Changes in Pay for Selected House Member Staff Positions, 2021-2022

Changes in Pay for Selected House Member Staff Positions, 2021-2022

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INSIGHTi

Changes in Pay for Selected House Member
Staff Positions, 2021-2022
September 18, 2023
The FY2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 117-103) provided $774.0 million, an increase of
21.0%, for the Member Representational Allowance (MRA), which funds expenditures for House
Member offices, including staff salaries. Questions have arisen regarding how the MRA increase, the
largest in more than a decade, might have affected staff pay between 2021 and 2022.
This Insight provides summary pay data for 14 staff position titles that are typically used in House
Members’ offices, and for which comparable data are available for 2021 and 2022. Data for each position,
identified in Table 1, were developed in the same manner described in CRS Report R44323, Staff Pay,
Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2001-2021. The table provides average annual pay levels for
entire years in nominal (actual) dollars and constant (inflation adjusted for August 2023) dollars for 2021
and 2022, and percentage changes based on nominal and constant 2023 dollars.
The Congressional Research Service provides a number of products on staffing issues. These can be
found in CRS Report R44688, Congressional Staff: CRS Products. Detailed information on allowances
for congressional offices is available in CRS Report RL30064, Congressional Salaries and Allowances:
In Brief. Discussion of FY2024 legislative branch appropriations, including proposed changes to MRA
funding, is available in CRS Report R47624, Legislative Branch: FY2024 Appropriations.

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Table 1. Average Pay and Percentage Change for Selected Staff Positions in House
Members’ Offices in Nominal and Inflation-Adjusted 2023 Dollars, 2021-2022
Nominal (Actual) $
Constant, 2023 $
Position
2021
2022
Change
2021
2022
Change
Caseworker
$55,682
$67,489
21.21%
$63,091
$70,727
12.10%
Chief of Staff
$164,212
$180,246
9.76%
$186,063
$188,894
1.52%
Communications Director
$87,658
$97,467
11.19%
$99,321
$102,144
2.84%
Constituent Services Rep.
$52,157
$61,220
17.38%
$59,097
$64,157
8.56%
Deputy Chief of Staff
$108,065
$133,752
23.77%
$122,444
$140,169
14.48%
District Deputy Director
$76,438
$94,046
23.04%
$86,609
$98,558
13.80%
District Director
$105,009
$126,800
20.75%
$118,982
$132,884
11.68%
Field Representative
$55,726
$67,174
20.54%
$63,141
$70,397
11.49%
Legislative Assistant
$61,575
$72,560
17.84%
$69,768
$76,041
8.99%
Legislative Correspondent
$52,023
$61,963
19.11%
$58,946
$64,935
10.16%
Legislative Director
$95,449
$110,099
15.35%
$108,150
$115,382
6.69%
Scheduler
$60,932
$74,378
22.07%
$69,040
$77,947
12.90%
Senior Legislative Assistant
$69,995
$72,548
3.65%
$79,309
$76,029
-4.14%
Staff Assistant
$44,646
$56,209
25.90%
$50,587
$58,906
16.45%
Source: Statement of Disbursements of the House, as col ated by LegiStorm, and CRS calculations. Percentage change in pay
is based on the change in annual average pay for the entire year for each position. Data for each position are based on a
random sampling of House offices and were developed in the same manner described in CRS Report R44323, Staff Pay,
Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2001-2021.

Author Information

R. Eric Petersen
Tyler L. Wolanin
Specialist in American National Government
Research Assistant

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