How to hire a city administrator

How to hire a city administrator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step city administrator hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a city administrator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new city administrator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a city administrator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your city administrator job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a city administrator for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a city administrator to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a city administrator that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of city administrators and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of City Administrator	Description	Hourly rate
   City Administrator	Top executives devise strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. They plan, direct, and coordinate operational activities of companies and organizations.	$15-60
   Vice President	Vice presidents are usually considered the second-in-command in the organization, depending on the organization structure. They take over when the president is unavailable to fulfill duties... Show more	$51-112
   President	Presidents are usually the highest-level executives in an organization. They oversee the whole company... Show more	$54-155

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Public Works
   • Local Government
   • Financial Reports
   • Community Development
   • Municipal Government
   • Public Safety
   • City Ordinances
   • City Government
   • Personnel Policies
   • General Fund
   • Payroll
   • Water
   • Sewer
   • Economic Development Corporation

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Maintain an ave. 35-40 A/R days and achieve finacials from red to black.
   • Provide day-to-day oversight of accounts receivables (tax collections and revenues).
   • Maximize customer satisfaction in rehabilitation therapy.
   • Serve as GIS coordinator between county and city offices.
   • Maximize customer satisfaction in rehabilitation therapy.

   More city administrator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your city administrator job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A city administrator can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, city administrators' average salary in mississippi is 68% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level city administrators 74% less than senior-level city administrators.
   • Certifications. A city administrator with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a city administrator's salary.

   Average city administrator salary

   $64,965yearly

   $31.23 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level city administrator salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average city administrator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$86,299	$41
   2	California	$82,165	$40
   3	Minnesota	$62,883	$30
   4	Colorado	$59,261	$28
   5	Missouri	$57,957	$28
   6	Texas	$55,769	$27
   7	Illinois	$52,017	$25
   8	South Carolina	$45,156	$22

   Average city administrator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Icma-rc	$108,036	$51.94	52
   2	City Of Branson	$64,811	$31.16
   3	Minnesota Limited	$64,564	$31.04	2
   4	Medical University of South Carolina	$55,016	$26.45	2
   5	City of Farmington	$50,136	$24.10	1
   6	Aramark	$32,227	$15.49	9

4. Writing a city administrator job description

   A city administrator job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a city administrator job description:

   City administrator job description example

   Salary Range: $85,000. - $125,000.

   GENERAL STATEMENT OF JOB

   Under policy direction, serves as chief administrative officer and chief financial officer for the City of Chester. Develops and implements City policies and procedures to ensure the proper and responsible management of all City operations, resources and services; administers the City budget and performs required financial reporting. Supervises, directs and evaluates the work of City department managers. Reports to the City Council.

   
   SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

   ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
   Directs the work of all City department managers and administrative personnel; supervisory duties include instructing; assigning, reviewing and planning work of others; maintaining standards; coordinating activities; allocating personnel; selecting new employees; acting on employee problems; and recommending and approving employee transfers, promotions, discipline, discharge and salary increases.

   Reviews the work of subordinates for completeness and accuracy; evaluates and makes recommendations as appropriate; offers advice and assistance as needed.

   Ensures the adequate training and professional development of City personnel.

   Develops, recommends to Council and implements City policies and procedures; determines City goals and objectives and formulates comprehensive and strategic plans to obtain such goals and objectives. Ensures City compliance with all applicable laws, ordinances and regulations; writes ordinances as necessary.

   Plans and maintains an effective City public relations program through positive contact and cooperation with the news media, community and City employees.

   Develops and assists the finance director in developing the annual City operating budget; administers the approved budget and maintains responsibility for all financial reporting and analysis. Keeps Council members informed of the City's financial status on a regular basis.

   Secures and administers grant funds for City projects and programs.

   Recommends and administers policies governing purchasing procedures and inventory control; authorizes the purchase and payment of services, materials, supplies and equipment as indicted by City policy.

   Supervises the administration of personnel policies, classification, compensation and evaluation for all City employees; takes necessary steps to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of the City's human resources.

   Investigates and takes necessary action on concerns and complaints concerning administrative and personnel matters.

   Coordinates the activities of City government with all other agencies within the County and with state and federal agencies.

   Oversees the management and maintenance of the city cemetery.

   Plans and conducts management and staff meetings; provides administrative assistance and direction for various boards and commissions.

   Receives reviews, prepares and/or submits various records and reports including financial reports, department activity reports, payroll reports, budget documents, purchase orders, job applications, performance reviews, policies and procedures, contracts, news releases, ordinances, resolutions, annual reports, memos, correspondence, etc.

   Operates a variety of equipment such as a computer, printer, calculator, audio-visual equipment, camera, telephone, automobile.

   Interacts and communicates with various groups and individuals such as City Council, City department heads and employees, elected officials, other government agencies, utility companies, consultants, sales representatives, news media, contractors, bank representatives, business and community leaders, attorneys, and the public.

   Monitors the set-off debt program for the city.

   ADDITIONAL JOB FUNCTIONS

   Monitors City projects and functions in progress for compliance with established goals, schedules and standards.

   Performs related duties as required.

   MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE

   Requires a master’s degree in public administration or related field and four years of experience or a bachelor’s degree and six years experience or ten years experience as a City Administrator. Must become a resident of Chester County if hired for this position. Must possess a valid state driver's license.

   The City of Chester is an EOE-H

   
   recblid 8465zjwywd1d5j88zeod1e47htil20
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right city administrator for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with city administrators they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit city administrators who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your city administrator job on Zippia to find and recruit city administrator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit city administrators, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new city administrator

   Once you've found the city administrator candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new city administrator first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a city administrator?