Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
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Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House
Member Offices, 2006-2016
,name redacted,
Specialist in American National Government
,name redacted,
Analyst in American National Government
November 9, 2016
Congressional Research Service
7-....
www.crs.gov
R44682
Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Summary
The length of time a congressional staff member spends employed in a particular position in
Congress—or congressional staff tenure—is a source of recurring interest to Members, staff, and
the public. A congressional office, for example, may seek this information to assess its human
resources capabilities, or for guidance in how frequently staffing changes might be expected for
various positions. Congressional staff may seek this type of information to evaluate and approach
their own individual career trajectories. This report presents a number of statistical measures
regarding the length of time House office staff stay in particular job positions. It is designed to
facilitate the consideration of tenure from a number of perspectives.
This report provides tenure data for a selection of 16 staff position titles that are typically used in
House Member offices, and information on how to use those data for different purposes. The
positions include Administrative Director, Casework Supervisor, Caseworker, Chief of Staff,
Communications Director, Counsel, District Director, Executive Assistant, Field Representative,
Legislative Assistant, Legislative Correspondent, Legislative Director, Office Manager, Press
Secretary, Scheduler, and Staff Assistant. House Members’ staff tenure data were calculated as of
March 31, for each year between 2006 and 2016, for all staff in each position. An overview table
provides staff tenure for selected positions for 2016, including summary statistics and information
on whether the time staff stayed in a position increased, was unchanged, or decreased between
2006 and 2016. Other tables provide detailed tenure data and visualizations for each position title.
Between 2006 and 2016, staff tenure appears to have increased by six months or more for staff in
three position titles in House Member offices, based on the trend of the median number of years
in the position. For 13 positions, the median tenure was unchanged. These findings may be
consistent with overall workforce trends in the United States.
Pay may be one of many factors that affect an individual’s decision to remain in or leave a
particular job. House Member office staff holding positions that are generally lower-paid
typically remained in those roles for shorter periods of time than those in generally higher-paying
positions. Lower-paying positions may also be considered entry-level roles; if so, tenure for
House Member office employees in these roles appears to follow national trends for other entrylevel jobs, which individuals hold for a relatively short period of time. Those in more senior
positions, where a particular level of congressional or other professional experience is often
required, typically remained in those roles comparatively longer, similar to those in more senior
positions in the general workforce.
Generalizations about staff tenure are limited in some ways, because each House office serves as
its own hiring authority. Variations from office to office, which might include differences in job
duties, work schedules, office emphases, and other factors, may limit the extent to which data
provided here might match tenure in another office. Direct comparisons of congressional
employment to the general labor market may have similar limitations. An employing Member’s
retirement or electoral loss, for example, may cause staff tenure periods to end abruptly and
unexpectedly.
This report is one of a number of CRS products on congressional staff. Others include CRS
Report R43947, House of Representatives Staff Levels in Member, Committee, Leadership, and
Other Offices, 1977-2016 and CRS Report R44323, Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in
House Member Offices, 2001-2014.
Congressional Research Service
Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Data Source and Concerns............................................................................................................... 2
Presentation of Tenure Data ............................................................................................................ 4
Assessing Tenure Data..................................................................................................................... 6
Figures
Figure 1. Examples of Jobholder Tenure Periods ............................................................................ 3
Tables
Table 1. Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, and Distribution of Staff
by Tenure, 2006-2016................................................................................................................... 7
Table 2. Administrative Director ..................................................................................................... 9
Table 3. Casework Supervisor ....................................................................................................... 10
Table 4. Caseworker ....................................................................................................................... 11
Table 5. Chief of Staff ................................................................................................................... 12
Table 6. Communications Director ................................................................................................ 13
Table 7. Counsel ............................................................................................................................ 14
Table 8. District Director ............................................................................................................... 15
Table 9. Executive Assistant .......................................................................................................... 16
Table 10. Field Representative ...................................................................................................... 17
Table 11. Legislative Assistant ...................................................................................................... 18
Table 12. Legislative Correspondent ............................................................................................. 19
Table 13. Legislative Director ....................................................................................................... 20
Table 14. Office Manager .............................................................................................................. 21
Table 15. Press Secretary ............................................................................................................... 22
Table 16. Scheduler ....................................................................................................................... 23
Table 17. Staff Assistant ................................................................................................................ 24
Table A-1. Position Title Categories and Related Positions .......................................................... 25
Appendixes
Appendix. Job Title Categories ..................................................................................................... 25
Contacts
Author Contact Information .......................................................................................................... 26
Congressional Research Service
Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Introduction
The length of time a congressional staff member spends employed in Congress, or job tenure, is a
source of recurring interest among Members of Congress,1 congressional staff, those who study
staffing in the House and Senate,2 and the public. There may be interest in congressional tenure
information from multiple perspectives, including assessment of how a congressional office
might oversee human resources issues, how staff might approach a congressional career, and
guidance for how frequently staffing changes may occur in various positions. Others might be
interested in how staff are deployed, and could see staff tenure as an indication of the
effectiveness or well-being of Congress as an institution.3
This report provides tenure data for 16 staff position titles that are typically used in House
Member offices,4 and information for using those data for different purposes. The positions
include the following:
Administrative Director
Casework Supervisor
Caseworker
Chief of Staff
Communications Director
Counsel
District Director
Executive Assistant
Field Representative
Legislative Assistant
Legislative Correspondent
1
U.S. Congress, House Committee on House Administration, Committee Funding for the 114th Congress (Day1), 114th
Cong., 1st sess., February 4, 2015 (Washington: GPO, 2015), pp.19-20, 28-29, 38, 47, 70, 72, 80, 87, 103, and 110-112,
at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-114hhrg93363/pdf/CHRG-114hhrg93363.pdf; U.S. Congress, House
Committee on House Administration, Committee Funding for the 112th Congress (Day1), 112th Cong., 1st sess., March
2, 2011 (Washington: GPO, 2011), pp. 19-20, 32, 49, 57, 63, 95, and 108, at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG112hhrg66807/pdf/CHRG-112hhrg66807.pdf; Andrew Taylor, “Lawmakers Vote To Increase Budgets For House
Offices,” Associated Press Newswire, June 10, 2016; Luke Rosiak, “Freshmen Reformers Avoid Hill Experience In
Staffing; But Knowledge Shown To Help,” The Washington Times, February 15, 2013, p. A-1; and Julie R. Hirschfeld,
“Legislative Branch Cutbacks Add To House-Senate Salary Disparity,” Congressional Quarterly Daily Monitor, May
8, 2000.
2
Jennifer M. Jensen, “Explaining Congressional Staff Members’ Decisions to Leave the Hill,” Congress and the
Presidency, vol. 38, no. 1 (2011), pp. 39-59; and Barbara S. Romzek and Jennifer A. Utter, “Career Dynamics of
Congressional Legislative Staff: Preliminary Profile and Research Questions,” Journal of Public Administration
Research and Theory, vol. 6, no. 6 (1996), pp. 415-424.
3
Anthony J. Madonna and Ian Ostrander, “Getting the Congress You Pay For: Legislative Staffing and Organizational
Capacity,” Paper prepared for presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association,
Washington, DC, August 28-September 1, 2014; Robert C. Byrd, The Senate, 1789-1989: Addresses on the History of
the United States Senate, vol. I (Washington: GPO, 1988); Harrison W. Fox, Jr. and Susan Webb Hammond,
Congressional Staffs: the Invisible Force in American Lawmaking (New York: The Free Press, 1977); Kenneth
Kofmehl, Professional Staffs of Congress, 3rd ed. (West Lafayette, IN: Purdue University Press, 1977).
4
Additional information on the job titles used in this report is available in Appendix, below. For a discussion of staff
roles in Members’ offices, see CRS Report RL34545, Congressional Staff: Duties and Functions of Selected Positions,
by (name redacted).
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Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Legislative Director
Office Manager
Press Secretary
Scheduler
Staff Assistant
Data Source and Concerns
Publicly available information sources do not provide aggregated congressional staff tenure data
in a readily retrievable or analyzable form. The most recent publicly available House staff
compensation report, which provided some insight into the duration which congressional staff
worked in a number of positions, was issued in 20105 and relied on anonymous, self-reported
survey data. Data in this report are instead based on official House pay reports, from which tenure
information arguably may be most reliably derived, and which afford the opportunity to use
complete, consistently collected data. Tenure information provided in this report is based on the
House’s Statement of Disbursements (SOD),6 published quarterly by the House Chief
Administrative Officer, as collated by LegiStorm, a private entity that provides some
congressional data by subscription.7
House Member staff tenure data were calculated for each year between 2006 and 2016. Annual
data allow for observations about the nature of staff tenure in House Member offices over time.
For each year, all staff with at least one week’s service8 on March 31 were included. All
employment pay dates from October 2, 2000, to March 24 of each year are included in the data.
Utilizing official salary expenditure data from the House may provide more complete, robust
findings than other methods of determining staff tenure, such as surveys; the data presented here,
however, are subject to some challenges that could affect the interpretation of the information
presented. Tenure information provided in this report may understate the actual time staff spend
in particular positons, due in part to several features of the data.
Overall, the time frame studied may lead to some underrepresentation in tenure duration. Figure
1 provides potential examples of congressional staff, identified as Jobholders A-D, in a given
position.9 Since tenure data are not captured before October 2, 2000, some individuals,
5
ICF International, 2010 House Compensation Study: Guide for the 112 th Congress, prepared for the Chief
Administrative Officer, House of Representatives (Washington: 2010).
6
Volumes of the Statement of Disbursements since July 2009 are available at http://disbursements.house.gov/.
7
http://www.legistorm.com/. LegiStorm provides data from October 1, 2000, see “Congressional Salaries FAQ,”
https://www.legistorm.com/salaries/faq.html#How_far_back_does_your_salary_information_go_. Congressional staff
pay data are taken by LegiStorm from the semiannual Report of the Secretary of the Senate and the SOD. LegiStorm
provided staff and pay records to the Congressional Research Service covering the period October 1, 2000-March 31,
2016, for the Senate and House in a series of relational data files that combined information about staff from both
chambers. LegiStorm data contained information on 170,108 individuals, including current and former congressional
staff, Members of Congress, other government officials, and others; of those, 83,142 were employed by a Member of
the House between 2000 and 2016. The LegiStorm-aggregated House and Senate pay data contained more than 1.23
million records, including 619,567 records of staff working for Members of the House that were used to derive tenure
information provided in this report.
8
Staff were included if they were on payroll on March 31 of each year and had at least one week of service in the
position. Staff with six or fewer days (0.0167 years) of service in the position on March 31 of each year were excluded.
9
Figure 1 provides a simplified view of congressional staff tenure; other possibilities for jobholder tenure periods exist
but are not represented in this illustration. Some staff starting employment at the same time as Jobholder A, for
(continued...)
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Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
represented as Jobholder A, may have an unknown length of service prior to that date that is not
captured. This feature of the data only affects a small number of employees within this dataset,
since many tenure periods completely begin and end within the observed period of time, as
represented by Jobholders B and C. The data last capture those who were employed in House
Members’ personal offices as of March 31, 2016, represented as Jobholder D, and some of those
individuals likely continued to work in the same roles after that date.
Figure 1. Examples of Jobholder Tenure Periods
Source: CRS, adaptation of Figure 1 from June G. Morita, Thomas W. Lee, and Richard T. Mowday, “The
Regression-Analog to Survival Analysis: A Selected Application to Turnover Research,” Academy of Management
Journal, vol. 36, no. 6 (December 1993), pp. 1430-1464.
Data provided in this report represent an individual’s consecutive time spent working in a
particular position in the personal office of a House Member. They do not necessarily capture the
overall time worked in a House office or across a congressional career. If a person’s job title
changes, for example, from staff assistant to caseworker, the time that individual spent as a staff
assistant is recorded separately from the time that individual spent as a caseworker. If a person
stops working for the House for some time, that individual’s tenure in his or her preceding
position ends, although he or she may return to work in Congress at some point. No aggregate
measure of individual congressional career length is provided in this report.
Other data concerns arise from the variation across offices, lack of other demographic
information about staff, and lack of information about where congressional staff work.
Potential differences might exist in the job duties of positions with the same or similar title, and
there is wide variation among the job titles used for various positions in congressional offices.
The Appendix provides the number of related titles included for each job title for which tenure
data are provided. Aggregation of tenure by job title rests on the assumption that staff with the
same or similar title carry out the same or similar tasks. Given the wide discretion congressional
(...continued)
example, might have terminated their service prior to March 31, 2006, or might have continued in the position after
March 31, 2016. Similarly, some staff starting at the same time as Jobholder B might not have ended their service
before March 31, 2016, and might have continued in the position after that date.
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Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
employing authorities have in setting the terms and conditions of employment, there may be
differences in the duties of similarly titled staff that could have effects on the interpretation of
their time in a particular position.
As presented here, tenure data provide no insight into the education, age, work experience, pay,
full- or part-time status of staff, or other potential data that might inform explanations of why a
congressional staff member might stay in a particular position.
Staff could be based in Washington, DC, district offices, or both. It is unknown whether or to
what extent the location of congressional employment might affect the duration of that
employment.
Presentation of Tenure Data
Tables in this section provide tenure data for selected positions in the personal offices of House
Members and detailed data and visualizations for each position. Table 1 provides a summary of
staff tenure for selected positions since 2006. The data include job titles, average and median
years of service, and grouped years of service for each positon. The “Trend” column provides
information on whether the time staff stayed in a position increased, was unchanged, or decreased
between 2006 and 2016.10 Table 2-Table 17 provide information on individual job titles over the
same period.
In all of the data tables, the average and the median length of tenure columns provide two
different measures of central tendency,11 and each may be useful for some purposes and less
suitable for others. The average represents the sum of the observed years of tenure, divided by the
number of staff in that position. It is a common measure that can be understood as a
representation of how long an individual remains, on average, in a job position. The average can
be affected disproportionately by unusually low or high observations. A few individuals who
remain for many years in a position, for example, may draw the average tenure length up for that
position. A number of staff who stay in a position for only a brief period may depress the average
length of tenure. The median represents the middle value when all the observations are arranged
by order of magnitude. Another common measure of central tendency, the median can be
understood as a representation of a center point at which half of the observations fall below, and
half above. Extremely high or low observations may have less of an impact on the median.
10
As used in this report, “trend” is an indication of the general course of median staff tenure in each position over time,
based on a linear regression model. The resulting trend line (which is available to congressional staff upon request),
could increase, decrease, or remain unchanged. Each position’s trend line varies between 2006 and 2016, but the
variability demonstrates negligible change for most positions. To distinguish positions with readily measurable changes
in their tenure, a benchmark of change in trend is set to an increase or decrease of six months’ tenure over the 11 years
observed. “Unchanged” in this context is defined as an increase or decrease in the median trend of tenure of fewer than
six months between 2006 and 2016.
11
A measure of central tendency is a single value that represents the middle of a data distribution, or list of numbers. It
is often used to summarize that set of data. There are a variety of ways to measure central tendency, including, but not
limited to, the average and median.
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Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Using Position Data Tables
Position data are found in Table 2-Table 17, and each of these tables provides information on a separate job title.
Section A provides the number of individuals with a particular job title and provides a chart that illustrates this
information. The number of staff over time might offer insight into the operations and activities in House Members’
offices, or the House more generally.
Section B provides the annual average and median tenures for that position. Average and median are reported for
each position because one measure may be more appropriate than the other, depending upon which data are being
examined and for what purpose.
Section C provides the percentages of staff who had been working in that job for up to one year, one to five years,
and five or more years. Below the tables in Section C, visualization provides percentages for three selected years:
2006, 2011, and 2016.
Section D provides more detailed information for staff in each position over the past five years. For the years 20122016, the percentage of staff in each job is displayed in annual increments for 1-10 years of service, in addition to
categories for less than a year of service and more than 10 years. The average and median for each annual increment
over this five-year period is also provided. The figure at the bottom of Section D visually displays this information for
2012, 2014, and 2016. Because the available data begin in October 2000, at least 10 years of staff tenure data are
available by 2012, which enables more detailed information to be provided about those who have worked between 5
and 10 years.
Individual elements of data in this report may provide more useful insights when compared to other
data provided. Combined, certain statistics may be used to infer changes in tenure over time or address other
questions of interest. The overall average and median for a position found in Table 1, for example, might be
compared to the equivalent measures in a particular year from Section B of that job position table, and could illustrate
how typical or atypical average or median tenure in that year is. The aggregate average or median distributions
provided in the “% by Position” columns of Table 1 could similarly be used in comparison to Section C of a job
position table to evaluate the percentage distributions for a given year.
The tenure percentage distributions may be helpful for determining continuity or turnover patterns
for job positions. A broad, overall measure of turnover is provided in Table 1, but more information can be found
in the job position tables, in Sections C and D. A position with a large proportion of staff remaining for five or more
years, relative to the proportion of staff remaining for under one year, for example, could indicate a position that
jobholders typically remain in for longer periods of time. Comparing these distributions over time could indicate that
a job is becoming more stable, or, conversely, that greater turnover is occurring. When performing any assessment
with these percentages, it is important to consider the number of staff in a particular role; a percentage change may
seem dramatic when the overall number of staff is small, but reflect changes of only one or a few individuals. It may be
helpful to convert percentages to number of staff, by multiplying the percentage by the staff count in Section A for the
corresponding year. Although this report does not measure staff tenure in terms of “cohorts” who all begin during a
certain year, this type of information may be inferred from the detailed annual breakdowns provided in Section D. A
read of Section D diagonally—down one row to the next calendar year and right one column to the next year of
service—may help address questions related to tenure for staff hired in, or working during, a particular year.
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Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Assessing Tenure Data
Generalizations about staff tenure are limited in at least three potentially significant ways,
including:
the relatively brief period of time for which reliable, largely inclusive data are
available in a readily analyzable form;
how the unique nature of congressional work settings might affect staff tenure;
and
the lack of demographic information about staff for which tenure data are
available.
Considering tenure in isolation from demographic characteristics of the congressional workforce
might limit the extent to which tenure information can be assessed. Additional data on
congressional staff regarding age, education, and other elements would be needed for this type of
analysis, and are not readily available at the position level. Finally, since each House Member
office serves as its own hiring authority, variations from office to office, which for each position
may include differences in job duties, work schedules, office emphases, and other factors, may
limit the extent to which aggregated data provided here might match tenure in a particular office.
Despite these caveats, a few broad observations can be made about staff in House Member
offices.
Between 2006 and 2016, staff tenure, based on the trend of the median number of years in the
position, appears to have increased by six months or more for staff in three position titles12 in
House Member offices. The median tenure was unchanged for 13 positions.13 This may be
consistent with overall workforce trends in the United States.14 Although pay is not the only
factor that might affect an individual’s decision to remain in or leave a particular job, staff in
positions that generally pay less typically remained in those roles for shorter periods of time than
those in higher-paying positions.15 Some of these lower-paying positions may also be considered
entry-level positions in some House Member offices; if so, House office employees in those roles
appear to follow national trends for others in entry-level types of jobs, remaining in the role for a
relatively short period of time.16 Similarly, those in more senior positions, which often require a
12
Administrative Director, Chief of Staff, and Office Manager.
Casework Supervisor, Caseworker, Communications Director, Counsel, District Director, Executive Assistant, Field
Representative, Legislative Assistant, Legislative Correspondent, Legislative Director, Press Secretary, Scheduler, and
Staff Assistant.
14
Data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) suggest that the tenure trend in the U.S. labor force for
workers aged 25 and over is largely unchanged between 2006 and 2016. See U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of
Labor Statistics, Table 1. Median years of tenure with current employer for employed wage and salary workers by age
and sex, selected years, 2006-2016, Washington, DC, September 22, 2016, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/
tenure.t01.htm. See also, Ibid, Employee Tenure Summary, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/tenure.nr0.htm. Staff
working in congressional offices likely appear to be fairly representative of the general workforce in the United States.
Nevertheless, direct comparisons of congressional employment to the general labor market may have limitations.
Unlike congressional tenure data provided in this report by title, for example, BLS data are based on the entire U.S.
workforce, and determine tenure statistics based on the time an employee spends with an employer rather than time in
one specified job title. Comparisons between the two sets of employment tenure information should be drawn with
care.
15
For more information on congressional salaries, see CRS Report R44323, Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in
House Member Offices, 2001-2014, coordinated by (name redacted). Pay data are not available for the Administrative
Director, Casework Supervisor, and Counsel titles.
16
Those staff positions that typically earn a lower salary than others, including Executive Assistant, Legislative
(continued...)
13
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Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
particular level of congressional or other professional experience, typically remained in those
roles comparatively longer, similar to those in more senior positions in the general workforce.
Table 1. Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, and Distribution of
Staff by Tenure, 2006-2016
Tenure, Years
Position
Average
Median
Administrative Director
3.7
3.0
Casework Supervisor
2.9
1.7
Caseworker
3.0
2.0
Chief of Staff
3.7
2.8
Communications Director
2.0
1.3
Counsel
1.9
1.1
District Director
3.1
2.2
Executive Assistant
2.8
1.9
Field Representative
2.4
1.3
Legislative Assistant
1.7
1.2
Legislative Correspondent
1.1
0.8
Legislative Director
2.3
1.7
Office Manager
3.1
2.2
Press Secretary
1.9
1.2
% in Position
< 1 Year
1-5 Years
5+ Years
Average
22.8%
44.6%
32.5%
Median
23.1%
41.8%
37.3%
Average
30.2%
51.0%
18.8%
Median
33.3%
48.3%
18.8%
Average
28.8%
49.8%
21.4%
Median
27.9%
50.8%
22.8%
Average
21.6%
48.8%
29.5%
Median
22.2%
50.9%
31.6%
Average
39.0%
51.3%
9.7%
Median
34.7%
52.4%
10.7%
Average
44.9%
47.4%
7.7%
Median
46.2%
45.5%
7.4%
Average
26.7%
51.1%
22.1%
Median
27.9%
51.9%
23.7%
Average
33.3%
47.7%
19.1%
Median
33.1%
48.5%
20.0%
Average
36.5%
49.3%
14.3%
Median
34.3%
49.8%
15.3%
Average
41.0%
54.0%
5.0%
Median
41.1%
53.3%
5.2%
Average
60.5%
37.9%
1.6%
Median
61.5%
37.9%
1.8%
Average
33.6%
54.7%
11.7%
Median
30.9%
57.0%
11.6%
Average
28.5%
48.2%
23.3%
Median
30.4%
48.2%
26.6%
Average
43.7%
48.2%
8.1%
Trend
Increased
Unchanged
Unchanged
Increased
Unchanged
Unchanged
Unchanged
Unchanged
Unchanged
Unchanged
Unchanged
Unchanged
Increased
Unchanged
(...continued)
Assistant, Legislative Correspondent, and Staff Assistant, may be seen in some House Member offices as entry level,
but both pay data (see ibid.) and tenure data presented in this report suggest that this might not be a consistent practice
in every office.
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Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Tenure, Years
Position
Average
% in Position
Median
Scheduler
1.8
1.2
Staff Assistant
1.7
0.9
< 1 Year
1-5 Years
5+ Years
Median
42.6%
47.6%
7.1%
Average
44.1%
48.6%
7.3%
Median
42.3%
48.5%
7.5%
Average
52.4%
39.1%
8.5%
Median
54.4%
37.7%
8.3%
Trend
Unchanged
Unchanged
Source: CRS calculations, as of March 31, 2016, for all staff in the positions who were paid on or after October
2, 2000, based on pay information provided in Statements of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm,
available from October 1, 2000.
Notes: As used in this report, “trend” is an indication of the general course of median staff tenure in each
position over time, based on a linear regression model. The resulting trend line (which is available to
congressional staff upon request), could increase, decrease, or remain unchanged. Each position’s trend line
varies between 2006 and 2016, but the variability demonstrates negligible change for most positions. To
distinguish positions with readily measurable changes in their tenure, a benchmark of change in trend is set to an
increase or decrease of six months’ tenure over the 11 years observed. “Unchanged” in this context is defined as
an increase or decrease in the median trend of tenure of fewer than six months between 2006 and 2016.
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Table 2. Administrative Director
Staff Tenure, Years
% in Position
Staff
Average
Median
< 1 Yr
1-5 Yrs
5+ Yrs
2006
55
1.9
1.3
49.1%
41.8%
9.1%
2007
52
2.5
2.0
23.1%
63.5%
13.5%
2008
50
2.4
2.1
32.0%
52.0%
16.0%
2009
54
2.7
2.1
25.9%
59.3%
14.8%
2010
48
3.5
3.0
10.4%
58.3%
31.3%
2011
51
4.3
3.8
5.9%
56.9%
37.3%
2012
32
4.8
5.0
12.5%
34.4%
53.1%
2013
36
4.4
4.2
27.8%
30.6%
41.7%
2014
31
5.3
5.2
9.7%
32.3%
58.1%
2015
34
4.0
2.2
41.2%
20.6%
38.2%
2016
29
5.2
3.2
13.8%
41.4%
44.8%
Number of staff
Percent of staff
% in Position, by Years of Service
<1
1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5
5-6
6-7
7-8
8-9
9-10
10+
2012
12.5%
6.3%
9.4%
18.8%
0.0%
12.5%
9.4%
15.6%
3.1%
9.4%
3.1%
2013
27.8%
5.6%
2.8%
8.3%
13.9%
0.0%
11.1%
8.3%
13.9%
2.8%
5.6%
2014
9.7%
22.6%
6.5%
0.0%
3.2%
16.1%
0.0%
9.7%
6.5%
16.1%
9.7%
2015
41.2%
5.9%
8.8%
5.9%
0.0%
2.9%
8.8%
0.0%
5.9%
2.9%
17.6%
2016
13.8%
27.6%
6.9%
6.9%
0.0%
0.0%
3.4%
10.3%
0.0%
6.9%
24.1%
Avg
21.0%
13.6%
6.9%
8.0%
3.4%
6.3%
6.6%
8.8%
5.9%
7.6%
12.0%
Med
13.8%
6.3%
6.9%
6.9%
0.0%
2.9%
8.8%
9.7%
5.9%
6.9%
9.7%
Source: CRS calculations, March 31 of each year, for all staff in the position paid on or after October 2, 2000,
based on pay information provided in Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, available
from October 1, 2000. Detailed information about using table data is available in “Presentation of Tenure Data.”
Congressional Research Service
9
Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Table 3. Casework Supervisor
Staff Tenure, Years
% in Position
Staff
Average
Median
< 1 Yr
1-5 Yrs
5+ Yrs
2006
24
2.0
1.3
45.8%
54.2%
0.0%
2007
26
1.8
1.3
46.2%
42.3%
11.5%
2008
29
1.9
1.2
31.0%
62.1%
6.9%
2009
20
2.8
2.2
15.0%
70.0%
15.0%
2010
16
3.9
3.2
6.3%
62.5%
31.3%
2011
24
3.4
3.2
33.3%
41.7%
25.0%
2012
24
3.2
1.3
33.3%
37.5%
29.2%
2013
27
3.0
1.7
37.0%
37.0%
25.9%
2014
29
3.2
1.5
24.1%
48.3%
27.6%
2015
32
3.1
2.2
37.5%
43.8%
18.8%
2016
31
3.4
1.8
22.6%
61.3%
16.1%
Number of staff
Percent of staff
% in Position, by Years of Service
<1
1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5
5-6
6-7
7-8
8-9
9-10
10+
2012
33.3%
25.0%
0.0%
4.2%
8.3%
8.3%
4.2%
8.3%
4.2%
0.0%
4.2%
2013
37.0%
18.5%
14.8%
0.0%
3.7%
7.4%
3.7%
3.7%
3.7%
3.7%
3.7%
2014
24.1%
34.5%
6.9%
6.9%
0.0%
3.4%
6.9%
3.4%
3.4%
3.4%
6.9%
2015
37.5%
9.4%
25.0%
6.3%
3.1%
0.0%
0.0%
3.1%
3.1%
3.1%
9.4%
2016
22.6%
32.3%
3.2%
19.4%
6.5%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
3.2%
3.2%
9.7%
Avg
30.9%
23.9%
10.0%
7.3%
4.3%
3.8%
3.0%
3.7%
3.5%
2.7%
6.8%
Med
33.3%
25.0%
6.9%
6.3%
3.7%
3.4%
3.7%
3.4%
3.4%
3.2%
6.9%
Source: CRS calculations, March 31 of each year, for all staff in the position paid on or after October 2, 2000,
based on pay information provided in Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, available
from October 1, 2000. Detailed information about using table data is available in “Presentation of Tenure Data.”
Congressional Research Service
10
Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Table 4. Caseworker
Staff Tenure, Years
% in Position
Staff
Average
Median
< 1 Yr
1-5 Yrs
5+ Yrs
2006
487
2.2
1.8
42.3%
50.1%
7.6%
2007
505
2.3
2.0
33.5%
54.9%
11.7%
2008
526
2.6
2.0
27.9%
52.3%
19.8%
2009
577
2.6
2.0
32.9%
48.4%
18.7%
2010
605
3.1
2.4
20.0%
55.2%
24.8%
2011
823
3.1
2.2
26.4%
50.8%
22.8%
2012
625
3.5
2.4
19.4%
52.8%
27.8%
2013
616
3.2
2.2
33.4%
39.8%
26.8%
2014
620
3.4
2.0
25.6%
48.2%
26.1%
2015
661
3.2
2.0
35.7%
42.4%
21.9%
2016
641
3.7
2.2
19.9%
53.2%
26.8%
Number of staff
Percent of staff
% in Position, by Years of Service
<1
1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5
5-6
6-7
7-8
8-9
9-10
10+
2012
19.4%
27.5%
7.8%
9.3%
8.2%
5.6%
4.5%
6.9%
2.4%
4.5%
4.0%
2013
33.4%
10.7%
17.9%
4.9%
6.3%
6.3%
4.2%
3.6%
5.2%
1.6%
5.8%
2014
25.6%
24.2%
7.9%
12.4%
3.7%
5.0%
4.4%
3.4%
3.2%
4.4%
5.8%
2015
35.7%
14.7%
13.6%
5.1%
8.9%
2.3%
3.5%
3.3%
2.6%
2.6%
7.7%
2016
19.9%
26.4%
12.2%
10.0%
4.6%
7.1%
2.0%
3.1%
3.1%
2.4%
9.1%
Avg
26.8%
20.7%
11.9%
8.4%
6.3%
5.3%
3.7%
4.1%
3.3%
3.1%
6.5%
Med
25.6%
24.2%
12.2%
9.3%
6.3%
5.6%
4.2%
3.4%
3.1%
2.6%
5.8%
Source: CRS calculations, March 31 of each year, for all staff in the position paid on or after October 2, 2000,
based on pay information provided in Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, available
from October 1, 2000. Detailed information about using table data is available in “Presentation of Tenure Data.”
Congressional Research Service
11
Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Table 5. Chief of Staff
Staff Tenure, Years
% in Position
Staff
Average
Median
< 1 Yr
1-5 Yrs
5+ Yrs
2006
304
2.5
2.5
34.5%
52.6%
12.8%
2007
339
2.6
2.0
30.1%
52.8%
17.1%
2008
343
3.2
2.8
18.1%
53.9%
28.0%
2009
360
3.2
2.3
24.4%
48.6%
26.9%
2010
374
3.7
3.1
16.0%
52.4%
31.6%
2011
481
3.7
2.8
22.2%
46.8%
31.0%
2012
381
4.3
3.2
11.8%
51.2%
37.0%
2013
399
4.1
3.0
26.3%
39.1%
34.6%
2014
402
4.4
3.2
16.2%
46.0%
37.8%
2015
428
4.3
2.7
25.0%
42.5%
32.5%
2016
414
4.6
3.2
13.4%
50.9%
35.7%
Number of staff
Percent of staff
% in Position, by Years of Service
<1
1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5
5-6
6-7
7-8
8-9
9-10
10+
2012
11.8%
22.3%
8.7%
13.1%
7.1%
7.6%
6.0%
5.5%
3.1%
4.7%
10.0%
2013
26.3%
7.5%
16.3%
5.0%
10.3%
6.0%
6.0%
5.3%
3.3%
2.5%
11.5%
2014
16.2%
22.1%
6.7%
13.4%
3.7%
8.2%
5.5%
4.0%
5.0%
2.5%
12.7%
2015
25.0%
9.3%
17.1%
5.8%
10.3%
2.1%
6.8%
4.4%
3.3%
3.7%
12.1%
2016
13.4%
22.3%
8.2%
15.1%
5.2%
9.2%
2.0%
6.7%
4.0%
3.0%
10.9%
Avg
18.5%
16.7%
11.4%
10.5%
7.3%
6.6%
5.3%
5.2%
3.7%
3.3%
11.5%
Med
16.2%
22.1%
8.7%
13.1%
7.1%
7.6%
6.0%
5.3%
3.3%
3.0%
11.5%
Source: CRS calculations, March 31 of each year, for all staff in the position paid on or after October 2, 2000,
based on pay information provided in Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, available
from October 1, 2000. Detailed information about using table data is available in “Presentation of Tenure Data.”
Congressional Research Service
12
Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Table 6. Communications Director
Staff Tenure, Years
% in Position
Staff
Average
Median
< 1 Yr
1-5 Yrs
5+ Yrs
2006
148
1.7
1.0
53.4%
41.9%
4.7%
2007
168
1.7
1.3
42.9%
52.4%
4.8%
2008
167
1.9
1.2
34.7%
57.5%
7.8%
2009
199
1.9
1.1
47.2%
41.7%
11.1%
2010
227
2.1
1.2
34.4%
52.4%
13.2%
2011
336
2.2
1.6
32.4%
56.8%
10.7%
2012
244
2.2
1.3
34.4%
53.3%
12.3%
2013
282
2.0
1.2
45.4%
46.1%
8.5%
2014
273
2.2
1.3
29.7%
57.5%
12.8%
2015
292
2.1
1.3
42.8%
45.5%
11.6%
2016
265
2.3
1.3
31.8%
59.1%
9.1%
Number of staff
Percent of staff
% in Position, by Years of Service
<1
1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5
5-6
6-7
7-8
8-9
9-10
10+
2012
34.4%
27.0%
11.9%
10.7%
3.7%
4.1%
2.0%
2.0%
2.0%
1.6%
0.4%
2013
45.4%
17.4%
13.8%
7.4%
7.4%
1.8%
3.2%
1.1%
1.1%
0.7%
0.7%
2014
29.7%
31.9%
13.2%
7.7%
4.8%
5.9%
1.5%
2.2%
1.1%
1.1%
1.1%
2015
42.8%
17.1%
19.9%
4.8%
3.8%
3.1%
3.4%
0.7%
1.4%
1.0%
2.1%
2016
31.8%
28.4%
12.1%
14.8%
3.8%
1.9%
0.8%
3.0%
0.4%
0.8%
2.3%
Avg
36.8%
24.4%
14.2%
9.1%
4.7%
3.3%
2.2%
1.8%
1.2%
1.0%
1.3%
Med
34.4%
27.0%
13.2%
7.7%
3.8%
3.1%
2.0%
2.0%
1.1%
1.0%
1.1%
Source: CRS calculations, March 31 of each year, for all staff in the position paid on or after October 2, 2000,
based on pay information provided in Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, available
from October 1, 2000. Detailed information about using table data is available in “Presentation of Tenure Data.”
Congressional Research Service
13
Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Table 7. Counsel
Staff Tenure, Years
% in Position
Staff
Average
Median
< 1 Yr
1-5 Yrs
5+ Yrs
2006
51
1.7
1.0
54.9%
37.3%
7.8%
2007
65
1.3
0.8
60.0%
33.8%
6.2%
2008
58
1.9
1.2
34.5%
56.9%
8.6%
2009
66
1.8
1.4
47.0%
45.5%
7.6%
2010
74
1.9
1.1
44.6%
48.6%
6.8%
2011
102
2.2
1.8
26.5%
66.7%
6.9%
2012
74
2.2
1.2
37.8%
51.4%
10.8%
2013
65
2.0
1.1
46.2%
44.6%
9.2%
2014
72
1.9
1.4
40.3%
52.8%
6.9%
2015
74
1.9
1.0
50.0%
43.2%
6.8%
2016
82
1.8
1.0
51.9%
40.7%
7.4%
Number of staff
Percent of staff
% in Position, by Years of Service
<1
1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5
5-6
6-7
7-8
8-9
9-10
10+
2012
37.8%
25.7%
9.5%
12.2%
4.1%
6.8%
1.4%
1.4%
0.0%
0.0%
1.4%
2013
46.2%
16.9%
16.9%
3.1%
7.7%
1.5%
3.1%
1.5%
1.5%
0.0%
1.5%
2014
40.3%
27.8%
11.1%
12.5%
1.4%
2.8%
0.0%
0.0%
1.4%
1.4%
1.4%
2015
50.0%
20.3%
10.8%
4.1%
8.1%
1.4%
1.4%
0.0%
0.0%
1.4%
2.7%
2016
51.9%
23.5%
12.3%
3.7%
1.2%
4.9%
0.0%
1.2%
0.0%
0.0%
1.2%
Avg
45.2%
22.8%
12.1%
7.1%
4.5%
3.5%
1.2%
0.8%
0.6%
0.5%
1.6%
Med
46.2%
23.5%
11.1%
4.1%
4.1%
2.8%
1.4%
1.2%
0.0%
0.0%
1.4%
Source: CRS calculations, March 31 of each year, for all staff in the position paid on or after October 2, 2000,
based on pay information provided in Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, available
from October 1, 2000. Detailed information about using table data is available in “Presentation of Tenure Data.”
Congressional Research Service
14
Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Table 8. District Director
Staff Tenure, Years
% in Position
Staff
Average
Median
< 1 Yr
1-5 Yrs
5+ Yrs
2006
227
2.3
1.8
38.8%
49.3%
11.9%
2007
252
2.3
2.0
33.7%
53.6%
12.7%
2008
253
2.7
2.1
21.3%
58.1%
20.6%
2009
270
2.8
2.2
30.7%
49.6%
19.6%
2010
271
3.3
2.7
16.2%
56.1%
27.7%
2011
376
3.2
2.2
27.9%
48.4%
23.7%
2012
293
3.6
2.5
17.7%
51.9%
30.4%
2013
316
3.1
2.2
38.6%
36.4%
25.0%
2014
313
3.4
1.9
21.4%
52.7%
25.9%
2015
318
3.2
2.2
31.4%
48.4%
20.1%
2016
296
3.7
2.6
16.1%
57.9%
26.0%
Number of staff
Percent of staff
% in Position, by Years of Service
<1
1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5
5-6
6-7
7-8
8-9
9-10
10+
2012
17.7%
28.3%
6.5%
10.2%
6.8%
8.5%
3.8%
6.5%
2.7%
3.4%
5.5%
2013
38.6%
8.5%
17.7%
3.5%
6.6%
5.7%
5.1%
2.2%
3.8%
1.6%
6.6%
2014
21.4%
28.8%
7.3%
14.1%
2.6%
5.8%
3.8%
4.8%
1.9%
3.5%
6.1%
2015
31.4%
14.2%
18.9%
5.7%
9.7%
1.3%
4.4%
2.8%
3.1%
0.9%
7.5%
2016
16.1%
26.7%
11.6%
15.1%
4.5%
8.6%
1.4%
3.8%
2.4%
3.1%
6.8%
Avg
25.1%
21.3%
12.4%
9.7%
6.0%
6.0%
3.7%
4.0%
2.8%
2.5%
6.5%
Med
21.4%
26.7%
11.6%
10.2%
6.6%
5.8%
3.8%
3.8%
2.7%
3.1%
6.6%
Source: CRS calculations, March 31 of each year, for all staff in the position paid on or after October 2, 2000,
based on pay information provided in Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, available
from October 1, 2000. Detailed information about using table data is available in “Presentation of Tenure Data.”
Congressional Research Service
15
Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Table 9. Executive Assistant
Staff Tenure, Years
% in Position
Staff
Average
Median
< 1 Yr
1-5 Yrs
5+ Yrs
2006
144
2.2
1.9
38.9%
52.8%
8.3%
2007
141
2.2
1.6
42.6%
43.3%
14.2%
2008
139
2.4
1.3
33.1%
48.9%
18.0%
2009
122
2.8
1.9
25.4%
51.6%
23.0%
2010
130
2.9
2.2
30.0%
48.5%
21.5%
2011
180
2.9
2.0
27.8%
52.2%
20.0%
2012
107
3.5
2.2
21.5%
54.2%
24.3%
2013
82
3.1
2.1
36.6%
39.0%
24.4%
2014
87
3.2
1.3
32.2%
44.8%
23.0%
2015
80
2.6
1.3
43.8%
42.5%
13.8%
2016
82
2.8
1.2
34.1%
46.3%
19.5%
Number of staff
Percent of staff
% in Position, by Years of Service
<1
1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5
5-6
6-7
7-8
8-9
9-10
10+
2012
21.5%
27.1%
7.5%
11.2%
8.4%
3.7%
3.7%
1.9%
4.7%
3.7%
6.5%
2013
36.6%
12.2%
17.1%
3.7%
6.1%
6.1%
3.7%
2.4%
2.4%
3.7%
6.1%
2014
32.2%
24.1%
5.7%
11.5%
3.4%
4.6%
3.4%
2.3%
2.3%
2.3%
8.0%
2015
43.8%
12.5%
16.3%
2.5%
11.3%
1.3%
1.3%
1.3%
2.5%
1.3%
6.3%
2016
34.1%
23.2%
9.8%
11.0%
2.4%
8.5%
1.2%
1.2%
1.2%
1.2%
6.1%
Avg
33.6%
19.8%
11.3%
8.0%
6.3%
4.8%
2.7%
1.8%
2.6%
2.4%
6.6%
Med
34.1%
23.2%
9.8%
11.0%
6.1%
4.6%
3.4%
1.9%
2.4%
2.3%
6.3%
Source: CRS calculations, March 31 of each year, for all staff in the position paid on or after October 2, 2000,
based on pay information provided in Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, available
from October 1, 2000. Detailed information about using table data is available in “Presentation of Tenure Data.”
Congressional Research Service
16
Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Table 10. Field Representative
Staff Tenure, Years
% in Position
Staff
Average
Median
< 1 Yr
1-5 Yrs
5+ Yrs
2006
227
1.9
1.3
48.0%
48.5%
3.5%
2007
230
2.0
1.3
44.8%
46.1%
9.1%
2008
236
2.3
1.3
34.3%
50.4%
15.3%
2009
237
2.5
1.8
36.7%
43.0%
20.3%
2010
265
2.7
1.8
29.1%
51.3%
19.6%
2011
393
2.6
1.9
32.3%
53.2%
14.5%
2012
255
2.8
1.4
20.4%
62.0%
17.6%
2013
273
2.3
1.3
46.9%
41.4%
11.7%
2014
274
2.5
1.2
30.7%
52.9%
16.4%
2015
289
2.3
1.3
43.9%
43.3%
12.8%
2016
303
2.6
1.4
33.9%
49.8%
16.3%
Number of staff
Percent of staff
% in Position, by Years of Service
<1
1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5
5-6
6-7
7-8
8-9
9-10
10+
2012
20.4%
34.1%
8.2%
13.7%
5.9%
6.3%
1.2%
2.0%
1.2%
3.9%
3.1%
2013
46.9%
9.9%
16.5%
5.1%
9.9%
2.6%
1.8%
0.7%
1.5%
1.1%
4.0%
2014
30.7%
31.4%
6.9%
11.3%
3.3%
6.9%
2.6%
0.7%
0.7%
1.5%
4.0%
2015
43.9%
16.6%
13.1%
5.2%
8.3%
2.4%
4.5%
1.7%
0.3%
0.0%
3.8%
2016
33.9%
26.9%
11.3%
8.3%
3.3%
7.0%
1.7%
3.0%
1.7%
0.0%
3.0%
Avg
35.2%
23.8%
11.2%
8.7%
6.1%
5.0%
2.3%
1.6%
1.1%
1.3%
3.6%
Med
33.9%
26.9%
11.3%
8.3%
5.9%
6.3%
1.8%
1.7%
1.2%
1.1%
3.8%
Source: CRS calculations, March 31 of each year, for all staff in the position paid on or after October 2, 2000,
based on pay information provided in Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, available
from October 1, 2000. Detailed information about using table data is available in “Presentation of Tenure Data.”
Congressional Research Service
17
Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Table 11. Legislative Assistant
Staff Tenure, Years
% in Position
Staff
Average
Median
< 1 Yr
1-5 Yrs
5+ Yrs
2006
741
1.6
1.2
49.5%
48.3%
2.2%
2007
732
1.6
1.2
45.8%
49.9%
4.4%
2008
745
1.7
1.2
41.1%
53.3%
5.6%
2009
737
1.8
1.4
39.2%
54.8%
6.0%
2010
741
1.9
1.2
36.3%
57.8%
5.9%
2011
1103
2.0
1.7
32.7%
60.8%
6.4%
2012
680
1.8
1.2
35.4%
60.0%
4.6%
2013
629
1.7
1.3
41.7%
53.1%
5.2%
2014
619
1.9
1.2
35.9%
58.3%
5.8%
2015
636
1.5
1.0
49.7%
45.6%
4.7%
2016
604
1.6
1.2
43.8%
51.6%
4.6%
Number of staff
Percent of staff
% in Position, by Years of Service
<1
1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5
5-6
6-7
7-8
8-9
9-10
10+
2012
35.4%
35.6%
11.9%
7.9%
4.6%
1.3%
0.7%
0.7%
1.0%
0.4%
0.3%
2013
41.7%
23.7%
18.8%
6.7%
4.0%
2.9%
0.6%
0.3%
0.5%
0.6%
0.3%
2014
35.9%
29.9%
13.9%
9.7%
4.8%
2.1%
1.6%
0.6%
0.3%
0.3%
0.8%
2015
49.7%
19.8%
17.3%
4.4%
4.1%
1.7%
0.9%
0.9%
0.3%
0.2%
0.6%
2016
43.8%
32.3%
8.6%
8.6%
2.0%
2.0%
0.7%
0.7%
0.8%
0.2%
0.3%
Avg
41.3%
28.3%
14.1%
7.5%
3.9%
2.0%
0.9%
0.7%
0.6%
0.3%
0.5%
Med
41.7%
29.9%
13.9%
7.9%
4.1%
2.0%
0.7%
0.7%
0.5%
0.3%
0.3%
Source: CRS calculations, March 31 of each year, for all staff in the position paid on or after October 2, 2000,
based on pay information provided in Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, available
from October 1, 2000. Detailed information about using table data is available in “Presentation of Tenure Data.”
Congressional Research Service
18
Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Table 12. Legislative Correspondent
Staff Tenure, Years
% in Position
Staff
Average
Median
< 1 Yr
1-5 Yrs
5+ Yrs
2006
314
1.0
0.8
72.9%
27.1%
0.0%
2007
322
1.1
0.7
61.5%
37.9%
0.6%
2008
324
1.0
0.7
63.6%
36.1%
0.3%
2009
324
1.1
0.9
54.0%
44.8%
1.2%
2010
330
1.2
0.9
54.8%
43.3%
1.8%
2011
541
1.5
1.4
38.8%
59.3%
1.8%
2012
302
1.1
0.8
58.6%
38.4%
3.0%
2013
289
1.1
0.7
66.4%
30.4%
3.1%
2014
283
1.1
0.8
59.4%
38.5%
2.1%
2015
309
1.0
0.5
70.2%
27.5%
2.3%
2016
274
1.0
0.8
65.3%
33.6%
1.1%
Number of staff
Percent of staff
% in Position, by Years of Service
<1
1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5
5-6
6-7
7-8
8-9
9-10
10+
2012
58.6%
30.1%
6.3%
0.7%
1.3%
0.7%
1.0%
0.7%
0.7%
0.0%
0.0%
2013
66.4%
19.7%
8.3%
1.7%
0.7%
0.7%
0.3%
1.0%
0.7%
0.3%
0.0%
2014
59.4%
28.6%
6.0%
3.2%
0.7%
0.4%
0.0%
0.4%
0.7%
0.4%
0.4%
2015
70.2%
16.2%
8.7%
1.6%
1.0%
0.6%
0.3%
0.0%
0.3%
0.6%
0.3%
2016
65.3%
24.5%
5.5%
2.6%
1.1%
0.0%
0.4%
0.0%
0.0%
0.4%
0.4%
Avg
64.0%
23.8%
7.0%
1.9%
1.0%
0.5%
0.4%
0.4%
0.5%
0.3%
0.2%
Med
65.3%
24.5%
6.3%
1.7%
1.0%
0.6%
0.3%
0.4%
0.7%
0.4%
0.3%
Source: CRS calculations, March 31 of each year, for all staff in the position paid on or after October 2, 2000,
based on pay information provided in Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, available
from October 1, 2000. Detailed information about using table data is available in “Presentation of Tenure Data.”
Congressional Research Service
19
Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Table 13. Legislative Director
Staff Tenure, Years
% in Position
Staff
Average
Median
< 1 Yr
1-5 Yrs
5+ Yrs
2006
274
2.0
1.7
44.5%
48.2%
7.3%
2007
293
1.8
1.3
44.4%
49.1%
6.5%
2008
298
2.0
1.2
30.5%
58.7%
10.7%
2009
304
2.2
1.9
31.3%
57.2%
11.5%
2010
318
2.4
1.9
28.0%
60.4%
11.6%
2011
449
2.5
2.1
29.2%
59.0%
11.8%
2012
324
2.4
1.3
28.7%
55.6%
15.7%
2013
341
2.4
1.7
36.1%
48.7%
15.2%
2014
319
2.6
1.7
25.4%
58.9%
15.7%
2015
329
2.2
1.5
40.7%
48.9%
10.3%
2016
307
2.3
1.3
30.9%
57.0%
12.1%
Number of staff
Percent of staff
% in Position, by Years of Service
<1
1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5
5-6
6-7
7-8
8-9
9-10
10+
2012
28.7%
30.2%
11.4%
7.7%
6.2%
6.8%
2.8%
1.2%
2.2%
2.5%
0.3%
2013
36.1%
18.2%
19.1%
7.0%
4.4%
4.1%
4.1%
2.3%
1.2%
1.5%
2.1%
2014
25.4%
29.2%
11.9%
14.4%
3.4%
3.4%
3.1%
3.4%
2.2%
0.6%
2.8%
2015
40.7%
15.8%
17.3%
7.6%
8.2%
2.1%
2.7%
1.2%
2.1%
0.6%
1.5%
2016
30.9%
30.9%
11.1%
10.7%
4.2%
5.5%
1.0%
1.3%
1.0%
2.0%
1.3%
Avg
32.4%
24.9%
14.2%
9.5%
5.3%
4.4%
2.7%
1.9%
1.7%
1.4%
1.6%
Med
30.9%
29.2%
11.9%
7.7%
4.4%
4.1%
2.8%
1.3%
2.1%
1.5%
1.5%
Source: CRS calculations, March 31 of each year, for all staff in the position paid on or after October 2, 2000,
based on pay information provided in Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, available
from October 1, 2000. Detailed information about using table data is available in “Presentation of Tenure Data.”
Congressional Research Service
20
Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Table 14. Office Manager
Staff Tenure, Years
% in Position
Staff
Average
Median
< 1 Yr
1-5 Yrs
5+ Yrs
2006
87
2.0
1.3
43.7%
51.7%
4.6%
2007
93
2.2
2.0
36.6%
52.7%
10.8%
2008
85
2.8
2.3
23.5%
48.2%
28.2%
2009
79
3.0
2.2
30.4%
43.0%
26.6%
2010
76
3.4
2.6
19.7%
50.0%
30.3%
2011
115
3.0
2.2
33.9%
44.3%
21.7%
2012
68
3.4
1.8
16.2%
54.4%
29.4%
2013
58
3.4
2.2
31.0%
41.4%
27.6%
2014
65
3.4
2.0
32.3%
41.5%
26.2%
2015
60
3.5
2.2
21.7%
56.7%
21.7%
2016
61
3.7
2.8
24.6%
45.9%
29.5%
Number of staff
Percent of staff
% in Position, by Years of Service
<1
1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5
5-6
6-7
7-8
8-9
9-10
10+
2012
16.2%
35.3%
7.4%
8.8%
2.9%
7.4%
1.5%
7.4%
0.0%
10.3%
2.9%
2013
31.0%
5.2%
25.9%
3.4%
6.9%
3.4%
6.9%
1.7%
6.9%
0.0%
8.6%
2014
32.3%
16.9%
4.6%
16.9%
3.1%
6.2%
3.1%
3.1%
1.5%
4.6%
7.7%
2015
21.7%
23.3%
13.3%
3.3%
16.7%
3.3%
5.0%
0.0%
3.3%
1.7%
8.3%
2016
24.6%
13.1%
18.0%
11.5%
3.3%
13.1%
1.6%
1.6%
0.0%
3.3%
9.8%
Avg
25.2%
18.8%
13.8%
8.8%
6.6%
6.7%
3.6%
2.8%
2.4%
4.0%
7.5%
Med
24.6%
16.9%
13.3%
8.8%
3.3%
6.2%
3.1%
1.7%
1.5%
3.3%
8.3%
Source: CRS calculations, March 31 of each year, for all staff in the position paid on or after October 2, 2000,
based on pay information provided in Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, available
from October 1, 2000. Detailed information about using table data is available in “Presentation of Tenure Data.”
Congressional Research Service
21
Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Table 15. Press Secretary
Staff Tenure, Years
% in Position
Staff
Average
Median
< 1 Yr
1-5 Yrs
5+ Yrs
2006
175
1.8
1.3
49.1%
46.3%
4.6%
2007
156
1.9
1.2
41.0%
51.9%
7.1%
2008
152
2.0
1.2
42.1%
46.1%
11.8%
2009
147
2.1
1.3
39.5%
47.6%
12.9%
2010
155
2.2
1.2
42.6%
44.5%
12.9%
2011
231
2.2
1.5
32.9%
55.8%
11.3%
2012
125
2.1
1.2
34.4%
56.0%
9.6%
2013
121
1.7
0.9
55.4%
38.0%
6.6%
2014
120
1.5
1.1
46.7%
50.0%
3.3%
2015
120
1.5
1.0
51.7%
44.2%
4.2%
2016
111
1.8
1.2
45.5%
50.0%
4.5%
Number of staff
Percent of staff
% in Position, by Years of Service
<1
1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5
5-6
6-7
7-8
8-9
9-10
10+
2012
34.4%
29.6%
16.0%
6.4%
4.0%
1.6%
2.4%
0.0%
0.8%
2.4%
2.4%
2013
55.4%
12.4%
14.0%
8.3%
3.3%
2.5%
0.8%
0.8%
0.0%
0.0%
2.5%
2014
46.7%
34.2%
5.8%
6.7%
3.3%
1.7%
0.0%
0.8%
0.0%
0.0%
0.8%
2015
51.7%
22.5%
14.2%
4.2%
3.3%
0.8%
1.7%
0.0%
0.8%
0.0%
0.8%
2016
45.5%
24.5%
14.5%
7.3%
3.6%
1.8%
0.0%
1.8%
0.0%
0.9%
0.0%
Avg
46.7%
24.6%
12.9%
6.6%
3.5%
1.7%
1.0%
0.7%
0.3%
0.7%
1.3%
Med
46.7%
24.5%
14.2%
6.7%
3.3%
1.7%
0.8%
0.8%
0.0%
0.0%
0.8%
Source: CRS calculations, March 31 of each year, for all staff in the position paid on or after October 2, 2000,
based on pay information provided in Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, available
from October 1, 2000. Detailed information about using table data is available in “Presentation of Tenure Data.”
Congressional Research Service
22
Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Table 16. Scheduler
Staff Tenure, Years
% in Position
Staff
Average
Median
< 1 Yr
1-5 Yrs
5+ Yrs
2006
153
1.6
1.0
55.6%
41.8%
2.6%
2007
165
1.5
1.0
50.3%
46.1%
3.6%
2008
173
1.7
1.2
41.6%
50.9%
7.5%
2009
189
1.7
1.3
42.3%
52.4%
5.3%
2010
199
2.0
1.2
36.2%
56.8%
7.0%
2011
297
2.1
1.7
33.0%
57.6%
9.4%
2012
205
1.9
1.2
39.0%
49.3%
11.7%
2013
199
1.7
1.1
49.7%
43.7%
6.5%
2014
203
1.8
1.2
44.8%
46.8%
8.4%
2015
238
1.7
0.9
51.7%
40.8%
7.6%
2016
238
2.0
1.2
40.9%
48.5%
10.5%
Number of staff
Percent of staff
% in Position, by Years of Service
<1
1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5
5-6
6-7
7-8
8-9
9-10
10+
2012
39.0%
30.7%
9.3%
7.8%
1.5%
5.4%
2.9%
1.5%
0.5%
1.0%
0.5%
2013
49.7%
19.1%
14.1%
5.0%
5.5%
1.0%
1.0%
1.5%
1.5%
0.0%
1.5%
2014
44.8%
28.6%
6.4%
8.9%
3.0%
3.9%
1.0%
1.0%
1.0%
0.5%
1.0%
2015
51.7%
21.0%
10.9%
2.9%
5.9%
2.5%
1.7%
0.8%
0.8%
0.4%
1.3%
2016
40.9%
27.8%
11.8%
6.3%
2.5%
4.6%
2.1%
1.3%
0.4%
0.8%
1.3%
Avg
45.2%
25.5%
10.5%
6.2%
3.7%
3.5%
1.7%
1.2%
0.8%
0.5%
1.1%
Med
44.8%
27.8%
10.9%
6.3%
3.0%
3.9%
1.7%
1.3%
0.8%
0.5%
1.3%
Source: CRS calculations, March 31 of each year, for all staff in the position paid on or after October 2, 2000,
based on pay information provided in Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, available
from October 1, 2000. Detailed information about using table data is available in “Presentation of Tenure Data.”
Congressional Research Service
23
Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Table 17. Staff Assistant
Staff Tenure, Years
% in Position
Staff
Average
Median
< 1 Yr
1-5 Yrs
5+ Yrs
2006
894
1.4
0.9
62.0%
35.3%
2.7%
2007
854
1.5
0.8
54.4%
40.2%
5.4%
2008
815
1.6
0.9
54.4%
37.7%
8.0%
2009
886
1.7
1.0
49.8%
42.0%
8.2%
2010
863
1.9
1.2
46.6%
43.1%
10.3%
2011
1292
2.1
1.5
32.9%
58.4%
8.7%
2012
721
2.1
1.1
46.9%
39.8%
13.3%
2013
654
1.9
0.9
56.4%
33.3%
10.2%
2014
623
1.9
0.9
53.6%
36.3%
10.1%
2015
646
1.6
0.7
63.2%
29.1%
7.7%
2016
628
1.7
0.8
56.7%
35.0%
8.3%
Number of staff
Percent of staff
% in Position, by Years of Service
<1
1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5
5-6
6-7
7-8
8-9
9-10
10+
2012
46.9%
23.0%
8.2%
5.1%
3.5%
4.2%
1.5%
2.2%
1.4%
2.1%
1.9%
2013
56.4%
17.1%
9.0%
4.0%
3.2%
0.9%
2.8%
0.9%
1.5%
1.1%
3.1%
2014
53.6%
23.0%
5.1%
5.8%
2.4%
2.2%
0.6%
2.2%
0.8%
0.6%
3.5%
2015
63.2%
15.9%
8.0%
2.0%
3.1%
1.5%
1.2%
0.6%
1.2%
0.3%
2.8%
2016
56.7%
24.0%
6.1%
3.7%
1.3%
2.2%
1.0%
1.0%
0.3%
1.3%
2.5%
Avg
55.4%
20.6%
7.3%
4.1%
2.7%
2.2%
1.4%
1.4%
1.1%
1.1%
2.8%
Med
56.4%
23.0%
8.0%
4.0%
3.1%
2.2%
1.2%
1.0%
1.2%
1.1%
2.8%
Source: CRS calculations, March 31 of each year, for all staff in the position paid on or after October 2, 2000,
based on pay information provided in Statement of Disbursements of the House, as collated by LegiStorm, available
from October 1, 2000. Detailed information about using table data is available in “Presentation of Tenure Data.”
Congressional Research Service
24
Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Appendix. Job Title Categories
There is wide variation among the job titles used for various positions in congressional offices.
Between October 2000 and March 2016, House and Senate pay data provided 13,271 unique titles
under which staff received pay. Of those, 1,884 were extracted and categorized into one of 33 job
titles used in CRS Reports about Member or committee offices. Office type was sometimes
related to the job titles used. Some titles were specific to Member (e.g., District Director, State
Director, and Field Representative) or committee (positions that are identified by majority,
minority, or party standing, and Chief Clerk) offices, while others were identified in each setting
(Counsel, Scheduler, Staff Assistant, and Legislative Assistant).
Other job title variations reflect factors specific to particular offices, since each office functions as
its own hiring authority. Some of the titles may distinguish between roles and duties carried out in
the office (e.g., chief of staff, legislative assistant, etc.). Some offices may use job titles to
indicate degrees of seniority. Others might represent arguably inconsequential variations in title
between two staff members who might be carrying out essentially similar activities. Examples
include:
Seemingly related job titles, such as Administrative Director and Administrative
Manager, or Caseworker and Constituent Advocate
Job titles modified by location, such as Washington, DC, State, or District Chief
of Staff
Job titles modified by policy or subject area, such as Domestic Policy Counsel,
Energy Counsel, or Counsel for Constituent Services
Committee job titles modified by party or committee subdivision. This could
include a party-related distinction, such as a Majority, Minority, Democratic, or
Republican Professional Staff Member. It could also denote Full Committee Staff
Member, Subcommittee Staff Member, or work on behalf of an individual
committee leader, like the chair or ranking member.
The titles used in this report were used by most House Members’ offices, but a number of
apparently related variations are included to ensure inclusion of additional offices and staff. Table
A-1 provides the number of related titles included for each position used in this report or related
CRS Reports on staff tenure. A list of all titles included by category is available to congressional
offices upon request.
Table A-1. Position Title Categories and Related Positions
Category Title
Related Titles
Category Title
Related Titles
Administrative Director
34
Minority Professional Staff Member
22
Casework Supervisor
31
Minority Staff Director
3
Caseworker
94
Minority Subcommittee Staff Director
32
Chief Clerk
7
Office Coordinator
34
Chief Counsel
68
Office Manager
62
Chief of Staff
23
Press Secretary
80
Communications Director
18
Professional Staff Member
142
Counsel
180
Regional Representative
37
Deputy Staff Director
41
Scheduler
70
Congressional Research Service
25
Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Category Title
Related Titles
Category Title
Related Titles
District Director
52
Senior Counsel
81
Executive Assistant
36
Senior Professional Staff Member
26
Field Representative
24
Staff Assistant
165
Legislative Assistant
78
Staff Director
39
Legislative Correspondent
23
State Director
31
Legislative Director
11
Subcommittee Staff Director
214
Minority Chief Counsel
12
Systems Administrator
47
Minority Counsel
22
Source: CRS, based on House and Senate pay data.
Author Contact Information
(name redacted)
Specialist in American National Government
[redacted#@crs.loc.gov, 7-....
(name redacted)
Analyst in American National Government
r[ edacted#@crs.loc.gov, 7-....
Acknowledgments
Jennifer Manning, Senior Research Librarian in the Knowledge Services Group, provided research support
for this report. Claudia Guidi, Support Specialist, and Alex Marine, Publications Editor, provided
additional formatting and editorial support.
Congressional Research Service
26
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