Legislative Staffer

Answer 1

Legislative staffer is a general occupational term used to describe occupations that aid state and federal legislative branches, such as congress and the senate, regardless of their partisan or nonpartisan affiliation. The lowest ranking job to the highest seat short of legislator can be considered a legislative staffer. Within the rankings, there are partisan legislative staffers and nonpartisan legislative staffers. Partisan and nonpartisan staffers have two separate functions.

A partisan legislative staffer is chosen by their party, house or legislator. Partisan staffers are employed to work on whatever their legislator wishes for them to do. This means a partisan legislative staffer may research, compose information or documents for their legislators, work with media outlets, work as lawyers for their party, house or legislator, and work as an aide or committee staff.

A nonpartisan staffer is not employed by their house, party, or legislator and instead works as a civil service employee in politically inactive legislative offices that deal with anything from research to the state or federal budget. These offices include the Office of Fiscal Analysis, the Office of Legislative research, and the Legislative Commissioners Office.

There are many job titles, which fall under the legislative staffer umbrella. Legislative staffers may also be called legislative director, legislative coordinator, legislative assistant, senior legislative assistant and caseworker. However, anyone who works for a legislator, as well as a congressional or senatorial house in any way can be considered a legislative staffer.

The job requirements for a legislative staffer varies considerably, due to the myriad of job titles a staffer can be given. However, experience and education are both needed regardless of the position. Experience in the legislative process, for at least a year, is a requirement. Often, qualifications include some sort of supervisory duty, or management, in addition to computer proficiency, computer experience, and written and oral communication skills. The minimum education, for a legislative staffer, is a Bachelors degree. However, a specific subject is usually not required. The reason for employment requirements lacking a specific degree subject is two fold. It is essential for there to be legislative staffers, who have knowledge in one or more different areas. Different degrees allow a group of staffers to be well balanced and knowledgeable. While this is true, degrees in Political Science, Social Science, Economics, Business, English, Social Work and Finance are a plus in the political world. Aside from a Bachelors degree, some legislative employers prefer higher up legislative staffers to have a law degree, as well.

Salary for legislative staffers varies depending on the job and its duties. The potential salary for a Legislative Assistant may be as low as $30,000, for the United States Congressional Houses. The starting salary for a Chief of Staff could reach $120,000. Therefore, it is necessary to look at each state and federal legislative branch separately in order to obtain the most recent and factual information.