The annual salaries of those who work for a D.C. Council member or on the member's committee run the gamut from $30,000 to more than four times that amount, but much of the difference lies in who's doing the hiring.

Ward 2 Councilman Jack Evans pays his eight staff and committee members the highest average salary -- $85,182 annually. At-large Councilman Michael Brown pays the second-highest average, $75,641, for his 11 employees. At-large Councilman Vincent Orange comes in third with an average $71,601 for nine staff and committee members.

(See which council members and staff make more than $100,000 per year)

Brown and Council Chairman Phil Mendelson also took on several employees of former Chairman Kwame Brown after he resigned in June before pleading guilty to felony bank fraud. The staff members, who earned between $70,000 and $125,000, were already included in the council's 2012 budget.

In a statement, Michael Brown said he hired two staffers -- a special assistant and Kwame Brown's former chief of staff -- who had "keen knowledge and experience of the ongoing [development] projects throughout the city." Michael Brown's office took over the Economic Development and Housing Committee, which was part of the former chairman's office.

(See a full list of council staff salaries)

The council member who pays the lowest average annual salary is Ward 1's Jim Graham, who pays an average $60,976 to 12 people. Ward 3 Councilwoman Mary Cheh's average salary is slightly higher at $61,643 for 11 people. The remaining seven council members pay average salaries between $64,000 and $71,000 annually.