City manager demographics and statistics in the US
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City manager demographics by:
City manager gender statistics
30.4% of city managers are women and 69.6% of city managers are men.
- Male, 69.6%
- Female, 30.4%
City manager gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 69.6% |
| Female | 30.4% |
City manager gender pay gap
Women earn 86¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$70,803
Female income
$61,200
City manager gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in city manager positions over time. Currently, 30.4% of city managers are female.
City manager gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 76.49% | 23.51% |
| 2011 | 76.30% | 23.70% |
| 2012 | 75.62% | 24.38% |
| 2013 | 74.34% | 25.66% |
| 2014 | 73.82% | 26.18% |
| 2015 | 73.56% | 26.44% |
| 2016 | 72.97% | 27.03% |
| 2017 | 73.33% | 26.67% |
| 2018 | 73.17% | 26.83% |
| 2019 | 70.67% | 29.33% |
| 2020 | 69.61% | 30.39% |
| 2021 | 69.63% | 30.37% |
City manager related jobs gender ratio
We compared city managers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, district commercial superintendent and street superintendent have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant To General Manager | 9% | 91% |
| Manager Stylist | 9% | 91% |
| Salon Manager | 12% | 88% |
| City Manager | 70% | 30% |
| General Superintendent | 97% | 3% |
| Street Superintendent | 97% | 3% |
| District Commercial Superintendent | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
City manager demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among city managers is White, which makes up 76.4% of all city managers. Comparatively, 7.7% of city managers are Hispanic or Latino and 7.6% of city managers are Asian.
- White, 76.4%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.7%
- Asian, 7.6%
- Unknown, 3.9%
- Black or African American, 3.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
City manager race
| City manager race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 76.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.7% |
| Asian | 7.6% |
| Unknown | 3.9% |
| Black or African American | 3.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.7% |
City manager race and ethnicity over time
See how city manager racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
City manager race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 82.96% | 3.34% | 5.74% | 6.18% |
| 2011 | 83.15% | 3.73% | 5.37% | 5.78% |
| 2012 | 82.39% | 3.66% | 5.91% | 6.25% |
| 2013 | 82.65% | 3.47% | 6.02% | 5.99% |
| 2014 | 82.68% | 3.60% | 5.65% | 6.31% |
| 2015 | 82.63% | 3.47% | 5.64% | 6.31% |
| 2016 | 82.28% | 3.37% | 6.21% | 6.14% |
| 2017 | 80.93% | 3.53% | 6.74% | 6.72% |
| 2018 | 80.43% | 3.37% | 6.94% | 7.02% |
| 2019 | 81.56% | 3.08% | 6.68% | 6.79% |
| 2020 | 78.17% | 3.56% | 7.15% | 7.11% |
| 2021 | 76.43% | 3.73% | 7.60% | 7.71% |
City manager wage gap by race
According to our data, white city managers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american city managers have the lowest average salary at $67,828.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $69,439 |
| White | $73,542 |
| Black or African American | $67,828 |
| Asian | $72,834 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $70,530 |
Average city manager age
See how the average age of city managers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
City manager age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 53 | 52 |
| Unknown | 51 | 49 |
| Asian | 49 | 48 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 50 | 46 |
| White | 53 | 52 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 52 | 48 |
City manager age breakdown
The average age of city managers is 40+ years years old, representing 89% of the city manager population.
City manager age breakdown
| City Manager Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 89% |
| 30-40 years | 11% |
| 20-30 years | 0% |
City manager educational attainment
The most common degree for city managers is bachelor's degree, with 63% of city managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 12%.
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Master's, 16%
- Associate, 12%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
City managers by degree level
| City manager degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 63% |
| Master's | 16% |
| Associate | 12% |
| High School Diploma | 5% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
City manager jobs you might like
City manager wage gap by degree level
According to the data, city managers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $90,438 annually. With a Doctorate degree, city managers earn a median annual income of $90,421 compared to $81,149 for city managers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $90,438 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $81,149 |
| Doctorate Degree | $90,421 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $58,879 |
City manager employment statistics
Most city managers work for a government in the government industry.
Company size where city managers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where city managers work.
City manager jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 7% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 20% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 32% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 6% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 21% |
| > 10,000 employees | 14% |
City manager jobs by company type
Employees with the city manager job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most city managers prefer to work at government companies over private companies.
City manager jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 3% |
| Public | 16% |
| Private | 40% |
| Government | 41% |
City manager jobs by industry
The most common industries for city managers are government, hospitality and professional.
City manager industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Government | 37% |
| Hospitality | 8% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Transportation | 5% |
| Fortune 500 | 5% |
| Retail | 4% |
| Start-up | 4% |
| Media | 3% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Construction | 3% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Technology | 3% |
| Internet | 2% |
| Automotive | 2% |
| Utilities | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Telecommunication | 2% |
| Education | 2% |
City manager turnover and employment statistics
City manager unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for city managers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
City manager unemployment rate by year
| Year | City manager unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 4.37% |
| 2011 | 3.53% |
| 2012 | 3.04% |
| 2013 | 2.67% |
| 2014 | 2.12% |
| 2015 | 1.80% |
| 2016 | 1.98% |
| 2017 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | 1.65% |
| 2019 | 1.72% |
| 2020 | 2.10% |
| 2021 | 2.06% |
Average city manager tenure
The average city manager stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 2,091 city managers resumes in Zippia's database.
City manager tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 13% |
| 1-2 years | 37% |
| 3-4 years | 20% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 10% |
City manager LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of city managers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance Director | 7.93% | 65,496 |
| Assistant Project Manager | 8.41% | 119,279 |
| Senior Sales Manager | 9.38% | 115,070 |
| Senior Operations Supervisor | 9.63% | 99,089 |
| City Manager | 11.54% | - |
| Human Resources Supervisor | 13.02% | 46,523 |
| Advertising Director | 14.95% | 16,270 |
Similar city manager jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance Director | 7.93% | 65,496 |
| Assistant Project Manager | 8.41% | 119,279 |
| Senior Sales Manager | 9.38% | 115,070 |
| Senior Operations Supervisor | 9.63% | 99,089 |
| Human Resources Supervisor | 13.02% | 46,523 |
| Advertising Director | 14.95% | 16,270 |
Foreign languages spoken by city managers
The most common foreign language among city managers is Spanish at 65.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is German at 5.0% and Russian is the third-most popular at 5.0%.
- Spanish, 65.0%
- German, 5.0%
- Russian, 5.0%
- Italian, 5.0%
- Marshallese, 2.5%
- Other, 17.5%
City manager languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 65.0% |
| German | 5.0% |
| Russian | 5.0% |
| Italian | 5.0% |
| Marshallese | 2.5% |
| Other | 17.5% |
