A St. Louis alderman earns an annual salary of about $72,000, a figure that took effect in April 2023 when the Board of Aldermen shrank from 28 members to 14.1City of St. Louis. Requirements to Run for Aldermen The pay roughly doubled from the previous $36,000 to reflect the bigger ward each member now represents and a new expectation of at least 32 hours of work per week.2STLPR. St. Louis Aldermen Tee Up a 100% Pay Increase for Next Session The President of the Board earns a higher salary, around $80,000.
What the Board President Earns
The President of the Board of Aldermen is paid approximately $80,000 per year.1City of St. Louis. Requirements to Run for Aldermen The president is elected citywide rather than from a single ward, presides over board sessions, and assigns legislation to committees. Public city payroll records can show gross pay above the base figure once additional compensation is included.
Expense Fund and Benefits
On top of salary, each alderman receives a $5,000 annual expense fund tied to ward duties and community outreach.1City of St. Louis. Requirements to Run for Aldermen The IRS treats that allowance as taxable income, so withholding reduces the amount actually received.
Aldermen also have access to the city’s standard employee benefits package. That includes group health insurance options and retirement savings through the city’s deferred compensation (457) plan, on the same terms available to other municipal workers.
Who Sets Aldermanic Pay
The Board of Aldermen sets its own salaries by ordinance, under authority granted in Article VIII of the City Charter.3Municode Library. Article VIII – City Officers and Employees The Charter blocks any mid-term raise: a salary in the unclassified service cannot be changed during the term for which the officeholder was elected or appointed. Aldermen can vote to raise aldermanic pay, but the new figure applies only to the next term.
How the Salary Doubled in 2023
The current $72,000 figure came from Board Bill No. 119, which the board passed in January 2023 on a 15-8 vote with one abstention. Mayor Tishaura Jones signed it into law shortly after.4KSDK. St. Louis Mayor Signs Bill Into Law to Increase Aldermanic Pay The bill roughly doubled the prior $36,000 salary and took effect for the incoming class of aldermen in April 2023, since the Charter prevented the sitting board from giving itself a mid-term raise.5First Alert 4. Bill That Doubles Salary of St. Louis City Aldermen Becomes Law
The timing lined up with the ward reduction approved by voters under Proposition R in 2012, which cut the board from 28 wards to 14 following the 2020 Census.6Ballotpedia. St. Louis, Missouri, Proposition R, Reduce Number of Aldermen Measure (2012) Each remaining alderman now represents roughly twice the population and area as before, and the pay bill paired that larger workload with an expectation of at least 32 hours per week.
Can Aldermen Hold Outside Jobs?
Yes. Even with the 32-hour weekly expectation, aldermen are not barred from outside employment, provided the work doesn’t interfere with their public duties or create a conflict that would impair their service.7City of St. Louis. Conflicts of Interest
Two limits are specific. An alderman cannot accept employment or contracts connected to a pending or existing city contract they helped negotiate, award, or manage, and they cannot take work tied to any matter currently before the board. An alderman must notify the Legal Counsel of the Board before accepting any outside employment.7City of St. Louis. Conflicts of Interest Separately, the Charter prohibits any elected city officer from holding a personal financial interest in a city contract, with forfeiture of office as the penalty for a willful violation.3Municode Library. Article VIII – City Officers and Employees