Legislative Aide

Answer 1

The legislative aide job title usually refers to individuals who work as assistants to federal, state and local legislative bodies. However, the title is sometimes used for employees who analyze legislation and meet with elected officials on behalf of corporations, lobbyists and non-profit organizations. Due to the highly competitive nature of the occupation, job openings for legislative aide positions are frequently filled without any public advertising or recruiting.

While legislative internships may pay an even lower stipend, entry level legislative aide positions generally pay in the $20,000 to $30,000 range. Elected officials are usually given significant latitude in determining the salaries of their aides. For example, the lowest paid legislative aide for the Michigan State Senate made $28,500 in 2007. The highest paid legislative aide on the same survey made $60,000. According to LEO Weekly, the salaries of the majority of legislative aides for the Louisville, Kentucky Metro Council ranged from $45,000 to $65,000 at the end of 2008.

While job titles for legislative staff may differ, experienced legislative employees in larger states can make salaries that reach well into six figures. According to The Open House Project of the Sunlight Foundation, the average salary for Congressional staffers in 2009 was $29,891 for a staff assistant and $39,906 for a Congressional aide. Chiefs of Staff averaged $121,052.

Legislative aides work long hours and frequent nights and weekends. Many do not receive overtime pay for the additional work. One significant responsibility is reading and analyzing legislation.

A legislative aide will contact governmental agencies, academics, legislative advocates and community organizations to assemble information on legislation and gather reactions to it. Her work may also involve meeting with like-minded individuals and groups to discuss strategy for passing or defeating a particular proposal. The aide may prepare an executive summary of key points in a proposal. This summary is provided to the elected official she works for and other legislative staffers.

A legislative aide will also deal with constituent questions. In many cases, residents in the district simply want information on the details of a proposed law. In other instances, the legislative aide must serve as an advocate for his employer’s position on a particular bill.