Heading a city often brings substantial pay, sometimes surpassing compensation for state leadership roles.

After starting his term in January, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani became part of a select group of mayors whose earnings exceed their governors' pay.

Compensation for mayors varies greatly nationwide, spanning from modest stipends of a few thousand dollars annually in small communities to six-figure amounts for leaders of large urban centers.

Because local councils and legislatures determine these figures, no single national database tracks mayoral pay across every municipality.

City size does not always correlate with higher earnings. Certain affluent small towns with populations near 1,000 offer mayors more than some leaders of major metropolitan areas receive.

Recent local reports were reviewed to find mayors earning above $200,000 annually, with city populations drawn from the most current US Census estimates.

The following presents 20 of the nation's highest-paid mayors.

Dearborn, Michigan

Population: 105,611

Mayor: Abdullah Hammoud

Salary: $212,083 in 2026, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Chicago

Population: 2,731,585

Mayor: Brandon Johnson

Salary: $221,052 in 2026, per Block Club Chicago, following Johnson's choice to decline an annual inflation adjustment.

Oakland, California

Population: 440,838

Mayor: Barbara Lee

Salary: $222,312 as of 2024, based on California state records. The figure reflects pay during the term of predecessor Sheng Thao, who departed office in November 2024.

Detroit

Population: 649,095

Mayor: Mary Sheffield

Salary: $224,573, according to Bridge Detroit citing municipal records.

San Jose, California

Population: 989,814

Mayor: Matt Mahan

Salary: $226,479 total compensation as of 2024, per California state records.

Medley, Florida

Population: 1,075

Mayor: Ana "Lily" Stefano

Salary: $230,872, as noted by the Miami New Times in 2025.

Bellingham, Washington

Population: 96,395

Mayor: Kim Lund

Salary: $237,000, according to Cascadia Daily News in 2025. The mayor opted out of a cost-of-living increase for 2026.

Houston

Population: 2,397,315

Mayor: John Whitmire

Salary: $240,000 in 2025, per the Houston Chronicle.

San Diego

Population: 1,406,106

Mayor: Todd Gloria

Salary: $244,147 as of 2024, from California state records.

Maui, Hawaii

Population: 160,592

Mayor: Richard Bissen

Salary: $245,000, according to the Honolulu Civil Beat in 2025.

Washington, DC

Population: 693,645

Mayor: Muriel Bowser

Salary: $250,000, per District of Columbia law effective since 2023.

Boston

Population: 672,973

Mayor: Michelle Wu

Salary: $250,000 in 2026, as reported by Boston.com.

Florida City, Florida

Population: 13,576

Mayor: Otis T. Wallace

Salary: $250,328, along with a $5,600 expense account, phone, and vehicle, per the Miami New Times in 2025. Wallace has served since 1984, with pay reflecting duties as both mayor and city manager.

New York City

Population: 8,584,629

Mayor: Zohran Mamdani

Salary: $258,750, as noted in prior Business Insider coverage.

Rosemont, Illinois

Population: 3,815

Mayor: Bradley Stephens

Salary: $260,000, according to the Daily Herald in 2024.

Philadelphia

Population: 1,574,281

Mayor: Cherelle Parker

Salary: $269,708, as reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer in 2025.

Quincy, Massachusetts

Population: 103,173

Mayor: Thomas Koch

Salary: $285,000 following a City Council-approved raise in 2024, per WBUR. The mayor later suggested a reduced increase to $225,000 in October 2025 amid resident feedback, according to WCVB.

Oxnard, California

Population: 199,651

Mayor: Luis A. McArthur

Salary: $323,282 as of 2024, per California state records. The amount corresponds to predecessor John C. Zaragoza's term; McArthur took office on December 11, 2024.

Los Angeles

Population: 3,869,089

Mayor: Karen Bass

Salary: $328,395 as of 2024, per California state records. Some 2025 local reports listed the figure at $301,000.

San Francisco

Population: 826,079

Mayor: Daniel Lurie

Salary: $393,097 as of 2024, according to California state records. Lurie elected to accept a $1 salary instead, as noted by KQED in 2024. The reported amount reflects the prior term of London Breed.