20 of the highest-paid city mayors in the US, ranked by salary

• Major city mayors like Zohran Mamdani earn more than their state governors.
• Mayoral salaries vary widely, with some small towns paying more than large cities.
• San Francisco mayor, Daniel Lurie, forgoes his $383,760 salary, the highest in the nation.

Rosemont, Illinois

Population: 3,815

Mayor: Bradley Stephens

Salary: $260,000, as reported by the local outlet, 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, after a pay raise approved by the City Council in 2024, WBUR reported. The mayor proposed a lower raise to $225,000 in October 2025 after backlash from residents, WCVB reported.

Oxnard, California

Population: 199,651

Mayor: Luis A. McArthur

Salary: $323,282 as of 2024, per California state records.

McArthur’s predecessor, John C. Zaragoza, was in office at the time of the reported salary. McArthur was sworn into office on December 11, 2024.

Los Angeles

Population: 3,869,089

Mayor: Karen Bass

Salary: $328,395 as of 2024, per California state records. Local reporting in 2025 put the number at $301,000.

San Francisco

Population: 826,079

Mayor: Daniel Lurie

Salary: $393,097 as of 2024, according to California state records.

However, Lurie decided to take a $1 salary from the city, as reported by local outlet KQED in 2024. At the time of the reported 2024 salary, Lurie’s predecessor, London Breed, was in office.

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