For the first time in at least 20 years, JDs have broken past PhDs as the most-valued staffer degrees in both chambers.
For most of the last decade, doctorates reigned as the best-paying degree in Congress. But about a year ago, JDs slipped past PhDs as the highest paying - and their edge is only growing, according to LegiStorm data.
In 2020, an attorney could expect to make five percent more than a PhD holder in the House and the same as a PhD holder in the Senate. This year, that difference has grown to 15 percent more in the House ($85,700 vs. $74,100) and seven percent more in the Senate ($106,400 vs. $99,500).
Doctorates were once so valued in Congress that a decade ago, PhD holders made 23 percent more in the House and 14 percent more in the Senate.
Some of the trend toward paying lawyers more than doctors comes from a rapid pay increase for congressional attorneys. JDs have seen the largest rates of pay increase of any degree over the last decade.
But some of the difference is that pay for PhDs hasn't kept up. In the House, PhD holders' median salaries have shrunk for two consecutive years and now lag thousands of dollars behind their 2019 pay rates. In the Senate, where larger staffs and a bigger budget allow for more specialized areas of expertise among staff, PhDs have continued to see a pay increase at similar rates to associate's, bachelor's and master's degrees.
