What is a legislative assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

A legislative assistant is also known as a legislative aide. He/She works for selected officials, groups like advocacy groups, or nonprofit organizations that desire to change laws for their cause. As the role title implies, you are to help legislators in carrying out their responsibilities more effectively by aiding in administration, research, etc. You can be assigned to focus on a particular policy area like tax, peace and order, environment, or education. Furthermore, you are to help connect the legislator to the agencies or people who want to get in touch with him or her.

In addition, it is expected that you arrange events and meetings for the legislator. At times, you might even have to attend on his/her or her behalf. Generally, employers search for candidates with a bachelor's in public administration or political science. If you majored in law, you also have an advantage. As a legislative assistant, you will earn about $49,504 on average per year.

ScoreLegislative AssistantUS Average
Salary
3.6

Avg. Salary $45,614

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
7.3

Growth Rate -10%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
7.9
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.16%

Asian 5.39%

Black or African American 8.22%

Hispanic or Latino 11.55%

Unknown 3.98%

White 69.70%

Gender

female 51.23%

male 48.77%

Age - 43
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43
Stress Level
7.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
9.1

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
2.1

Work Life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

Legislative Assistant career paths

Key steps to become a legislative assistant

  1. Explore legislative assistant education requirements

    Most common legislative assistant degrees

    Bachelor's

    75.1 %

    Master's

    10.8 %

    Associate

    5.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific legislative assistant skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Policy Issues16.63%
    Press Releases9.37%
    Legislative Process5.33%
    Committee Hearings4.74%
    Legislative Issues3.45%
  3. Research legislative assistant duties and responsibilities

    • Manage office social media accounts including facebook, wordpress and twitter.
    • Manage website and social media content (Facebook) and write weekly blog for local media outlets.
    • Track and analyze all outside legislation that impact the Medicaid program.
    • Draft and review legislation focuse on issues impacting women and families, military sexual trauma, veterans, and human rights.
  4. Prepare your legislative assistant resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your legislative assistant resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a legislative assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Legislative Assistant Resume templates

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  5. Apply for legislative assistant jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a legislative assistant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Legislative Assistant Job

Zippi

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Average legislative assistant salary

The average Legislative Assistant salary in the United States is $45,614 per year or $22 per hour. Legislative assistant salaries range between $24,000 and $83,000 per year.

Average Legislative Assistant Salary
$45,614 Yearly
$21.93 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.