America's Richest Mayors: Unveiling the Top 10 Highest Earners!
An in-depth analysis reveals the highest-paid mayors across the United States, highlighting surprising salary distributions that often defy city population sizes. This report showcases the top ten mayoral earners, including leaders from major cities like Los Angeles and New York, alongside those from much smaller municipalities, detailing their backgrounds and unique salary circumstances.
The role of a mayor is often associated with substantial responsibilities, leading many to expect a commensurate six-figure salary, particularly for those overseeing cities with millions of residents. However, an analysis based on data collected by Business Insider and reported by Visual Capitalist reveals a surprising landscape of mayoral compensation across the United States, where leaders of smaller municipalities sometimes earn more than their counterparts in major metropolises. This report details the top ten highest-paid mayors in the U.S., highlighting their salaries, cities, and unique circumstances.
1. Daniel Lurie (San Francisco, California): $393,097
Leading the list is Daniel Lurie of San Francisco, California, who assumed office in 2025. A native of San Francisco, Lurie has deep ties to the area as an heir to the Levi Strauss fortune. Despite his official salary, Lurie, with an estimated net worth exceeding $30 million, has chosen to donate most of his earnings back to the city, famously keeping only $1 for himself.
2. Karen Bass (Los Angeles, California): $328,395
Karen Bass, another California native, has been serving as the Mayor of Los Angeles since 2023. Her transition to mayor marked a significant pay raise, as she previously served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2022, where she would have earned around $175,000 annually.
3. Luis McArthur (Oxnard, California): $323,282
California continues to dominate the top three, with Oxnard Mayor Luis McArthur securing the third spot. Elected in 2024, McArthur oversees a city of 200,000 residents, bringing a wealth of experience from his 35 years of service with the Oxnard Police Department.
4. Thomas Koch (Quincy, Massachusetts): $285,000
Thomas Koch, Mayor of Quincy, Massachusetts, a city within the greater Boston area, earns more than the Mayor of Boston despite overseeing 103,000 residents. However, his $285,000 salary has been subject to controversy. Following public complaints regarding a pay raise in 2024, Mayor Koch deferred the increase, and the city council is now reviewing the cost.
5. Cherelle Parker (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania): $269,708
Cherelle Parker is in her first term as Mayor of Philadelphia, having taken office in 2024. As a native of Philadelphia, she serves 1.5 million residents, making it the third-largest city among the top 10 highest-paid mayoral positions. Prior to her current role, Parker represented the city in both the state legislature and the Philadelphia City Council.
6. Bradley Stephens (Rosemont, Illinois): $260,000
Bradley Stephens has been Mayor of Rosemont, Illinois, since 2007, succeeding his father in the position. Remarkably, his salary is higher than that of the Mayor of Chicago, who serves a city of over 2.7 million residents, while Rosemont has a population of nearly 4,000.
7. Zohran Mamdani (New York, New York): $258,750
Zohran Mamdani became Mayor of New York City in 2026, overseeing the largest U.S. city by population with over 8.5 million residents. Despite a city council vote to grant him and other officials a raise shortly after he took office, Mamdani declined, stating, “I haven’t knocked on anyone’s door in New York City and they’ve said that their concern is that the mayor makes too little.”
8. Otis Wallace (Florida City, Florida): $250,328
Florida City, located near South Miami-Dade, saw its long-serving mayor, Otis Wallace, retire in 2026 after an impressive 42 years in office, having first been elected in 1984. At the time of his retirement, his salary of $250,328 was notably higher than that of Governor Ron DeSantis, who earns $141,400 annually.
9. Michelle Wu (Boston, Massachusetts): $250,000
Michelle Wu has served as Mayor of Boston since 2021 and was re-elected in 2025. Her current salary of $250,000 represents a $43,000 increase from her initial election, a raise passed by the city council in 2022 that could only take effect after her re-election due to state ethics laws.
10. Muriel Bowser (Washington, D.C.): $250,000
Rounding out the top ten is Muriel Bowser, the Mayor of Washington, D.C., with a salary of $250,000.