City clerk vs city manager

The differences between city clerks and city managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a city clerk, becoming a city manager takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, a city manager has an average salary of $76,188, which is higher than the $58,166 average annual salary of a city clerk.

The top three skills for a city clerk include meeting agendas, city ordinances and payroll taxes. The most important skills for a city manager are human resources, economic development, and oversight.

City clerk vs city manager overview

	City Clerk	City Manager
Yearly salary	$58,166	$76,188
Hourly rate	$27.96	$36.63
Growth rate	-	6%
Number of jobs	80,796	8,928
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	49	52
Years of experience	4	-

What does a city clerk do?

The City Clerk is the person who will provide all the information about a city's policies, regulations, previous legislation, and history. This position serves as a secretary for an entire municipality and is expected to provide public municipal documents when requested. The person in this position is often expected to know the public policy and have good organizational skills. The city records and all public documents are all under the direct care of the City Clerk.

What does a city manager do?

A city manager is responsible for monitoring city operations and manage staff to advise programs and initiatives for the benefits of the citizens. City managers oversee community projects and allocate adequate resources to support functions and societal activities. They also serve as a liaison to clear political disputes and officer conflicts. A city manager attends community events and meetings to represent the city, provide progress updates, and coordinate with other local organizations for sponsorship and funding events.

City clerk vs city manager salary

City clerks and city managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	City Clerk	City Manager
Average salary	$58,166	$76,188
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $80,000	Between $40,000 And $142,000
Highest paying City	Lodi, CA	Hayward, CA
Highest paying state	New York	California
Best paying company	Icma-rc	Apple
Best paying industry	Government	Start-up

Differences between city clerk and city manager education

There are a few differences between a city clerk and a city manager in terms of educational background:

	City Clerk	City Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

City clerk vs city manager demographics

Here are the differences between city clerks' and city managers' demographics:

	City Clerk	City Manager
Average age	49	52
Gender ratio	Male, 16.1% Female, 83.9%	Male, 69.6% Female, 30.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 4.7% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 7.6% White, 76.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	10%	12%

Differences between city clerk and city manager duties and responsibilities

City clerk example responsibilities.

Demonstrate strong math skills in managing inmate s accounts and calmly and effectively deescalating outbursts of belligerent inmates.
Prepare grant applications for water, sewer, EDA and CBDG.
Collect, analyze, submit to NYS town relate data.
Record information into QuickBooks for payment of bills and to issue checks.
Prepare and submit various government reports, prepare various city contracts and act as notary public.
Process summons, court files, subpoenas, warrants, bonds, attorney correspondence and background checks.

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City manager example responsibilities.

Manage debt issuance, debt service, redemptions and tax arbitrage calculations.
Interpret and apply GAAP and GASB and other applicable accounting guidelines.
Provide assistance in oversight and management of all city operations.
Deploy code enforcement oversight to counter deteriorating private properties as well as public infrastructure.
Complete major renovations and improvements to the city water plant and negotiate and purchase a new city police station building.
Save utility system from financial collapse while completing city wide meter installations with new water rate and tap fee schedules.

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City clerk vs city manager skills

Common city clerk skills

Meeting Agendas, 13%
City Ordinances, 10%
Payroll Taxes, 9%
Meeting Minutes, 7%
Utility Billing, 6%
Office Equipment, 5%

Common city manager skills

Human Resources, 9%
Economic Development, 8%
Oversight, 7%
Customer Service, 6%
Public Works, 6%
Payroll, 6%

Updated January 8, 2025

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