Not with a salary. Local councillors in England are not paid a wage, but they are entitled to an allowance and expenses for their council work.
Every councillor receives the same basic allowance, which recognises the time they give to council business and keeps them from being left out of pocket for costs such as travel to and from meetings. Each council sets its own rates in a document usually called the Members’ Allowances Scheme, which is published on the council’s website. On average, councillors in England receive around £7,000 a year, ranging from about £3,000 to £16,000 depending on the council, according to figures the Local Government Association cites from the TaxPayers’ Alliance. Councillors with extra duties, such as cabinet members or council leaders, also receive a Special Responsibility Allowance on top of the basic allowance. Councillors can claim back childcare and caring costs while on certain council duties. The time commitment is significant: councillors spend an average of 22 hours a week on council business, according to the LGA’s 2022 councillor census.
Source: Local Government Association, Becoming a councillor
Image: The Council Chamber, Bolton Town Hall, by David Dixon, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.