Philly Council members get paid more than New York City legislators

We believe strongly that Philly beats out New York in many ways, our favorite being cost of living. Their restaurants, rowhouses, and real estate are just too expensive.

And that shows in how much money people make, with average annual wages in the New York metro area nearly $15,000 higher per year than in Philly (it’s $78,560 compared to $64,500, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, for you data nerds.)

But we know of one group of people in Philly who buck the trend: City Council members.

Philadelphia City Council members make an average of $158,949 a year — $10,000 higher than the average legislator makes in New York, according to a recent survey conducted by The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Philadelphia research and policy initiative.

Out of 15 large American cities, Philly Council members’ average compensation — which includes base salary and additional pay for leadership positions — came in fourth.

The highest paid local lawmakers work in D.C. ($167,292), San Diego ($173,381), and Los Angeles ($231,802!!), according to Pew.

Are there any open seats in L.A.? Clout thinks we may be in the wrong line of work.

Clout provides often irreverent news and analysis about people, power, and politics.