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The Daily Insight

How to become a city council member

Author

Emily Cortez

Published Feb 24, 2026

Who chooses the city council members?

Council Members are nominated by the ward they wish to represent and are elected to the city council at-large. The Mayor is elected by the voters at-large. The Mayor and Council Members for Wards 1, 2, and 4 are elected in the same year, while Wards 3, 5, and 6 elect their Council Members in the same year.

Does Councilman get paid?

Across the U.S., city councilor pay ranges from $0 to more than $184,000. The thing about city councilors, who are also called aldermen, selectmen and commissioners, is that they’re local residents.

What do NYC council members do?

It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The council serves as a check against the mayor in a mayor-council government model. The council monitors the performance of city agencies and makes land use decisions as well as legislating on a variety of other issues.

How much do LA City Council members make?

As of 2015, council members receive an annual salary of $184,610 per year, which is among the highest city council salary in the nation. Regular council meetings are held in the City Hall on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 10 am except on holidays or if decided by special resolution.

How many people are employed by the City of Los Angeles?

Work for the City of LA

The City of LA is the second-largest municipal government in the United States and employs more than 50,000 people with a variety of jobs available across 44 different and unique department from the Airports to the Zoo.

Who is the biggest employer in Los Angeles?

Kaiser Permanente is Los Angeles County’s largest private employer. Photo by Felicia Aparicio.

Largest Employers in Los Angeles County.

EmployerEmployees
City of Los Angeles (including DWP)72,600 (3)
University of California, Los Angeles51,010 (4)
Kaiser Permanente41,340 (5)
Federal Government (Except Postal Service)30,600 (1)

What percent of Los Angeles works in entertainment?

With almost 18 out of every 1,000 workers in entertainment occupations, Los Angeles has the highest concentration of entertainment workers in the country.

How do I get a job in Los Angeles?

Tips on How to Find a Job in Los Angeles
  1. Temp Agencies and Staffing Companies. Temp agencies and staffing companies are easy, convenient ways to find a job in LA.
  2. Network. Because LA is so expansive and competitive, networking is often an ideal way to land a great position.
  3. Look Online.
  4. Newspaper Ads.
  5. Beware of Craigslist.

What is the most common job in LA?

Table 1. 100 Most Popular Jobs in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA
RankJob Description% of Empl. i
1All Occupations100.00%
2Retail Salespersons2.88%
3Office Clerks, General2.36%
4Cashiers2.29%

How can I move to Los Angeles without a job?

You can but you’ll have to either have savings to rent a place that doesn’t have income requirements, Airbnb in a hostel (you can for 17-20 a night in Korea town), live in your car, or find a nonprofit program that will give you shelter while you find a job.

Can I move to LA with no money?

Sure, living in LA (heck, even just visiting LA) can be pricey. But sometimes the best things in life really are free–or close to it. If you’ll be moving to Los Angeles with no money, don’t panic. You don’t have to spend a ton to have a good time in the City of Angels, and here’s the proof.

Should I move to LA with no money?

Save money before you go! Obviously, everyone is different, but we recommend saving up at least $5,000 before you head out to LA. The Cost of Living in LA remains quite high; this means that a lot of creatives will have full time day jobs and spend the rest of their time working on their craft.

How much money do you need to move to LA?

To summarize, if you‘re moving to Los Angeles, here are your benchmark savings goals: If you see yourself as conservative with money, or you‘re risk-averse, minimum savings: $10,000. If you‘ve traveled before and are used to living out of your comfort zone, minimum savings: $5,000.

Can you live in LA on 40000 a year?

As others have said, you can live in LA on 40k a year. Plenty of people do. It will definitely help if you move to the right area and get some friendly roommates.

Is London more expensive than LA?

The average cost of living in Los Angeles is comparable to London. British expatriates may even find it a little cheaper than the UK capital. However, it is still among the more expensive places in the world to live. Rental prices are fairly similar, but groceries are quite a bit higher in Los Angeles.

How much money should I save before moving to LA?

However, if you want to be better prepared, we recommend you have at least $5,000 saved up in your bank account before you arrive and to be sure that you don’t max out any credit cards a week after you’ve landed at LAX. The $5,000 should cover your initial rent costs and leave some extra for furniture and food.