The Framers of the Constitution, when considering the formation of our government, never intended a Congressional position be a career in and of itself. The average salary for a U.S. Congressman or woman is approximately $174,000 per year. This is a respectable salary for just about anyone in the U.S., and certainly elevates the position of Congressperson to the level of a career. When our nation was new, Congresspeople had farms and businesses to which they had to attend, in addition to their duty to our country.
Reducing the salaries of Congresspeople, in addition, would help substantially to reduce this country's deficit (by approximately $75M/yr)