And finally, Bill Burton, who was a deputy White House press secretary before leaving to run a pro-Obama super PAC in 2012, is heading to Global Strategy Group, a P.R. behemoth.

The shakeup, with most of the moves announced in the past month, leaves the White House with few of the inner circle that Obama has come to rely on. But it should leave all of the former staffers with a better bank account balance.

It’s often looked down upon when officials leave for private sector jobs, especially in lobbying or political consulting. But it’s a perfectly understandable move for a staffer who has likely spent the last decade or more of his or her life overworked and underpaid in a highly stressful environment with little job security. Working on political campaigns requires absolute dedication to your candidate, demanding long hours and grueling travel schedules, and, for senior officials, complete discipline, as every word and movement can and will be scrutinized by the press and the opposition. And it could all be for naught if things don’t go your way on the first Tuesday in November.

Once in government, things get a little bit better, but the hours often remain hellish, leaving little time for family and an outside life. The salary —  over $100,000 for senior White House staff — is comfortable and about triple the national average, but less than what people with similar education, experience and skills could fetch in the private sector. Of course, people take these jobs because they believe in public service and their bosses, but the opportunity costs — what’s given up by pursuing public service, instead of private sector opportunities — can be tremendous.

Which is why it’s understood in Washington that for those who want a certain lifestyle, the compensation for the thankless work on Capitol Hill or stressful life in the White House will come after they leave, when they leverage their government experience into cushy and lucrative consulting deals.