City Manager Salary in Boston, Massachusetts

How much does a City Manager make in Boston, MA?

As of April 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a City Manager in Boston, MA is $130,473. Salary.com reports that pay typically ranges from $119,837 to $147,692, with most professionals earning between $110,154 and $163,370.

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Salary range for a City Manager

$119,837 to $147,692

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What is a City Manager?

A City Manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a councilâ€“manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer (CEO) or chief administrative officer (CAO) in some municipalities....

Source: Wikipedia (as of 09/06/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

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Job Openings for City Manager in Boston, MA

What does a City Manager do?

Common responsibilities of a City Manager

Works directly with individual citizens, citizen groups, members of the financial and business community, developers, planning community economic development groups and agencies and other related entities to insure prudent conservation of existing community assets and maximum utilization of community resources in the development and redevelopment process.

February 15, 2023

Creates and executes policy development, plans fiscal and budget management, leadership, and development of effective organizational structure.

July 30, 2022

Leads the execution of sales strategies designed to expand product adoption with targeted eye care accounts through effective prospecting, onboarding and expansion of use.

September 13, 2022

Represents the City and the City Manager's Office in a professional manner and positive light including proactively and effectively dealing with contentious issues and challenges as well as advising leadership in delivery of City services.

January 12, 2023

Communicate with office team regularly to ensure they have the information, tools, and support needed to perform their jobs effectively and successfully.

March 17, 2023

Demonstrate leadership and courage by making or supporting decisions that reflect the organizational mission and goals even when the decision may be unpopular to some.

March 24, 2023

Manage leaders to follow up on training completion, check for understanding, and provide continuous education opportunities to drive proficiencies for all front of store experiences.

April 11, 2023

Provide strengths-based case management and supportive services to Veterans households for the SSVF Program, including delivery of Rapid Rehousing and Homeless Prevention to eligible Veterans throughout the Kansas and Western Missouri Division.

April 13, 2023

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City Manager Salary By Experience Levels in Boston, MA

How much should you be earning in City Manager in Boston, MA based on your current experience?

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RELEVANT JOB EXPERIENCE

Length of experience is a pay differentiator. Those with greater experience may have an advantage in negotiating salary. For those with less experience, other factors such as education or special skills could impact your pay. Please visit Professional Salary Report for more details.

City Manager Salary By Level of Education in Boston, MA

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LEVEL OF EDUCATION

Depending on the job, educational levels may have a significant impact on pay levels. Be informed and understand how things like education and certifications can help to increase potential earnings for the career you are interested in. Please visit Professional Salary Report for more details.

Average Salary Range for City Manager in Boston, MA

Average Base Salary

Core compensation

119837

147692

130473

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

135126

171237

150436

What is the average salary for City Manager in 2025?

These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of City Manager in Boston, MA. The base salary for City Manager ranges from $119,837 to $147,692 with the average base salary of $130,473. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $135,126 to $171,237 with the average total cash compensation of $150,436.

View Average Salary for City Manager as table

	Average Salary	Average Salary Range
Base Salary	$130,473	$119,837 - $147,692
Bonus	$19,963	$15,289 - $23,545
Total Pay	$150,436	$135,126 - $171,237

* Base Salary represents gross income before taxes and deductions. It does not include additional pay such as benefits, bonuses, profit sharing or commissions.

* Total Pay combines base salary, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job.

City Manager Salary Near Boston, MA

CITY, STATE	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE	COMPARE TO Boston, MA
CITY, STATE Revere, MA	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $119,837 - $147,692	COMPARE TO Boston, MA 0%
CITY, STATE Brookline, MA	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $119,837 - $147,692	COMPARE TO Boston, MA 0%
CITY, STATE Malden, MA	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $119,837 - $147,692	COMPARE TO Boston, MA 0%
CITY, STATE Somerville, MA	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $119,837 - $147,692	COMPARE TO Boston, MA 0%
CITY, STATE Quincy, MA	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $119,837 - $147,692	COMPARE TO Boston, MA 0%
CITY, STATE Arlington, MA	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $119,837 - $147,692	COMPARE TO Boston, MA 0%

See salaries for City Manager in locations close to Boston, MA. Pay for the same job may vary based on the location and on the location and on other factors such as the size of company, the industry, and other local conditions.

About Boston, Massachusetts

Boston has an area of 89.63 square miles (232.1 km2)—48.4 square miles (125.4 km2) (54%) of land and 41.2 square miles (106.7 km2) (46%) of water. The city's official elevation, as measured at Logan International Airport, is 19 ft (5.8 m) above sea level. The highest point in Boston is Bellevue Hill at 330 feet (100 m) above sea level, and the lowest point is at sea level. Situated onshore of the Atlantic Ocean, Boston is the only state capital in the contiguous United States with an oceanic shoreline. Boston is surrounded by the "Greater Boston" region and is contiguously bordered by the citi...

Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/11/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

View Salary for Similar Jobs to City Manager in Boston, MA

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JOB TITLE	LOCATION	MINIMUM SALARY	MAXIMUM SALARY
JOB TITLE Assistant To The City Manager	LOCATION Boston, MA	MINIMUM SALARY $74,407	MAXIMUM SALARY $92,063
JOB TITLE City Operations Manager	LOCATION Boston, MA	MINIMUM SALARY $91,564	MAXIMUM SALARY $118,279
JOB TITLE Deputy City Manager	LOCATION Boston, MA	MINIMUM SALARY $47,245	MAXIMUM SALARY $56,798
JOB TITLE City Manager Short Term Rentals	LOCATION Boston, MA	MINIMUM SALARY $94,924	MAXIMUM SALARY $116,024
JOB TITLE City Clerk	LOCATION Boston, MA	MINIMUM SALARY $45,949	MAXIMUM SALARY $55,166
JOB TITLE City Assessor	LOCATION Boston, MA	MINIMUM SALARY $77,549	MAXIMUM SALARY $89,179

The City Manager job could be listed using titles that are not exactly the same, but actually are for the same or very similar job. Here are some job titles in Boston, MA that might be a good fit for the type of job and salary you are looking for.

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