Ranked: America’s Highest-Paid Mayors
Key Takeaways
- San Francisco has the highest mayoral salary in the U.S. at $393,097, but Mayor Daniel Lurie chose to accept just $1.
- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a prominent democratic socialist, ranks seventh with a salary of $258,750.
- California holds the top three positions and is the only state with mayoral salaries above $300,000 in the ranking.
Running a city can mean managing billions of dollars in budgets, overseeing essential services, and responding to residents’ day-to-day concerns. Yet mayoral pay varies widely, from a few thousand dollars in some smaller municipalities to six-figure salaries in the cities featured here.
This visualization ranks the 10 highest reported annual mayoral salaries in the U.S., ranging from $250,000 to $393,097. The data comes from Business Insider, using the latest available reported figures from 2023–2026.
Compensation can be shaped by factors including city size, cost of living, local budgets, government structure, and the scope of a mayor’s responsibilities.
America’s Three Highest-Paid Mayors Are in California
California holds the top three positions in the ranking. These cities are also the only ones listed that pay their mayors more than $300,000 annually.
San Francisco’s mayoral salary ranks first at $393,097. However, Mayor Daniel Lurie, a philanthropist and heir to the Levi Strauss fortune, chose to accept just $1 from the city, making him a notable outlier.
| Rank | City, State | Mayor, Party Affiliation | Annual Salary | City Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, California | Daniel LurieDemocrat | $393,097 ($1 taken) | 826,079 |
| 2 | Los Angeles, California | Karen BassDemocrat | $328,395 | 3,869,089 |
| 3 | Oxnard, California | Luis A. McArthurDemocrat | $323,282 | 199,651 |
| 4 | Quincy, Massachusetts | Thomas KochNonpartisan | $285,000 | 103,173 |
| 5 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Cherelle ParkerDemocrat | $269,708 | 1,574,281 |
| 6 | Rosemont, Illinois | Bradley StephensRepublican | $260,000 | 3,815 |
| 7 | New York, New York | Zohran MamdaniDemocrat | $258,750 | 8,584,629 |
| 8 | Florida City, Florida | Otis T. WallaceNonpartisan | $250,328 | 13,576 |
| 9 | Boston, Massachusetts | Michelle WuDemocrat | $250,000 | 672,973 |
| 10 | Washington, D.C. | Muriel BowserDemocrat | $250,000 | 693,645 |
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ranks second at $328,395, though her salary was reportedly reduced to $301,000 in 2025 amid city budget cuts. Oxnard Mayor Luis A. McArthur places third at $323,282.
Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani Ranks Seventh
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani ranks seventh with an annual salary of $258,750. His position among America’s highest-paid mayors creates a notable contrast with his national profile as an outspoken democratic socialist.
Mamdani took office in 2026 as New York City’s first Muslim and first South Asian mayor. His salary is about $100,000 higher than the estimated salary needed to live comfortably in New York.
However, Mamdani rejected a City Council-proposed increase that would have raised his salary to $305,800 in July 2026. He said the pay increase would not improve the lives of New Yorkers.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, another prominent progressive, ranks ninth with an annual salary of $250,000.
Seven of the 10 Highest-Paid Mayors Are Democrats
Seven mayors in the ranking are Democrats, two are nonpartisan, and one is a Republican.
The only Republican is Bradley Stephens, mayor of Rosemont, Illinois. Rosemont is also the smallest municipality in the ranking, with 3,815 residents. Stephens’ reported salary of $260,000 reflects a position that combines his mayoral duties with other responsibilities, including serving as village manager and economic development director for the town’s large commercial hub.
The comparison shows that population alone does not determine mayoral compensation. New York is the largest city represented, with 8.6 million residents, but ranks seventh for salary. Florida City, meanwhile, ranks eighth at $250,328 despite having just 13,576 residents.
The top seven salaries in the ranking are also higher than the salary of any U.S. state governor. As of 2026, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is the country’s highest-paid governor, earning $253,870 annually.
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If you enjoyed today’s post, check out this graphic on the average salary by U.S. state.