STAFF NEWS: One-in-Eight Hill Staffers Living in D.C. Paid Less Than a Living Wage
Congressional aides in junior level staff positions and living in the District of Columbia are typically paid low salaries, but a new analysis of compensation and cost-of-living data shows one in eight of them receive less than a living wage.
“For many job-seekers who don’t have financial help from relatives or time for an additional job, entry-level jobs working for Congress in a city as expensive as Washington, D.C., are simply not an option,” according to the report published by Issue One.
Issue One is a non-profit advocacy group with roots in the long-running campaign on behalf of public financing of campaigns.
There are approximately 20,000 employees working for individual senators and representatives, congressional committees, congressional agencies like the Congressional Research Service (CRS) and Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Capitol administrative managers such as the Architect of the Capitol.
Based on its analysis of LegiStorm data, the Issue One study found “that 13 percent of D.C.-based congressional staff — or roughly 1 in 8 staffers — made less than a living wage in 2020, which the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) estimates is $42,610 for an adult with no children in Washington, D.C. That’s nearly 1,200 staffers, many of whom have taken on side gigs or relied on financial support from family members to pay their bills.”
Minimum Subsistence Wage:
A “living wage” is defined as “the amount needed to meet one’s basic needs, and it doesn’t allow for expenditures that many Americans consider normal parts of a good life, such as vacations, meals at restaurants, owning a car, or saving for retirement,” according to Issue One.
The authors of the analysis include Michael Beckel, a veteran journalist who is Issue One’s Research Director, Amisa Ratliff, the group’s Research Associate, and Jamie Neikrie, a Legislative Affairs Associate.
“Legislative staff are crucial to the daily operations of Congress, both on Capitol Hill and in district offices. Congressional staffers help craft policy, advance legislation, and handle inquiries from constituents and the press,” the analysis’ authors point out.
“But despite their responsibilities, staffers in lawmakers’ personal offices, congressional policy committees, and district offices are widely and consistently under-compensated for their work, especially in entry-level positions.”
Problem Not Just in D.C.:
Issue One concluded the problem of low wages for Hill staffers is not limited to those living and working in the nation’s capitol. Hundreds of Hill aides work for their bosses in offices located outside of D.C. “back home” in the district or state represented.
“About a third of congressional staffers work in district offices across the country. Despite operating as the primary contact for many constituents, district staff are often left out of the conversation about compensation and benefits,” the analysis reported.
“But in 2020, nearly 15 percent of district staffers made less than $40,000, according to Issue One’s analysis of LegiStorm data, compared to just 9 percent of D.C.-based staff. Staff assistants working in state and district offices earned a median income of just $38,400 in 2020.”
The Issue One analysis was first reported by legbranch.org, which “is home to the Legislative Branch Capacity Working Group (LBCWG), launched in Spring 2016 by Kevin Kosar at the R Street Institute and Lee Drutman at New America.”