Senior congressional staffers have jobs that require deep expertise. They work grueling hours on Capitol Hill and are embedded in policy and politics. They support members of Congress on everything from bill writing to meeting with lobbyists and even helping with paperwork and technology.
But many of them somehow find time to do even more work on top of their time serving the public.
As part of the exhaustive Conflicted Congress project, Insider reviewed thousands of financial-disclosure reports for top-ranking staffers. That analysis turned up roughly four dozen senior Capitol Hill staffers with intriguing outside jobs.
In general, having a second part-time job isn't terribly uncommon. A Zapier survey of 2,000 US adults conducted in January found that 34% of respondents said they had a side hustle and that nearly one-third of these second jobs started in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the nation. Another 24% said they were planning on starting one in 2021.
Eight senior staffers spoke with Insider about their work balancing their congressional jobs with other gigs. All made at least $100,000 a year or more from their work on Capitol Hill. That's a far greater salary than what junior staffers get paid but not as competitive as wages in the private sector, where lobbyists, lawyers, and the like can earn well into the six-figure range.
The interviews showed that these congressional staffers' side hustles were more about tapping into a passion, creative endeavor, or hobby than they were about earning extra cash — though some of the jobs scored them an added four figures annually.
Scroll down to meet them.