As of Mar 11, the average annual pay for a mayor in Louisiana is $163,553 per year according to ZipRecruiter. While ZipRecruiter saw salaries as high as $357,187 and as low as $10,062, the majority of mayor salaries currently range between $34,758 (25th percentile) to $320,141 (75th percentile).
In light of this information, the Times requested salaries and benefits for City Government, Parish Government and School Board department heads and board members. All complied promptly with the information. The salaries cited are base salaries and do not include other forms of compensation including things like health insurance and retirement plans, the use of vehicles, phones and travel expenses.
Benefits and/or retirement are a lump sum. Benefits are a compilation of one or more items. Insurance costs vary depending on whether the employee pays a portion of their premiums, if it is for the employee only or a family plan. Figures are based on information provided by each entity.
The following figures are salary only.
Parish Government
Click the blue link below for a full list of Parish employees
Parish President: $86,508.78.
Executive Director of OCS/Head Start: $85,492.08.
Parish Treasurer: $80,570.
Library: Director, $78,670.08.
Library: Director of Library Operations, $69,535
Director of Public Works/Solid Waste: $66,950.04.
Health Unit Staff Nurse: $68,000
Building Maintenance Supervisor: $58,530.37.
District Attorney: $54,317.26
Executive Assistant to Parish President: $52,004.70.
Council Clerk: $50,539.67
Solid Waste Supervisor: $50,365.02.
Council members: $6,000
City Government
Mayor: $94,785
Community Development Director: $89,772.80
Purchasing/Garage/Personnel/Airport Director: $88,358.40.
Finance Director: $86,715.20
Utility Director: $80.000
Fire Chief: $76,793.60
Acting Police Chief: $66,788.80
Recreation Director: $59,155.20.
Public Works Director: (Acting) $47,153.60
Councilperson at Large: $10,200
Councilpersons: $7,800
School Board
School Board Director of Finance Lee Waskom provided a pay scale of all board employees (See chart). Where a person falls depends on the years of experience and degree where required. For example a supervisor with 10 years experience and a Master’s Degree can earn $65,431 while the same position with a Doctorate Degree earns $68,955. Directors with the same experience and degrees earn $67,431 and $70,955 respectively. The pay chart tops out at 30 years experience.
A supervisor with a Doctorate degree can earn $80,413 at 30 years and a director with 30 and a Doctorate earns $82,413.
School Board members: $7,800
School Board President: $8,400
The above positions for Parish and City Government and School Board are public record. They are paid through tax dollars. Tax dollars also fund the salaries some employees in the finance, highway, health unit, library, solid waste and child support departments, judges, coroner, district attorney’s office, constable, OCS, Registrar of Voters and administrative staff as well as law enforcement, teachers and support staff. All figures reflect gross, not net income. Vehicle, travel and cell phone allowances as well as position related reimbursements are not shown in these findings. While those figures were researched, they vary widely among job title and would simply consume too much space to print. The information is available in each of their budgets.