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

Zohran Mamdani joined a list of US mayors making over $200,000 a year. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images 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. It pays big to lead a city — sometimes more than it does to lead the state. After taking office in January, Zohran Mamdani , the mayor of New York City , joined the exclusive ranks of mayors who outearn their governors' salaries . Mayor salaries range widely across the US, from some in smaller towns earning as little as a couple of thousand dollars a year to the six-figure salaries many major city leaders earn. Since mayors' salaries are set at the local level by city councils and local legislatures, there are no centralized reports on what mayors earn across all cities and towns. And a larger city doesn't always mean a bigger payday for its mayor. Some high-earning enclaves with as few as 1,000 residents pay their mayors higher salaries than those in some of the nation's largest cities . We compiled recent reports on local mayors' salaries to identify those earning more than $200,000 a year. We also identified the size of the cities they lead using the latest US Census population estimates . Here are 20 of the highest-paid mayors in the country. Dearborn, Michigan Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images Population : 105,611 Mayor : Abdullah Hammoud Salary : $212,083 in 2026, as reported by the Detroit Free Press . Chicago Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images Population : 2,731,585 Mayor : Brandon Johnson Salary : $221,052 in 2026, as reported by Block Club Chicago , after Johnson decided to skip an annual inflation raise to his compensation. Oakland, California Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images Population : 440,838 Mayor : Barbara Lee Salary : $222,312 as of 2024, according to California state records. Lee's predecessor — Sheng Thao, who left office in November 2024 — was mayor at the time of the reported salary. Detroit Monica Morgan/Getty Images Population : 649,095 Mayor : Mary Sheffield Salary : $224,573, as reported by Bridge Detroit, citing city records. San Jose, California Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images Population : 989,814 Mayor : Matt Mahan Salary : $226,479 total pay as of 2024, per California state records. Medley, Florida andrespilot/Shutterstock Population : 1,075 Mayor : Ana "Lily" Stefano Salary : $230,872, as reported by the Miami New Time s in 2025. Bellingham, Washington Cascade Creatives/Shutterstock Population : 96,395 Mayor : Kim Lund Salary : $237,000, as reported by Cascadia Daily News in 2025. The mayor decided to forgo a cost-of-living raise in 2026. Houston Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images Population : 2,397,315 Mayor : John Whitmire Salary : $240,000 in 2025, as reported by the Houston Chronicle . San Diego Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images Population : 1,406,106 Mayor : Todd Gloria Salary : $244,147 as of 2024, per California state records. Maui, Hawaii Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images Population : 160,592 Mayor : Richard Bissen Salary : $245,000, as reported by the Honolulu Civil Beat in 2025. Washington, DC Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images Population : 693,645 Mayor : Muriel Bowser Salary : $250,000, according to the District of Columbia law , effective since 2023. Boston Joseph Prezioso / AFP via Getty Images Population : 672,973 Mayor : Michelle Wu Salary : $250,000 in 2026, as reported by Boston.com . Florida City, Florida AP Photo/Hillery Smith Garrison Population : 13,576 Mayor : Otis T. Wallace Salary : $250,328, plus a $5,600 expense account, phone, and car, as reported by the Miami New Times in 2025. Wallace has been the city's mayor since 1984, with a salary that reflects his combined responsibilities serving as both mayor and city manager. New York City Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images Population : 8,584,629 Mayor : Zohran Mamdani Salary : $258,750, as previously reported by Business Insider . Rosemont, Illinois Business Wire/AP Population : 3,815 Mayor : Bradley Stephens Salary : $260,000, as reported by the local outlet, the Daily Herald, in 2024. Philadelphia Marla Aufmuth/Getty Images for Pennsylvania Conference for Women Population : 1,574,281 Mayor : Cherelle Parker Salary : $269,708, as reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer in 2025. Quincy, Massachusetts Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images 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 APU GOMES/AFP via Getty Images 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 Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images 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 Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images 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. Read the original article on Business Insider