Council members here are on the high end of the wage scale in comparison to cities with comparable populations.

Gaffney council members earn $6,484 a year, according to the latest Municipal Association of South Carolina compensation survey. Only three of the 14 cities statewide with a population between 10,001 to 20,000 earn more.

West Columbia council members are the highestpaid at $10,158, just ahead of Conway, which pays its council members an annual salary of $10,000. That’s slightly more than North Myrtle Beach, where council members earn $9,788 a year.

Council members from Easley, Greer and North Augusta earn salaries between $6,000 and $6,120.

Clemson council members rank the lowest in monetary compensation with an annual pay of only $3,000.

Six mayors in the population category earn more than Gaffney Mayor Henry Jolly, who is paid $8,671 a year.

There’s a wide pay gap between the North Myrtle Beach mayor, who earns $20,000 a year, and every other mayor.

The mayor of Conway is the next-highest paid at $16,000.

Clemson pays its mayor the smallest salary at $5,500.

Newberry and Orangeburg provided no salary information for their council members or their mayors.