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City Managers


Overview

City Managers

Introduction

A city manager is an administrator who coordinates the day-to-day operation of a local government. Usually an appointed position, the manager directs the administration of city government in accordance with the policies determined by the city council or other elected authority.

Quick Facts


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Median Salary

$90,019

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Employment Prospects

Fair

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Minimum Education Level

Bachelor's Degree
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Experience

Five to 10 years of experience


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Skills

Business Management
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Personality Traits

Enterprising
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Earnings

City managers' earnings vary according to such factors as the size of the city, the city's geographical location, and the manager's education and experience. According to a member survey by the International City/County Management Association, chief appointed city officials earned a median annual salary of approximately $152,000 while those employed by counties earned $140,000. Other sources, s...

Work Environment

Typically a city manager has an office and possibly a trained staff to assist him or her. But a city manager also spends many hours attending meetings. To provide information to citizens on current government operations or to advocate certain programs, the manager frequently appears at public meetings and other civic functions and often visits government departments and inspects work sites. A c...

Outlook

Although city management is a growing profession, the field is still relatively small. The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that employment of general and operations managers, which includes city managers, will grow 5.6 percent from 2018 to 2028, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Applicants with only a bachelor's degree will have the most difficulty finding employment. Even an ...