Articles > Public Administration > What is a city manager?
What is a city manager?
Written by Michael Feder
Reviewed by Christina Neider, EdD, Dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
For cities that use a council-manager form of government, and also for some mayor-council cities, a city manager is an important role. No matter how small the town or big the city, it takes a team of people to keep everything running smoothly. With so many departments working for the city government, it’s important to have a someone to serve as a leader and administrator.
The role and responsibilities of a city manager
Also known as the city administrator, this role works closely with the mayor. However, while the mayor is an elected official who deals with the political side of city politics and is the public face of the government, the city manager works behind the scenes to help the town thrive.
They also work with department heads and the town council to make sure the city is serving the best interests of the people who live there. The town council or the mayor, with the approval of the council, hires this person to fulfill the executive and administrative duties of the municipal government.
The city manager fulfills a wide variety of duties. Depending on the size of the city government, they may have the help of various department heads and assistants. The duties of a city manager include:
- Financial planning and budgeting: While the yearly budget for a town or city is approved by the mayor and the city council, it’s put together by the city administrator/manager and their staff. This budget must account for the needs of that fiscal year while also acknowledging and planning for the city’s goals and projected growth in the long term.
- Coordinating and supervising staff: The manager of a city works closely with the heads of various departments, such as law enforcement, parks and recreation, health and more. These departments handle specific tasks daily with general supervision to bring the department heads together to facilitate interdepartmental communication and cooperation.
- City planning: Cities are constantly evolving. A city manager’s job is to see how the city can change for the better and implement programs, events and citywide initiatives that facilitate positive change for the benefit of the people who live there.
- General administration: Every city has a hierarchy and a structure. This job makes sure that, from an administrative standpoint, the city is running according to established policies and laws.
While many jobs require a person to be a specialist, this is more of a generalist position. They work with people of all walks of life and professional backgrounds to make their city a great place to live. They listen to the citizens, hear their concerns and suggestions, and propose solutions to the city council.
How to become a city manager
These professionals are appointed to their positions, so they must possess a certain set of skills, education and experience to meet the qualifications for this important job. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) categorizes city managers as “chief executive officers of governments 
,” responsible for overseeing budgets, programs and performance of a city. Let’s look at the skills and education you should consider if you’re interested in managing a city.
Important skills
With many tasks comes a wide range of skills required to perform the job well, including these:
- Communication: The ability to write and speak well includes providing information to the local newspaper, and being interviewed for the radio or local news, leading meetings with department heads, speaking with the town council and leading town hall meetings with citizens.
- Fiscal management: Understanding how to create a budget (and use the appropriate digital tools to do so) is a vital part of managing a city. This involves a certain level of financial literacy to problem-solve if the city is over budget for the fiscal year.
- Diplomacy and leadership: Every department within a city has its own priorities and agenda. The parks and recreation department may want more money for a new playground, while the fire department may request funds for a fire station expansion. The city manager has to facilitate conversation among the departments, promote teamwork and make peace when certain projects have been postponed or when funding is denied.
- Project management: Keeping projects on schedule and on budget is an important part of the administration aspect of the job. While they might not be working directly on every project in the city, they do need project management skills.
- Public speaking: While not as public a figure as the mayor, the city administrator/manager does have to speak in front of the public at times. This could be a speech at a city council meeting or the opening remarks of a town hall meeting.
City managers learn these skills in a variety of ways, often through a mix of education and work experience.
Education and degrees
According to BLS, public sector executive roles typically require a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Top executives in the public sector may want to consider a degree in business administration, public administration, law or the liberal arts to learn the skills required for public service.
For those with a bachelor’s degree, seeking to further enhance their education, they might want to consider an advanced degree. While not necessary for employment in this profession, a Master of Public Administration can help expand one’s knowledge on public policy, citywide financial planning, population leadership and management of service organizations.
Experience and work history
To gain experience, city administrators and managers should consider a few similar roles in city government that can help teach the necessary foundational skills. Roles can include being an assistant in the city management department, director of community development or the head of one of the city’s many departments. Having experience in positions like these shows the city council that the candidate can successfully lead a staff, make decisions that positively impact the city and work productively within the municipal government structure.
Job outlook and salary ranges
Much like education and experience requirements, compensation and employment for this role can vary widely based on the city. Salary often depends on the population size and gross domestic product (GDP) of a city. A candidate’s experience, education level, skills and certifications can also play a role. Similarly, a number of factors can play into employment and employment can vary by city based on turnover and need.
Salary
As noted, BLS characterizes this role as a top executive, which also includes roles like general managers, superintendents and chief executive officers. For this reason, the annual salary in your area may vary from what BLS reports. Keep in mind that administrators overseeing larger cities often make more than those in smaller municipalities.
As of May 2023, the salary range for top executives was between $80,000 and $239,200 a year , with a median wage of $206,680, according to BLS.
Salary ranges are not specific to students or graduates of University of Phoenix. Actual outcomes vary based on multiple factors, including prior work experience, geographic location and other factors specific to the individual. University of Phoenix does not guarantee employment, salary level or career advancement. BLS data is geographically based. Information for a specific state/city can be researched on the BLS website.
Job outlook
Overall, BLS projects employment for roles under the umbrellas of top executives to increase by 6% between 2023 and 2033, which is about as fast as average for all occupations. As stated, however, projected growth looks at all jobs under the “top executives” umbrella, and not specifically city managers in the government sector. We recommend searching for job openings in your area or whichever city you wish to be employed to better understand employment opportunities.
BLS Occupational Employment Projections, 2022-2032 is published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data reflects BLS’ projections of national (not local) conditions. These data points are not specific to University of Phoenix students or graduates.
Education for public administration roles like city manager
If you’re looking to become a city manager or start a career in public administration, University of Phoenix offers an online master's degree in public administration that helps students develop the skills for a career in government policy and management at the local, federal and state levels.
Contact University of Phoenix for more information.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and its Writing Seminars program and winner of the Stephen A. Dixon Literary Prize, Michael Feder brings an eye for detail and a passion for research to every article he writes. His academic and professional background includes experience in marketing, content development, script writing and SEO. Today, he works as a multimedia specialist at University of Phoenix where he covers a variety of topics ranging from healthcare to IT.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Christina Neider is the dean of the University of Phoenix College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Neider’s career spans more than 30 years in academia, healthcare and the U.S. Air Force. She has held several academic leadership roles at University of Phoenix, and she is the Vice President of membership for the Arizona Chapter of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.
This article has been vetted by University of Phoenix's editorial advisory committee.
Read more about our editorial process.