Not all mayors are paid, but some receive a handsome salary in their cities and towns. The amount a mayor gets depends on several factors, including the city or town’s laws and rules, as well as the recommendations of the voters. In this blog post, we will look at how much mayors are paid.
How much does a Mayor make?
Mayors’ salaries differ as per city and under certain financial laws. In 2016, a survey in the US revealed that mayors in big cities earned about $150 000 to 200 000 a year. Those in mid-sized cities pocketed a salary between $100 000 to $50 000, and mayors in small cities would get about $10 000 [Source].
Recent financial reports show that the average salary for a mayor is between $150 000 per year and $210 000, and $70-$100 per hour [Source].
Payscale argues that a mayor makes $56,754 as an average base salary per year and $25.00 per hour on average base [Source].
How much do Mayors make in small towns?
Mayors in small towns are the most disadvantaged because their localities have small-scale businesses and lack large business people or economic activities. In 2016, a US mayor in small towns earned around $10 000 per year. Mayors in these areas are not full-time based at work but only attend meetings, fulfill decorum, oversee business meetings and officiate certain gatherings, so maybe that also affects their salary.
Highest paid Mayor
According to financial reports, San Francisco Mayor is the highest-paid mayor who gets $351,116 [Source].
Mayor salaries by state
Mayor salaries differ significantly per state, as shown in the information below [Source]. These variations are caused by different factors, including the size of a city or town, economic activities in that town, the rules and regulations of a city, and voters’ decisions on how much to pay their mayor.
State Annual Hourly Wage
Washington $210,398 $101.15
Maryland $206,008 $99.04
New York $202,508 $97.36
Nebraska $201,880 $97.06
Virginia $199,232 $95.78
New Hampshire $195,802 $94.14
Colorado $195,729 $94.10
South Carolina $195,297 $93.89
Missouri $192,828 $92.71
Delaware $192,796 $92.69
Massachusetts $189,728 $91.22
Kentucky $189,699 $91.20
California $188,848 $90.79
Oklahoma $187,632 $90.21
Arkansas $184,793 $88.84
Vermont $184,520 $88.71
Illinois $183,797 $88.36
Hawaii $183,429 $88.19
Michigan $183,423 $88.18
Wyoming $181,272 $87.15
Connecticut $178,130 $85.64
Idaho $177,361 $85.27
West Virginia $176,003 $84.62
Rhode Island $175,764 $84.50
Maine $175,363 $84.31
Alaska $174,862 $84.07
Nevada $173,488 $83.41
North Dakota $173,332 $83.33
Pennsylvania $173,024 $83.18
New Jersey $172,710 $83.03
Montana $172,071 $82.73
Texas $171,696 $82.55
Arizona $170,300 $81.88
Indiana $169,208 $81.35
Minnesota $168,645 $81.08
Tennessee $168,419 $80.97
South Dakota $168,271 $80.90
Wisconsin $167,541 $80.55
Ohio $167,199 $80.38
North Carolina $166,423 $80.01
Oregon $165,635 $79.63
Utah $165,146 $79.40
Georgia $164,285 $78.98
Louisiana $163,553 $78.63
Kansas $163,103 $78.41
Iowa $161,174 $77.49
Alabama $160,443 $77.14
New Mexico $159,167 $76.52
Florida $154,839 $74.44
Mississippi $152,791 $73.46
How much do Mayors make in NJ?
It is noted that “As of Jan 21, 2022, the average annual pay for a Mayor in New Jersey is $172,710 a year” [Source], and it can be worked out as “$83.03 an hour. This is the equivalent of $3,321/week or $14,392/month.”
Mayor salary Georgia
It was revealed that “As of Jan 21, 2022, the average annual pay for a Mayor in Georgia is $164,285 a year” [Source], which is translated to “$78.98 an hour. This is the equivalent of $3,159/week or $13,690/month.”
