$46,089	$102,714		$82,000	$170,837	$47,241		$105,282	$84,050	$175,109
FY14	15	26	$19,208	$96,447		$97,792	$165,659	$19,374		$97,281	$98,637	$167,090
FY15	13	23	$50,000	$103,805		$117,333	$141,513	$50,372		$104,578	$118,207	$142,567
								Change		5 Years, FY11-FY15		16.93%
										10 Years, FY06-FY15		5.03%
										15 Years, FY01-FY15:		20.18%
Median Pay					Change in Pay				FY15 Distribution of Pay
Dollars in figures are in thousands.

Table 13. Senior Counsel, FY2005-FY2015

			Nominal $					Constant $
Year	Committees	Observations	Minimum	Average		Median	Maximum	Minimum		Average	Median	Maximum
FY05	5	6	$76,979	$112,844		$110,836	$139,937	$94,118		$137,968	$135,513	$171,093
FY06	5	8	$87,268	$104,884		$99,871	$143,270	$103,364		$124,229	$118,291	$169,694
FY07	6	7	$97,000	$125,969		$125,221	$162,515	$111,708		$145,070	$144,208	$187,157
FY08	6	8	$113,665	$131,615		$130,872	$151,715	$126,061		$145,968	$145,144	$168,260
FY09	8	13	$97,585	$131,288		$134,472	$158,651	$108,613		$146,125	$149,669	$176,581
FY10	5	9	$111,026	$139,345		$138,367	$165,567	$121,579		$152,589	$151,518	$181,304
FY11	6	10	$79,792	$131,807		$139,372	$171,315	$84,702		$139,919	$147,949	$181,858
FY12	7	12	$95,917	$130,086		$130,992	$165,070	$99,755		$135,292	$136,234	$171,676
FY13	7	11	$92,417	$130,145		$134,000	$167,320	$94,727		$133,399	$137,351	$171,504
FY14	8	12	$86,690	$133,079		$132,443	$170,650	$87,439		$134,229	$133,587	$172,125
FY15	8	12	$112,179	$136,273		$143,259	$159,458	$113,014		$137,288	$144,326	$160,646
								Change		5 Years, FY11-FY15		-2.45%
										10 Years, FY06-FY15		22.01%
Median Pay					Change in Pay				FY15 Distribution of Pay
Dollars in figures are in thousands.

Table 14. Staff Assistant, FY2001-2015

			Nominal $					Constant $
Year	Committees	Observations	Minimum	Average		Median	Maximum	Minimum		Average	Median	Maximum
FY01	12	19	$25,750	$40,255		$37,480	$62,500	$34,718		$54,275	$50,533	$84,268
FY02	16	28	$15,017	$38,281		$34,275	$67,500	$19,931		$50,811	$45,493	$89,593
FY03	11	22	$15,875	$35,769		$33,648	$59,252	$20,601		$46,418	$43,666	$76,893
FY04	16	25	$24,374	$40,718		$36,510	$74,208	$30,811		$51,470	$46,151	$93,803
FY05	14	24	$27,031	$44,228		$38,210	$74,760	$33,049		$54,075	$46,717	$91,404
FY06	9	15	$20,379	$49,025		$42,693	$82,667	$24,138		$58,067	$50,567	$97,913
FY07	9	15	$20,379	$49,025		$42,693	$82,667	$23,469		$56,459	$49,167	$95,202
FY08	16	26	$18,057	$41,565		$36,767	$82,055	$20,026		$46,098	$40,777	$91,003
FY09	18	30	$29,405	$45,395		$39,156	$85,670	$32,728		$50,525	$43,582	$95,351
FY10	14	27	$30,250	$46,016		$41,237	$90,145	$33,125		$50,390	$45,156	$98,713
FY11	14	24	$32,169	$43,959		$41,793	$87,002	$34,148		$46,665	$44,365	$92,356
FY12	14	23	$26,081	$41,748		$38,543	$85,000	$27,125		$43,419	$40,085	$88,401
FY13	12	16	$32,750	$45,196		$40,455	$99,000	$33,569		$46,327	$41,466	$101,475
FY14	10	16	$30,081	$48,008		$40,174	$99,667	$30,341		$48,423	$40,521	$100,528
FY15	7	10	$31,458	$39,836		$36,780	$55,000	$31,692		$40,133	$37,054	$55,409
								Change		5 Years, FY11-FY15		-16.48%
										10 Years, FY06-FY15		-26.72%
										15 Years, FY01-FY15:		-26.67%
Median Pay					Change in Pay				FY15 Distribution of Pay
Dollars in figures are in thousands.

Table 15. Staff Director, FY2001-FY2015

			Nominal $				Constant $
Year	Committees	Observations	Minimum	Average	Median	Maximum	Minimum	Average	Median	Maximum
FY01	7	7	$122,300	$132,763	$131,658	$141,465	$164,896	$179,003	$177,513	$190,735
FY02	12	15	$124,538	$141,015	$144,234	$146,090	$165,300	$187,169	$191,442	$193,906
FY03	8	10	$70,500	$135,431	$142,182	$150,840	$91,490	$175,753	$184,514	$195,749
FY04	10	13	$95,875	$145,224	$152,015	$154,565	$121,192	$183,573	$192,157	$195,380
FY05	7	10	$103,500	$148,838	$154,594	$158,415	$126,543	$181,976	$189,013	$193,685
FY06	11	16	$101,512	$146,915	$158,261	$161,740	$120,234	$174,011	$187,449	$191,570
FY07	13	15	$112,500	$151,560	$159,500	$162,515	$129,559	$174,542	$183,685	$187,157
FY08	12	14	$101,790	$148,983	$155,671	$165,590	$112,891	$165,230	$172,647	$183,648
FY09	6	6	$108,585	$154,373	$167,386	$169,161	$120,856	$171,819	$186,302	$188,278
FY10	11	12	$114,197	$163,801	$169,776	$171,315	$125,052	$179,370	$185,913	$187,598
FY11	11	12	$102,000	$160,654	$169,838	$171,315	$108,277	$170,541	$180,290	$181,858
FY12	14	15	$115,000	$163,053	$170,647	$171,315	$119,602	$169,578	$177,476	$178,171
FY13	7	8	$91,890	$159,899	$170,573	$171,315	$94,187	$163,897	$174,839	$175,599
FY14	12	14	$96,250	$153,548	$169,729	$171,315	$97,082	$154,875	$171,196	$172,795
FY15	8	11	$101,875	$154,371	$169,999	$171,315	$102,634	$155,520	$171,265	$172,591
							Change	5 Years, FY11-FY15		-5.01%
								10 Years, FY06-FY15		-8.63%
								15 Years, FY01-FY15:		-3.52%
Median Pay				Change in Pay			FY15 Distribution of Pay
Dollars in figures are in thousands.

Table 16. Systems Administrator, FY2001-FY2015

			Nominal $					Constant $
Year	Committees	Observations	Minimum	Average		Median	Maximum	Minimum		Average	Median	Maximum
FY01	7	7	$37,766	$55,418		$53,000	$79,902	$50,920		$74,720	$71,459	$107,731
FY02	6	6	$41,866	$53,576		$55,982	$65,386	$55,569		$71,112	$74,306	$86,787
FY03	8	8	$46,175	$60,691		$59,910	$72,926	$59,922		$78,761	$77,747	$94,638
FY04	8	8	$57,215	$65,508		$64,965	$75,258	$72,323		$82,807	$82,120	$95,131
FY05	6	6	$66,000	$75,151		$74,667	$84,447	$80,694		$91,882	$91,291	$103,248
FY06	9	9	$61,917	$79,205		$78,318	$104,374	$73,336		$93,814	$92,762	$123,624
FY07	8	8	$70,677	$86,261		$85,579	$104,631	$81,394		$99,341	$98,556	$120,497
FY08	7	7	$66,755	$87,822		$86,062	$104,286	$74,035		$97,399	$95,447	$115,658
FY09	6	6	$70,344	$93,240		$94,181	$112,571	$78,294		$103,777	$104,825	$125,293
FY10	7	7	$75,788	$93,062		$92,375	$109,958	$82,992		$101,908	$101,155	$120,410
FY11	7	7	$79,802	$95,981		$95,578	$112,625	$84,713		$101,888	$101,460	$119,556
FY12	5	5	$75,802	$98,218		$97,083	$116,773	$78,835		$102,148	$100,968	$121,446
FY13	—	—	—	—		—	—	—		—	—	—
FY14	5	5	$77,563	$98,631		$103,212	$124,791	$78,233		$99,484	$104,104	$125,870
FY15	5	5	$79,635	$95,415		$92,833	$116,870	$80,228		$96,126	$93,525	$117,740
								Change		5 Years, FY11-FY15		-7.82%
										10 Years, FY06-FY15		0.82%
										15 Years, FY01-FY15:		30.88%
Median Pay					Change in Pay				FY15 Distribution of Pay
Dollars in figures are in thousands.

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

1.	Since 2014, the minimum level of gross pay has been $2,267 for Senate staff. The maximum annual pay for Senate committee staff has since 2009 been $171,315, 2 U.S.C. 4571, 2 U.S.C. 4575. Maximum payable rates for Senate committee staff since 2001 are available in Table 2.
2.	For discussion of resources available to committees, and their distribution, see CRS Report R43160, Senate 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 Senate to staff, and excludes other components of total compensation, which might include paid leave or employer contributions to various insurance and retirement benefits.
4.	The Report of the Secretary of the Senate since April, 2011, is available at https://www.senate.gov/legislative/common/generic/report_secsen.htm.
5.	http://www.legistorm.com/.
6.	The Reports of the Secretary provided data for the following panels in FY2015: Aging; Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; Appropriations; Armed Services; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Budget; Commerce, Science and Transportation; Energy and Natural Resources; Environment and Public Works; Ethics; Finance; Foreign Relations; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; Indian Affairs; Intelligence; Judiciary; Rules and Administration; Small Business and Entrepreneurship; and Veterans' Affairs.
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.
10.	Positions that typically employ one staff member per committee include staff director and systems administrator.
11.	Positions that typically employ two or more staff members per committee include counsel, staff assistant, and professional staff member.
12.	U.S. Senate, Committee on Rules and Administration, Senate Handbook (Washington: 1996), pp. I-13, available from the authors.
13.	U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index, at http://www.bls.gov/cpi/tables.htm.
14.	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.
15.	5 years, FY2011-FY2015; 10 years, FY2006-FY2015; and 15 years, FY2001-FY2015.
16.	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.
17.	The median is the midpoint at which half of the numbers in a list are higher and the other half lower.
18.	Sufficient data are not available in FY2011 and FY2015 for chief counsels, communications directors, legislative assistants, minority chief counsels, minority staff directors, and press secretaries.
19.	Sufficient data are not available in FY2006 and FY2015 for communications directors, legislative assistants, minority chief counsels, minority staff directors, and press secretaries.
20.	Sufficient data are not available in FY 2001 and FY 2015 for communications directors, legislative assistants, minority chief counsels, minority staff directors, senior counsels, and press secretaries.

Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in Senate Committees, FY2001-FY2015

Contents

Tables

Summary

Introduction

Data Concerns

Data Tables and Visualizations

Footnotes