After voters approved pay increases for San Antonio’s elected officials in the last election, City Council members elected in 2025 will make $70,200 per year and the mayor will make $87,800 per year.
That’s an increase from the $45,722 City Council members had been making, and the $61,725 per year the mayor used to make.
The November ballot proposal tied the mayor and council’s pay to the area median income (AMI) of the San Antonio-New Braunfels metropolitan area for a four-member household. That number fluctuates every year, so voters shouldn’t have to keep approving future pay increases for council members to keep up with inflation.
Council members and the mayor may choose to decline all or part of their salaries.
Voters approved increasing the salaries after a Charter Review Commission assembled a salary review committee and reviewed elected official salaries of other similar-sized cities. The City Council ultimately recommended a smaller salary increase than the Charter Review Commission, and voters supported the measure with 64% of the vote.
Also for the first time this year, the winners in the 2025 San Antonio city election will all serve four-year terms after voters approved a change to the council’s term limits.
How much does San Antonio’s mayor get paid?
The next mayor of San Antonio, elected in 2025, will make $87,800 per year.
That’s an increase from the $61,725 per year Mayor Ron Nirenberg makes.
How much do San Antonio’s City Council members get paid?
Council members elected in 2025 will make $70,200 per year.
As of now, the $70,200 salary will automatically increase as the median base salary of director-level employees at the city increases.
How much does San Antonio’s city manager get paid?
As of Jan. 1, the salary of San Antonio’s City Manager Erik Walsh is $461,000. This comes after the City Council voted in December to increase Walsh’s salary 23%, up from a previous $374,400.
Voters agreed with the pay increase, narrowly passing Proposition C in November by just more than 54%.
Taking into account other cash benefits, including a $500-per-month car allowance and health savings account, Walsh recieves around $476,300 per year in compensation — making him one of the highest-paid city managers in Texas.
San Antonio has a council-manager form of government, meaning the city manager runs the organization’s day-to-day, overseeing the city’s nearly $4 billion annual budget, more than 40 departments and about 14,000 employees.
Who will receive these salaries?
The upcoming May 3 election will determine who will serve on the 10-member council, as well as who will be San Antonio’s next mayor.
Twenty-seven candidates will appear on the ballot for the mayoral position, including four current City Council members.
This election will determine who will hold the mayor position for two, four-year terms instead of two, two-year terms the city has always required. This new change comes after voters approved the policy change for the city charter in the Nov. 5 election.
Fifty-nine candidates will appear on the ballot for a seat on the city council.
To read our relevant Voter Guide for the upcoming May 3 election, visit here.
Andrea Drusch and Iris Dimmick contributed to this report.
