ICMA’s Next Generation Initiatives were created to attract and develop a wide and diverse group of people into the local government management profession, including students, early and mid-career professionals, and individuals from other fields. 

The local government management profession has arrived at a crossroads we've been shouting about for more than a decade as baby boomers that comprise the majority of local government managers approach retirement.

The data below highlight the changing demographics of the profession.

The Forecast

The proportion of older workers is expected to shoot up an average of 4% per year between 2000 and 2015. The proportion of younger workers is shrinking.
- CPS Human Services "Age Bubble" Study

There will be a replacement gap starting in 2006: 151 million jobs in the U.S. economy and 141 million people in the workforce to fill them.  Across all sectors, but especially in the public sector, the greatest turnover in aging workers will be in executive and managerial occupations.  
- Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Starting in 2011, the population 65 and older is projected to grow faster than the total population in every state.  In 2011 alone the number of people in the United States celebrating their 65th birthday will jump 21 percent, from 2.7 to 3.3 million.
- Data from the U.S. Census Bureau

In most jurisdictions and agencies, the majority of managers and leaders will be retirement eligible within the next five years, if not already. Their inevitable departure creates a new urgency to develop potential successors, often on a faster track and with a shorter learning curve than ever before. In many organizations, the potential pool will be smaller than in the past.
- CPS Human Services "Building the Leadership Pipeline" Report

Diversity Data on the Profession

(Source: ICMA’s 2000, 2002, 2006, 2009 and 2012 State of the Profession Surveys and The Rise of the City Manager, by Richard J. Stillman II, 1974); revised 8/13/2013.

Gender

	1974	1989	2006	2009	2012
Men	99%	95%	87.5%	79.9%	80.2%
Women	1%	5%	12.5%	20.1%	19.8%

 

Race, Culture, and Ethnicity

In 1989, 99% of responding managers were Caucasian, with all others constituting 1%. 

In 2002, 95.5% of respondents indicated that they were Caucasian, 1.8% Hispanic, and 1.5% African America.  Asian Americans, Native Americans, and other ethnicities constituted roughly 1.1%.

In 2009, 95.1% of respondents indicated that they were Caucasian, 2.6% African American and 0.10% identified as Asian American and Native American. All other ethinicities constitued 1.4%.

In 2012, 95.5% of respondents indicated that they were Caucasian, 2.9% African American and 1% identified as Asian American and Native American. All other ethinicities constitued 0.7%.

Average National Salary of Municipal and County Managers/CAOs

 

1934	1971	1999	2002	2005	2009	2012
$5,100	$18,000	$75,675	$89,001	$97,060	$109, 000	$110,972.08

Age

	1934	1971	2000	2002	2006	2009	2012
Under 30	7%	26%	2%	2%	1%	1%	1.3%
30-40	34%	45%	16%	13%	12%	12%	10.1%
41-50	37%	21%	40%	36%	28%	24%	25.2%
51-60	19%	5%	37%	43%	48%	46%	39.5%
Over 60	3%	3%	6%	7%	11%	17%	23.8%

Note:  Percentages for 2000 and 2002 exceed 100% because of rounding

 

Education

	1934	1971	2002	2006	2009	2012
Doctorate Degree	(data for graduate degrees not reported separately in 1934 and 1971)		1.5%	1.7%	1.4%	2.1%
Law Degree			2%	3%	3.1%	4%
Master’s Degree	13% (includes all graduate degrees)	27% (includes all graduate degrees)	60%* (MPA, MBA, or other Master’s degree)	62% (MPA, MBA, or other Master’s degree)	58.1% (MPA, MBA, or other Master’s degree)	59%
Four-Year Degree	51%	42%	26%	24%	24.7%	23.5%
Some College	N/A	26%	8.5%	6%	9.5%	8.8%
High School	21%	3%	2%	1%	3.1%	2.5%
Grade School	15%	2%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Note:  Percentages for 2000 do not equal 100% because of rounding

*Data reported is from all managers, including ICMA members, responding to ICMA’s 2000, 2002, 2006, and 2009 SOP surveys.  Percentage of ICMA members with Master’s degrees has been estimated to be as high as 71%.

Tenure

2012 Average tenure: 7.3 years
2009 Average tenure: 7.38 years

Municipal and county managers’ average tenure in their current jobs increased from 5.4 years in 1989 to 7.5 years in 2006).  Average longevity in the profession increased from 10.1 years in 1989 to 19.3 years in 2006.  Managers with the most longevity are in the West (22.8 years) and South Atlantic (20.5 years) regions, and communities with either the council-manager (20.8 years) form of government for municipalities or the council-administrator (manager) form (20.5 years) for counties.