Administrative Staff Are Losing Ground While Leadership Pay Keeps Rising
The newest House salary data shows a widening divide inside congressional office pay.
Across all House staff groups, average pay fell from $76,869 in 2024 to $74,769 in 2026 Q1. That is a decline of $2,100.
But the decline was not evenly distributed.
Administrative staff lost the most ground again. Average administrative team pay fell from $74,621 in 2024 to $68,957 in 2026 Q1, a drop of $5,664.
Leadership moved in the opposite direction. Average leadership team pay rose from $165,724 in 2024 to $168,744 in 2026 Q1, an increase of $3,019.
That contrast is the story.
Administrative staff are not just falling behind. They are falling behind while leadership pay continues to rise.
Nearly every staff group except leadership started 2026 making less than it did in 2024. Communications was almost flat, down just $78. But constituent services, district, legislative, non-permanent, and administrative staff all fell below their 2024 levels.
The salary backslide is broad. Administrative staff are where it is most visible.
Administrative Staff Lost the Most Again
This Updates HillClimbers’ Earlier Administrative Staff Salary Analysis
This article updates HillClimbers’ earlier analysis, Administrative Staff Saw the Sharpest Pay Decline in House Offices During 2025.
That analysis found that administrative staff experienced the largest salary decline among major House office staff groupings during 2025. The updated 2026 Q1 data shows the same basic pattern continuing.
Administrative staff remain the clearest warning sign in the House salary backslide.
There is one important technical note.
Some House offices pay end-of-year bonuses on January 1 or January 2. Those payments do not appear until the next Q1 Statement of Disbursements data becomes available. As a result, final 2025 salary figures can shift slightly once Q1 2026 data is added.
That means readers should not overread small differences between the earlier 2025 article and the updated 2026 Q1 dataset.
The more important finding is the direction of the trend: administrative staff lost the most ground in the earlier analysis, and the updated data still shows administrative staff losing the most ground again.
The 2024 to 2026 Q1 Salary Change by Staff Group
The updated data shows how each major staff group changed from 2024 to 2026 Q1.
The pattern is clear.
Leadership is up. Everyone else is down or nearly flat.
Administrative staff saw the largest decline by far. Their average pay fell by $5,664, more than four times the decline for legislative staff and roughly five times the decline for constituent services or district staff.
That matters because administrative staff are not optional support.
They are part of the basic operating structure of a congressional office.
Administrative Staff Are the Office Operating System
Administrative staff are easy to overlook because they are not always the most public-facing staff group.
That is a mistake.
The Administrative Staff role helps keep a House office functioning. Administrative staff support scheduling, logistics, correspondence, front office operations, internal systems, records, supplies, technology coordination, and the daily mechanics that allow the rest of the office to work.
They connect directly to several other office functions, including the Director of Operations, Executive Assistant or Office Manager, Scheduler, and Staff Assistant.
When administrative pay falls, the effect can spread across the whole office.
Phones still have to be answered. Visitors still have to be managed. Schedules still have to be coordinated. Mail still has to move. Equipment still has to work. Staff still need support. Internal processes still have to function.
Administrative staff are not the background of a congressional office.
They are part of the operating system.
Administrative staff are not peripheral to congressional capacity. They are part of the infrastructure that lets everyone else do the work.
That is why a repeated pay decline in administrative roles should get attention.
Leadership Is Pulling Away From the Rest of the Office
Leadership pay is the major exception in the updated data.
Average leadership team pay rose from $165,724 in 2024 to $168,744 in 2026 Q1. That is an increase of $3,019.
That does not mean leadership pay is the problem. Offices need experienced senior staff. A strong Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff, or Legislative Director can make the entire office more effective.
But the gap matters.
If leadership pay keeps rising while administrative, constituent services, legislative, district, and non-permanent staff lose ground, offices risk becoming more top-heavy over time.
A House office cannot run on leadership alone.
It needs a full team.
The Member Office Roles page shows why. A functioning House office depends on many types of staff working together: legislative staff, communications staff, district staff, constituent-service staff, administrative staff, and senior leadership.
If compensation protection is concentrated at the top, the rest of the office structure can weaken underneath it.
2025 Looked Different Because Several Groups Still Rose From 2024
The 2025 picture was more mixed.
From 2024 to 2025, administrative staff had already fallen by $3,066, from $74,621 to $71,555. District staff were also down by $883, and non-permanent staff were down by $277.
But several groups still rose from 2024 to 2025:
That makes the 2026 Q1 update more concerning.
In 2025, the decline was concentrated. Administrative staff were the clearest loser, but some other staff groups still gained ground.
By 2026 Q1, the decline had broadened.
Legislative staff went from being up $2,322 in 2025 compared with 2024 to being down $1,356 in 2026 Q1 compared with 2024.
Constituent services went from being essentially flat, up $16, to being down $1,129.
Communications went from being up $538 to being slightly down, by $78.
The administrative decline did not reverse. It deepened.
That is the warning sign.
This Is a Salary Backslide, Not Just a Slowdown
The House made real compensation gains after 2021.
Those gains mattered. They helped offices raise pay, compete for talent, and reduce some of the extreme compensation pressure that had pushed staff out of congressional service.
But the 2026 Q1 data suggests the salary story has changed.
The issue is no longer just that salary growth has slowed. The issue is that most staff groups are now below their 2024 levels.
That is a different kind of warning sign.
A temporary slowdown can happen after a period of rapid growth. A broad decline suggests offices are being forced into harder budget choices.
HillClimbers recently showed that House staff salaries are falling again as budgets stay flat. The new team-level data adds another layer: the decline is not landing evenly.
Some groups appear better protected.
Others are absorbing more of the pressure.
Administrative staff are the clearest example.
The Decline Fits the Broader Budget Story
The salary decline is not happening in isolation.
HillClimbers has been tracking a broader pattern of budget pressure across House offices.
Earlier analysis showed that flat budgets do not mean flat staffing levels. House staffing excluding interns declined from the beginning of February to the end of March in the second session of the 119th Congress.
HillClimbers also found that House offices are running out of things to cut. In 2026 Q1, offices cut non-personnel spending sharply, but personnel spending still fell.
That is the key connection.
Offices appear to be cutting around payroll. They are reducing spending on non-personnel categories such as office expenses, travel, official mail, and other operating costs. But those cuts are no longer fully protecting staff compensation.
Now the salary data shows what that pressure looks like by staff group.
Administrative staff are losing the most ground again.
What This Means for Office Capacity
Salary declines do not just affect individual staffers. They affect office capacity.
A House office depends on people to do the work. That includes Legislative Assistants, Senior Legislative Assistants, Legislative Correspondents or Aides, Communications Directors or Press Secretaries, District Directors, Field Representatives, and Constituent Services Representatives or Caseworkers.
But those roles do not operate in a vacuum.
They rely on administrative systems, scheduling support, office logistics, staff coordination, constituent intake, technology, supplies, and daily operations.
When administrative staff pay falls behind, offices may face higher turnover, weaker continuity, and more strain on the staff who remain. Even if leadership roles remain stable, the office can still lose operating strength underneath them.
That is why the salary decline should not be read only as a compensation issue.
It is a capacity issue.
Q1 Data Should Be Read Carefully
The 2026 data is Q1 data.
That matters.
A first-quarter number is not the same as a full-year result. Hiring timing, payroll changes, staff departures, promotions, title changes, and office budget decisions can all shift throughout the year.
So this article should not be read as the final 2026 salary story.
It is the first checkpoint.
The right way to read this data is as an early signal that the salary backslide visible in 2025 may be continuing and broadening in 2026.
That signal is concerning because it appears broad.
Across all staff groups, average pay is down by about $2,100 compared with 2024. Nearly every group except leadership started the year below its 2024 level. Administrative staff are down by $5,664.
If later quarters reverse that pattern, that will matter. But if later quarters confirm it, 2026 may become the year the post-2021 House staff salary gains clearly began to erode.
Why This Matters for Job Seekers
For current staff and Hill job seekers, this data should shape how people evaluate offices.
A job title does not tell the whole story. Neither does a posted salary range.
Applicants should pay attention to whether an office appears to invest in staff across the full team, not only at the top. They should also look at stability, turnover, promotions, and office structure.
The HillClimbers Index helps job seekers evaluate offices across capacity, stability, and structure. The congressional jobs board helps applicants find current openings. The All House Staff - No Interns salary data provides a cleaner view of permanent staff compensation.
Together, those tools help answer a more important question than “Who is hiring?”
They help answer: What kind of office is hiring?
That distinction matters more when salaries are moving backward.
What This Means for Congress
Congress has made real progress on staff compensation over the past several years.
But progress can erode.
The 2026 Q1 data suggests that most staff groups are now earning less than they did in 2024. Administrative staff lost the most ground again. Leadership is the major exception.
That pattern should concern anyone who cares about congressional capacity.
A House office needs senior leadership, but it also needs the staff who keep the operation moving. It needs administrative support, scheduling, constituent-service intake, district coordination, communications support, and daily office management.
If those roles lose compensation ground first, the institution may preserve the top of the office chart while weakening the base.
That is not sustainable.
Congress cannot build a stronger workforce by protecting only the top of the office chart.
The salary story is becoming clearer. Flat budgets are not producing flat outcomes. They are forcing choices. And those choices appear to be landing hardest on the staff who keep offices running.
FAQ
Are House administrative staff salaries falling?
Yes. Average administrative team pay fell from $74,621 in 2024 to $68,957 in 2026 Q1, a decline of $5,664.
Which House staff group lost the most salary ground in 2026 Q1?
Administrative staff lost the most salary ground. Their average pay was $5,664 lower in 2026 Q1 than in 2024.
Are House staff salaries falling overall?
Yes. Across all staff groups, average pay fell from $76,869 in 2024 to $74,769 in 2026 Q1, a decline of $2,100.
Which staff group gained salary ground?
Leadership was the main exception. Average leadership team pay rose from $165,724 in 2024 to $168,744 in 2026 Q1, an increase of $3,019.
How did administrative staff pay change from 2024 to 2025?
Administrative team pay fell from $74,621 in 2024 to $71,555 in 2025, a decline of $3,066.
Why might final 2025 numbers differ from earlier salary articles?
Some House offices pay end-of-year bonuses on January 1 or January 2. Those payments do not appear until the next Q1 Statement of Disbursements data becomes available. As a result, final 2025 salary figures can shift slightly when Q1 2026 data is added.
Why does administrative staff pay matter?
Administrative staff help keep congressional offices operating. They support scheduling, front office operations, correspondence, logistics, internal systems, technology coordination, and daily office management. When administrative pay falls behind, office capacity can weaken even if senior leadership remains stable.
Is 2026 Q1 the final salary result for 2026?
No. Q1 is an early signal, not the final full-year result. Later quarters may change the picture. But the Q1 data suggests that the salary pressure visible in 2025 may be continuing and broadening into 2026.
How does this connect to flat budgets?
Flat budgets force offices to make tradeoffs. HillClimbers has already shown that offices are cutting non-personnel spending and still spending less on personnel. The salary data shows how that pressure is appearing across staff groups.
Where can I compare House staff salary data?
Readers can explore HillClimbers’ public All House Staff and All House Staff - No Interns salary data. Specific role pages, including Administrative Staff, provide additional role-level context.
Suggested Reading
- Administrative Staff Saw the Sharpest Pay Decline in House Offices During 2025
- House Administrative Staff Salaries Sit at the Center of the Pay Squeeze
- 2026 House Staff Salaries Fall Again as Budgets Stay Flat
- House Offices Are Running Out of Things to Cut
- Flat Budgets Don’t Mean Flat Staffing Levels
- The Average House Staff Salary Jumps Nearly $10,000 Without Interns