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The differences between city managers and city administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes More than 10 years to become both a city manager and a city administrator. Additionally, a city manager has an average salary of $76,188, which is higher than the $64,965 average annual salary of a city administrator.
The top three skills for a city manager include human resources, economic development and oversight. The most important skills for a city administrator are public works, local government, and financial reports.
| City Manager | City Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $76,188 | $64,965 |
| Hourly rate | $36.63 | $31.23 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 8,928 | 55,401 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 52 | 52 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
A city administrator is a government employee who works under the authority and direction of the mayor. City administrators supervise, monitor, and coordinate the activities and functions of the office. The administrators make the plan and direction of the administrative activities of a certain city. They establish and enforce internal procedures and policies. Also, they evaluate the employees of the city and take actions for operation improvement.
City managers and city administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| City Manager | City Administrator | |
| Average salary | $76,188 | $64,965 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $142,000 | Between $33,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | Hayward, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Apple | Icma-rc |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Government |
There are a few differences between a city manager and a city administrator in terms of educational background:
| City Manager | City Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between city managers' and city administrators' demographics:
| City Manager | City Administrator | |
| Average age | 52 | 52 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.6% Female, 30.4% | Male, 66.7% Female, 33.3% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 7.8% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |