If you're a Republican Hill staffer looking for a bigger paycheck, it may be time to consider switching parties. Democrats make up 6 of the 10 highest-paying members and, on average, pay a median salary that's $652 higher than their GOP counterparts, according to a new LegiStorm analysis of congressional salaries.
Democrats pay an average salary of $52,142, while Republicans average $51,490. These numbers include bonuses, if any. Those differences could be accounted for at least in part by the fact that Democrats tend to represent more urban areas, which are more expensive. The pay figures include district staff, so districts with high costs of living will need to pay staff more.
Rep. Mike Capuano (D-Mass.) is, by absolute dollars, the most generous boss, paying his aides a median salary of $81,491 — a whopping $30,001 more than the $51,130 for congressional staffers of any party. However, his district, which snakes through Boston, is relatively expensive to live in compared to most others in the country.
Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas), Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass) and Rep. Lacy Clay (R-Mo.) make up the next-highest payers with median staff salaries ranging from $78,665 (Simpson) to $73,000 (Clay).
Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.) is the lowest-paying boss, with a median salary of only $35,925. Other members whose median staff pay falls under $40,000 are Reps. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss), Todd Rokita (R-Ind.), David Valadao (R-Calif.) and Trey Hollingsworth (R-Ind.).
In some offices, the high or low pay rates might reflect the composition of office staff rather than whether they pay generously or poorly. Some offices might hire fewer but more senior-level people who might be more effective, while others might stack their offices with junior staffers who don't require as much pay.
