These 20 MN Cities Pay Their Top Employees The Most: List

ST. PAUL, MN — Lakeville's city administrator has the highest base salary among the top-paid employees in Minnesota cities that post the data online, edging out Rochester's top earner by less than $700, according to salary notices cities are required to publish each year.

Lakeville pays its city administrator $261,483.12 as of Jan. 1, 2026. Rochester's city administrator earned $260,788 as of Dec. 31, 2025, and Edina's city manager makes $260,660.

Under Minnesota Statute 471.701, any city or county with more than 15,000 residents must notify residents each year of the positions and base salaries of its three highest-paid employees. Cities can meet the requirement by posting the figures on their website for at least 90 days, printing them in a city publication or including them with the annual notice of proposed property taxes.

The figures reflect base salary only and don't include benefits, overtime or other compensation. Cities post the data at different times of year, so the dates below vary, and a few cities had not yet updated their notices for 2026. The ranking below is based on each city's most recent posted notice.

A few things stand out. In Rochester, the No. 2 earner isn't a police or fire chief. It's the general manager of Rochester Public Utilities, at $254,834, which is more than the top salary in 16 of the other 19 cities on this list.

In Burnsville, the fire chief's base salary of $237,700 trails only the city manager's $242,050, and it's higher than the top salary in eight other cities on the list.

Edina's top salary has also climbed sharply in recent years. In 2021, the city reported its city manager earned $186,345, meaning the position's base pay has risen nearly 40 percent since then.

Minneapolis and St. Paul are not on the list. A Legislative Coordinating Commission document noted that as of July 2026, Minneapolis did not list job titles and salaries on its website, though it posts salary ranges.

Here are the 20 Minnesota cities with the highest-paid top employees, ranked by top base salary:

1. Lakeville (as of Jan. 1, 2026)
City Administrator: $261,483.12
Public Works Director: $207,119.12
Assistant City Administrator and Fire Chief: $207,119.12

2. Rochester (as of Dec. 31, 2025)
City Administrator: $260,788
General Manager, Rochester Public Utilities: $254,834
City Attorney: $241,120

3. Edina (as of Jan. 1, 2026)
City Manager: $260,660
Police Chief: $214,825
Assistant City Manager: $213,807

4. Minnetonka (2026)
City Manager: $257,250
Police Chief, Public Works Director and Assistant City Manager: $221,420.16 each

5. Eden Prairie (updated May 2026)
City Manager: $253,864
Public Works Director: $220,002
Police Chief: $219,232

6. Bloomington (2025)
City Manager: $253,250
Two Deputy City Managers: $229,483 each

7. Maple Grove
City Administrator: $252,000
Police Chief: $228,648.16
Finance Director: $219,853.92

8. Coon Rapids (as of April 1, 2026)
City Manager: $250,952
Police Chief: $212,659.20
City Attorney and Public Works Director: $200,636.80 each

9. Brooklyn Park (2026)
City Manager: $249,379.32
Police Chief: $219,561.68
Fire Chief: $209,108.64

10. Eagan (2026)
City Administrator: $244,279
Director of Public Works: $221,544
Police Chief: $221,544

11. Burnsville (as of Jan. 1, 2025)
City Manager: $242,050
Fire Chief: $237,700
Police Chief, Deputy City Manager and Deputy City Manager/CFO: $216,091

12. Shakopee (as of September 2026)
City Administrator: $240,525
Assistant City Administrator and Director of Planning and Development: $186,410

13. St. Cloud (as of Jan. 1, 2025)
City Administrator: $236,528
City Attorney, Finance Director and Fire Chief: $218,685
Police Chief: $210,274

14. Maplewood (as of June 16, 2026)
City Manager: $236,329.60
Public Safety Director: $214,843.20
Fire/EMS Chief: $195,312

15. Duluth (as of Feb. 13, 2026)
City Administrator: $231,750
Police Chief: $187,901
Director, Public Works and Utilities: $182,292

16. Moorhead
City Manager: $225,006.69
Engineering Department Director: $206,732.86
City Prosecutor: $190,952.52

17. Blaine
City Manager: $224,994
Director of Safety Services: $199,493
Finance Director: $186,347

18. Chanhassen (updated January 2026)
City Manager: $222,985.10
Public Works Director/City Engineer: $195,508.01
Finance Director and Parks and Recreation Director: $167,531.52 each

19. Hopkins (as of Jan. 1, 2026)
City Manager: $222,788
Police Chief: $194,001
Planning and Economic Development Director: $185,806

20. Apple Valley
City Administrator: $220,509
Finance Director: $179,042
Police Chief: $179,042

Don't see your city? Cities with 15,000 or fewer residents aren't required to post the data.