Fair Pay - Why Congress Needs to Invest in Junior Staff

C.-based Staff Assistants Who Made Less Than a Living Wage in 2020 Source: Issue One analysis of LegiStorm data Just 34% of congressional staffers in the personal offices of members of Congress report being satisfied with their financial compensation, according to a recent survey released by the House 4 | Fair Pay: Why Congress Needs to Invest in Junior Staff Issue One . [...] That’s because the distribution of staff on Capitol Hill is bottom-weighted — 60% of staffers are under the age of 35 and 45% of staffers in 2020 made less than $60,000. [...] Most Staff Make Less Distribution of Congressional Staffers by Salary Range in 2020 Source: Issue One analysis of LegiStorm data While top-level staff are now looking at significant and well-earned pay increases, the average House staffer hasn’t received a raise in over 14 months, according to a recent survey by the House Office of Diversity and Inclusion. [...] Congress needs to invest in itself, including its staff, in order to ensure that legislative policy decisions are made on the merits of the arguments, not just the connections of clients pushing for specific outcomes. [...] Conclusion: It’s time to shift focus to junior staffers While raises for top staff represent a step forward, focus must be shifted to the lower-level staff who make up a far greater percentage of the overall workforce and are the pipeline of talent to upper positions.