Fun with LegiStorm: Senate Press Secretary Salaries

The new LegiStorm database of congressional staff salaries is back up and running, and I just spent some time perusing it. Washington Wire reports that "the site is the brainchild of D.C.-based, LegiStorm LLC., founded by Jock Friedly, a former reporter for The Hill newspaper."

As a public service to Potomac Flacks readers, I've used the site to put together a spreadsheet of salaries for Senate personal office press staff - comm directors, press secretaries, deputy press secretaries, etc. I didn't have time to do leadership offices or committee staffers, but you can check those out on the site.

Before I get any angry emails, let me caveat this posting by endorsing completely what the folks over at LegiStorm have to say:

A few aides are well paid by any measure. Many others make an embarrassing sum, especially in an expensive city such as Washington, DC at jobs that can have a ferocious intensity to them. While Congress is in session, Congressional aides often work well into the night, sometimes into the early morning, to craft legislation or to broker deals with the administration.

Here, here. The vast majority of Hill staffers are hard working, talented, and criminally underpaid, and the fact that Hill salaries don't keep pace with the private sector contributes to a lot of good people leaving government service.

Okay, off the soapbox.
Download the spreadsheet.

Notes: Spreadsheet is based on period from 10/01/05 - 3/31/06. Staffers who did not serve the complete period were not included. The salary estimate column is calculated by multiplying the pay period times two.