In news that won’t rock any headlines… the people on Capitol Hill actually writing the legislation, going to all the meetings and doing all the work – well, apparently they don’t get paid well. [makes cents]

The Politico recently featured a story on Capitol Hill staffers who willingly struggle to get by – because of the love of the game.

With the demand for House and Senate jobs greatly outweighing the supply – open positions often yield more than 100 applicants – starting salaries can be low, sometimes starting at $25,000 a year after taxes, according to an analysis of public salary data on Legistorm.com. Though that’s well above the poverty line, in a city like D.C., where a beer can cost $1 a sip and taxi fares are higher than those in Manhattan, $25,000 won’t take a Hill staffer very far. 

The article goes on to allude that perhaps some staffers [trust fund babies] on Capitol Hill don’t exactly tell the truth when it comes to other kinds of financial aid they might be receiving.

Staffers use various methods – including the occasional phone call home – to get by financially. But it’s not something they like to own up to. Of several staffers contacted who agreed to be interviewed for this story, none received outright financial assistance from parents. Some do, however, enjoy living at home rent-free.  

And leave it to the Yale grad interviewed to have this scholastic approach to not pissing your money away at local watering holes.

“Mainly, don’t drink it away,” he advised. “It’s incredibly easy to spend $30 on three bottles of wine and invite 10 people over and have a great night, whereas if you [go to] a happy hour, one or two people can spend that much on just a couple drinks.” 

The good news:  If you’re a Capitol Hill staffer looking for good drink specials this summer – you’re in luck.  FamousDC will soon to roll out the Ultimate Capitol Hill Drinking Guide.

Stay tuned and Stay Classy.