Congressional Aides

Congressional aides' salaries vary a great deal from office to office. Aides working in Senate positions generally have higher salaries than those working in House positions. Earnings also vary by position. A chief of staff has a much higher salary than a staff assistant working in the same office. Experience also plays a role in aides' earnings, with the highest salaries going to staffers with the most experience. Additionally, aides' earnings vary by the location of the office, that is, Washington, D.C., or the Congress person's home district, in which they work.

Congressional aides earned average annual salaries of $33,585 in 2024, according to Zip Recruiter, with a range of $20,000 to $46,500. According to Glassdoor, base pay for chief of staff positions ranged from $109,000 to $203,000 annually in June 2024. In April 2024, PayScale reported that legislative assistants earned median annual salaries that ranged from $34,000 to $63,000 or more, with a median of $44,651. All secretaries and administrative assistants, including those working for members of Congress, earned median annual salaries of $46,010 in May 2023, according to the Department of Labor. Annual salaries ranged between $31,580 and $74,160.