Congressional Staffing Insights

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Flat Budgets Don’t Mean Flat Staffing Levels

House staffing fell from February to March in every recent second session. But the 119th Congress is seeing one of the sharper declines as office budgets remain flat.

Flat Budgets in 2026 Are Hitting House Staffers Even Harder

House staff salaries started slipping in 2025. New 2026 Q1 data shows the pressure getting worse as flat budgets continue to squeeze pay and staffing capacity.

House Constituent Services Staff Are the Lowest-Paid Major Team

House constituent services staff averaged $70,466 in LY 2025 YTD, the lowest major non-leadership team average in the House staff salary comparison.

House Administrative Staff Salaries Sit Near the Bottom of the Team Pay Scale

House administrative staff averaged $70,991 in LY 2025 YTD, far below the permanent staff average and $11,337 below peer staff outside administration.

House Communications Staff Salaries Sit Above Their Peers as the Team Keeps Growing

House communications staff averaged $84,601 in LY 2025 YTD, $5,694 above peer staff outside communications, while the team has grown sharply since 2016.

The Average House Staff Salary Jumps Nearly $10,000 Without Interns

House staff average salary is $75,872 when interns are included and $85,847 when interns are excluded, a nearly $10,000 difference.

House Legislative Staff Salaries Look Average Until Compared With Their Peers

House legislative staff averaged $86,020 in LY 2025 YTD, nearly equal to the permanent staff average but $7,457 above peer staff outside the legislative team.

Paid Congressional Intern Staffing Is Rising While Average Stipends Are Falling

Paid intern staffing in House offices has grown since 2023, but average recorded stipends have moved in the opposite direction. The shift raises new questions about congressional internship funding.

When to Apply for Congressional Internships

Congressional internships are increasingly becoming year-round opportunities. HillClimbers data suggests intern representation in congressional offices has doubled since 2019, while fall and spring internships now rival

Why Freshman Congressional Offices May Offer the Best Entry Point Into Capitol Hill Careers

HillClimbers turnover data suggests congressional offices experience their highest staffing churn after a Member’s first term, potentially creating hiring opportunities for interns and early-career staffers.

Congressional Office Turnover Appears to Follow a Predictable Lifecycle

Congressional office turnover rises sharply after a Member’s first term, then gradually stabilizes over time. HillClimbers analysis suggests congressional workforce churn follows a recognizable organizational lifecycle.

Do More Experienced Members Run Higher-Performing Congressional Offices?

Top House offices are led by Members with more than twice the experience of lower-ranked offices. The relationship is not linear, but the clustering is clear.

How Big Is a Congressional Office Team and Why It’s Shrinking Again

Most House offices once clustered around 16–17 staff. That changed after 2019. New data shows how budgets reshaped office team size and why growth may stall again.

Low-Paying Congressional Offices Experience the Highest Staff Turnover

Congressional offices with the lowest average staff pay experience the highest turnover rates, according to HillClimbers workforce analysis of House offices.

Institutional Knowledge in Congress Is Increasingly Held by Staff

House member tenure has declined while staff experience continues rising, suggesting institutional continuity in Congress is increasingly carried by staff rather than elected officials.

Administrative Staff Saw the Sharpest Pay Decline in House Offices During 2025

Administrative staff experienced the largest salary decline in House offices during 2025, highlighting growing compensation pressure across congressional support roles.

Why New House Members Still Start With Smaller Teams

Freshman House offices continue to employ fewer staff than established offices, extending a staffing pattern that has persisted across multiple Congresses and operational environments.

Congress May Be Trading Institutional Memory For Workforce Flexibility

As temporary staffing expands across Congress, long-term institutional expertise and workforce continuity may gradually weaken.

Congressional Staffing Levels Rise Or Fall Based On How Much Congress Invests In Itself

House staffing levels rose sharply after recent congressional funding increases before declining again under flat office budgets.

House Offices Now Employ Roughly One Intern For Every Five Staffers

Intern staffing inside House offices has rapidly expanded and now represents nearly one-fifth of congressional workforce capacity.

How Congress Quietly Replaced Part of Its Entry-Level Workforce

Traditional congressional entry-level staffing roles have steadily declined as internships increasingly support core office operations.

Congressional Intern Staffing No Longer Ends After Summer

Congressional internships are increasingly operating year-round as House offices maintain elevated staffing levels beyond traditional summer cycles.

When Interns Become Infrastructure

New HillClimbers analysis shows congressional interns becoming a major workforce group as permanent entry-level staffing declines across House offices.

Losing 50 Working Days In 50 Years

After removing brief procedural sessions, House floor-working days appear to have fallen sharply since the 1970s.

Congressional Insights

Featured Insights

Flat Budgets Don’t Mean Flat Staffing Levels

Flat Budgets in 2026 Are Hitting House Staffers Even Harder

Congressional Office Turnover Appears to Follow a Predictable Lifecycle

Latest Insights

Flat Budgets Don’t Mean Flat Staffing Levels

Flat Budgets in 2026 Are Hitting House Staffers Even Harder

House Constituent Services Staff Are the Lowest-Paid Major Team

House Administrative Staff Salaries Sit Near the Bottom of the Team Pay Scale

House Communications Staff Salaries Sit Above Their Peers as the Team Keeps Growing

The Average House Staff Salary Jumps Nearly $10,000 Without Interns

Browse All Insights

Flat Budgets Don’t Mean Flat Staffing Levels

Flat Budgets in 2026 Are Hitting House Staffers Even Harder

House Constituent Services Staff Are the Lowest-Paid Major Team

House Administrative Staff Salaries Sit Near the Bottom of the Team Pay Scale

House Communications Staff Salaries Sit Above Their Peers as the Team Keeps Growing

The Average House Staff Salary Jumps Nearly $10,000 Without Interns

House Legislative Staff Salaries Look Average Until Compared With Their Peers

Paid Congressional Intern Staffing Is Rising While Average Stipends Are Falling

When to Apply for Congressional Internships

Why Freshman Congressional Offices May Offer the Best Entry Point Into Capitol Hill Careers

Congressional Office Turnover Appears to Follow a Predictable Lifecycle

Do More Experienced Members Run Higher-Performing Congressional Offices?

How Big Is a Congressional Office Team and Why It’s Shrinking Again

Low-Paying Congressional Offices Experience the Highest Staff Turnover

Institutional Knowledge in Congress Is Increasingly Held by Staff

Administrative Staff Saw the Sharpest Pay Decline in House Offices During 2025

Why New House Members Still Start With Smaller Teams

Congress May Be Trading Institutional Memory For Workforce Flexibility

Congressional Staffing Levels Rise Or Fall Based On How Much Congress Invests In Itself

House Offices Now Employ Roughly One Intern For Every Five Staffers

How Congress Quietly Replaced Part of Its Entry-Level Workforce

Congressional Intern Staffing No Longer Ends After Summer

When Interns Become Infrastructure

Losing 50 Working Days In 50 Years

Turn Congressional Workforce Data Into Better Decisions