Being a congressional aide can be grueling, with long hours and possibly frequent travel required. And it doesn’t pay all that well.
Some are employed by the House or Senate, others by committees, and many by individual members. Duties vary by position, and range from managing a member’s office and staff, to answering phones and responding to constituent emails.
Other tasks include making arrangements, scheduling committee attendance and media appearances, media relations, policy research, etc. House and Senate staff includes economists, lawyers, computer experts, and other highly trained professionals.
Staffers working for individual senators and representatives are hired by them, and they determine salaries for their own staff, which are paid out of a staff and travel allowance that all members get. Keeping in mind that Washington D.C. is one of America’s most expensive cities to live in, as of 2018, median staff pay was only about $40,000 a year. In short, it’s not a lucrative gig for most congressional employees.
In 2018, House and Senate rules capped the maximum salary at about $168-169,000, slightly less than senators and representatives were paid (about $174,000). In 2021, the staffer salary cap was raised to $203,700, and for the first time a minimum salary was set, at $45,000. Next month the salary cap will go to $212,100, but only a select few will earn that much. (See story here.)
Member pay has been frozen for years, and some aides will be earning more than their bosses. But does it really matter? Most members of Congress are millionaires, because nobody else can afford to serve. In America, a political career is a hobby for rich people who don’t have to work for a living.