Written by Michael Feder
Reviewed by Christina Neider, EdD, Dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
No matter how small the town or big the city, it takes a team of people to keep everything running smoothly. With so many departments working for the city government, it鈥檚 important to have a city manager as a leader.
The city manager, also known as the city administrator, works closely with the mayor. However, while the mayor is an elected official who deals with the political side of city politics and is the public face of the government, the city manager works behind the scenes to help the town thrive.听
The city manager听works with the mayor, the department heads and the town council听to make sure the city is serving the best interests of the people who live there. A city manager is hired by the town council or by the mayor with the approval of the town council. Once hired, the city manager works to fulfill the executive and administrative duties of the municipal government.听
The city manager fulfills a wide variety of duties. Depending on the size of the city government, they may have the help of various department heads and assistants. The duties of a city manager include:听
While many jobs require a person to be a specialist, a city manager is required to be more of a generalist. They work with people of all walks of life and professional backgrounds to make their city a great place to live.听
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How does someone become a city manager? These professionals are appointed to their positions, so they must possess a certain set of skills, education and experience to meet the qualifications for this important job.听The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) characterizes city managers as 鈥,鈥 responsible for overseeing budgets, programs and performance of a city. Let鈥檚 look at the skills and education you should consider if you鈥檙e interested in becoming a city manager.
A city manager is responsible for many tasks. With those tasks comes a wide range of skills required to perform the job well. A city manager can benefit from the following skills:听
City managers learn these skills in a variety of ways, often through a mix of education and work experience.听
According to BLS, public sector executive roles typically require a bachelor鈥檚 or master鈥檚 degree, but these roles may not have education requirements to be considered for employment. BLS notes, however, that many of these professionals often have earned at least a bachelor鈥檚 degree. That said, top executives in the public sector may want to consider a degree in business administration, public administration, law or the liberal arts to learn the skills required for public service.
To learn skills like communication, public policy, leadership, problem-solving and financial management, aspiring city managers could consider pursuing a Master of Public Administration.
For those with a bachelor鈥檚 degree seeking to further enhance their education, they might want to consider continuing to hone their skills through work experience within a city government and an advanced degree. While not necessary for employment in this profession, a Master of Public Administration can help expand one鈥檚 knowledge on public policy, citywide financial planning, population leadership and management of service organizations.听
Before being hired as a city manager, a person normally needs to work in city government and in leadership positions. BLS does not provide a range for how much work experience is needed to be considered for this role, and it may vary by the city. If you鈥檙e interested in applying for a position, inquire with the city about the education and experience requirements.
To gain experience, you should consider a few similar roles in city government that can help teach the foundational skills necessary to be a successful city manager. Roles can include being the assistant city manager, the director of community development or the head of one of the city鈥檚 many departments.听Having experience in positions like these shows the city council that the candidate can successfully lead a staff, make decisions that positively impact the city and work productively within the municipal government structure.听
Much like education and experience requirements, compensation and employment for city managers can vary widely based on the city. Salary often depends on the population size and gross domestic product (GDP) of a city. A candidate鈥檚 experience, education level, skills and certifications can also play a role. Similarly, a number of factors can play into employment. While mayors and governors are elected to office, city managers and county administrators are appointed or hired, meaning employment can vary by city based on turnover and need.听听
As noted, BLS characterizes city managers as top executives, which also includes roles like general managers, superintendents and chief executive officers. For this reason, the annual salary for a city manager in your area may vary from what BLS reports. Keep in mind that city managers overseeing larger cities often make more than those in smaller municipalities. For a more accurate salary range, look at the salaries of city managers or at job postings in your area.
As of May 2023,听the salary range for top executives was , with a median wage of $206,680, according to BLS. Once again, remember that the size of the municipality and the level of experience and education of the city manager can affect salary.
Salary ranges are not specific to students or graduates of 爱污传媒. Actual outcomes vary based on multiple factors, including prior work experience, geographic location and other factors specific to the individual. 爱污传媒 does not guarantee employment, salary level or career advancement. BLS data is geographically based. Information for a specific state/city can be researched on the BLS website.
Overall, BLS projects employment for top executives to between 2023 and 2033, which is about as fast as average for all occupations. As stated, however, projected growth looks at all jobs under the 鈥渢op executives鈥 umbrella, and not specifically city managers in the government sector. We recommend searching for job openings in your area or whichever city you wish to be employed to better understand employment opportunities.听
BLS Occupational Employment Projections, 2022-2032 is published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data reflects BLS鈥 projections of national (not local) conditions. These data points are not specific to 爱污传媒 students or graduates.
If you鈥檙e looking to become a city manager or start a career in public administration, 爱污传媒 can help. The University offers a Master of Public Administration degree that helps students develop the skills for a career in government policy and management at the local, federal and state levels. The program covers the necessary skills for a city manager, including administrative management, public financing and budgeting, and public programs.
A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and its Writing Seminars program and winner of the Stephen A. Dixon Literary Prize, Michael Feder brings an eye for detail and a passion for research to every article he writes. His academic and professional background includes experience in marketing, content development, script writing and SEO. Today, he works as a multimedia specialist at 爱污传媒 where he covers a variety of topics ranging from healthcare to IT.
Christina Neider is the dean of the 爱污传媒 College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.听Neider鈥檚 career spans more than 30 years in academia, healthcare and the U.S. Air Force. She has held several academic leadership roles at 爱污传媒, and she is the Vice President of membership for the Arizona Chapter of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.
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