poor pay for congressional staffers

dawp

Lifer
Jul 2, 2005
11,345
2,705
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Junior-level staffers can start out in the low $20,000s to $30,000s in a city where the average one-bedroom apartment costs more than $2,000 a month. Some have resorted to working second jobs.
they really need to up the pay when a senior staffer left the job because he got better pay in local government.
 

dawp

Lifer
Jul 2, 2005
11,345
2,705
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Madison Cawthorn's head of staff makes $127K

His previous job experience?

Running a firework stand in Texas.

congress critters are given a budget to work with and it's up to them to decide who gets paid what and AOC, according to the article, raised her lowest seniority staffer and lowered her highest seniority staffers to equal it out.
 

Wreckem

Diamond Member
Sep 23, 2006
9,458
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Staff Assistant starting pay has been stuck at about $30-35k for the better part of 20 years. LAs are slightly better at $45k but not really livable in DC.

Most staffers have to go through the entire ladder. You don’t start making DC livable wages until you are a press secretary or legislative director. That’s $75kish. Chiefs of Staff are typically the only ones that crack six figures.
 

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
45,893
32,686
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This is why there is a lot of turnover in those jobs, many people just can't afford to work them for long. The ones that can will usually come from well off families.