Arizona House should pay some people more

The 2023 Arizona House of Representatives staff and salaries

I would never really advocate for government employees to earn more money because it’s at the expense of the taxpayer, but when you look at the salaries for top staff and for the everyday people who do a lot of work through many different leaders and political parties (not really the AZLeg since Republicans have maintained control for multiple decades in a row) you can see the huge disparities.

Legislative chiefs of staff, the people who do most of the work really, earn $200,000 for the GOP or about $180,000 for the Democrats. Senior policy advisors, deputy chiefs and general counsels typically follow and then the numbers continue to go down when you look at the jobs that aren’t as sexy.

The House’s housekeeping supervisor, for example, makes $62,500. The chief of security in the House makes $56,400 and Steve Matt, the House’s incomparable reader and Shakespeare extraordinaire is making $47,300 in his 13th year of employment at the Legislature.

While he received a generous 10% raise from 2022 when he was earning $43,000, those who have ever spent time in the House watching Matt work would agree he is severely underpaid.

I don’t know how much the Arizona House should pay its reader, but it should definitely be more than what he’s currently at. Nobody could do the job as well as Matt. I –– and I’m sure others would agree –– think he is indispensable.

Read more about him in the link above from when Arizona Agenda’s Hank Stephenson interviewed him for the Arizona Capitol Times back in 2016 and learn how unique of a person he is.

It’s not just Matt either. There are many legislative staffers who deserve a pay raise and maybe not as much the senior staffers who already are earning high salaries as you’ll see below. Matt just happens to be a well-known and likable individual who is really an honor to watch work.

Here is the current 2023 House staff (click the image or this link to see everyone)

And here’s a comparison to House salaries in 2022.