The township trustee, also identified as the chief financial officer, is responsible for all of the financial affairs for any given municipality. He also plans and coordinates policies with the assistance of lower management. The trustee is the highest level of management within a municipal structure. The position requires at least a bachelor’s degree, preferably a master’s degree in finances. Some municipalities require that their trustees be certified accountants.

Average

The average annual income, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, in May 2009 was $96,600. Salary range with four years experience was $61,680 to $110,920. Twenty years of experience earns the top income, which can be as high as $282,680.

Industry Comparisons

A township trustee receives the least compensation compared to other chief executive officers in other industries. The highest income average by industry is motion picture and video at $214,410, followed by the securities and commodities industry at $212,340.

City Comparisons

According to the PayScale website, as of August 2010, individual city wages show the highest municipal salary range is in Manhattan, New York, at $130,000 to $250,416 per year. Rounding off the top-five salary ranges are San Jose, California, at $143,544 to $217,231; New York City at $124,916 to $211,534; Stanford, Connecticut at $145,162 to $186,881; and Boston at $126,111 to $198,293.