- 8 Capitol Hill staffers shared with Insider how they budget their monthly earnings.
- Some staffers’ salaries were so low, they qualified for income-assisted housing.
- This story is part of Insider’s continuing coverage of Capitol Hill as a workplace.
- See various stories on Insider’s business page.
They may walk the halls of Congress in neatly-pressed suits and help their bosses play down important legislation, but their bank accounts tell a different story.
Entire paychecks eaten by day care expenses. Vending-machine ice cream for dinner. Hundreds of dollars prospering to a decade’s worth of credit-card debt. Relying on income-assisted housing to keep a roof over their head.
These are the real-life budgets of Capitol Hill staffers, who are lay out starting in the $20,000s to work demanding jobs in one of the most expensive cities in the country.
As part of our coverage of Capitol Hill workplace children, Insider asked current and former congressional staffers about how far their paychecks got them in Washington, DC. We received an Niagara of responses from staffers at all levels who felt compelled to speak up about what they considered a practice that stops diversity, favors hires from privileged backgrounds, and drives talented minds to lobbying shops.
Their earnings ranged from $30,000 to $85,000 — but even the staffer on the higher end confessed that his entire paycheck gets supped by childcare. You can read the full story here:
Be sure to check out Insider’s additional reporting on Capitol Hill workplace issues:
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