State salary profile · Alabama

Alabama Salaries

Alabama wages where BEA prices sit below the national average (RPP 88.8), from BLS OEWS May 2025. Published local OEWS areas include Anniston-Oxford, AL, Auburn-Opelika, AL, Birmingham, AL, Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL, Decatur, AL, Dothan, AL, then Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL, Gadsden, AL, Huntsville, AL, Mobile, AL, Montgomery, AL, Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area.

$171,638
Mean of top 50 medians
687
Occupations
16
Local wage areas
100,210
Estimated jobs (top tier)

The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians in Alabama is $171,638.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, The May 2025 release has a published median for 687 occupations in Alabama; percentile boundaries and local-area rows are available only where BLS publishes them. The highest-paying reported occupation, Cardiologists, earns $519,480, versus $17,630 for Bus Drivers, School at the bottom of the range. Detail is available for 12 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas. Published local OEWS areas include Anniston-Oxford, AL, Auburn-Opelika, AL, Birmingham, AL, Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL, Decatur, AL, Dothan, AL, then Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL, Gadsden, AL, Huntsville, AL, Mobile, AL, Montgomery, AL, Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area.

Alabama, the picture in one line

Alabama ranks #46 of 54 states and territories by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage; its highest published occupation median is Cardiologists at $519,480. Published local OEWS areas include Anniston-Oxford, AL, Auburn-Opelika, AL, Birmingham, AL, Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL, Decatur, AL, Dothan, AL, then Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL, Gadsden, AL, Huntsville, AL, Mobile, AL, Montgomery, AL, Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area.

#46
of 54 states by published mean wage
$519,480
top-paying: Cardiologists
15th
percentile among all states
Anniston-Oxford, AL
local OEWS: Anniston-Oxford, AL and Auburn-Opelika, AL

The state rank uses BLS's All Occupations mean. Occupation rows below use occupation-specific medians; the two statistics are not interchangeable. Start local checks in Anniston-Oxford, AL. Start local checks in Anniston-Oxford, AL.

Where Alabama already employs the upper wage tier

Software Developers and Computer and Information Systems Managers lead Alabama's published employment inside this top-pay sample, order follows OEWS job counts, not median wage.

  1. 1. Software Developers 17,450 jobs · $122,540
  2. 2. Computer and Information Systems Managers 7,670 jobs · $138,670
  3. 3. Financial Managers 7,200 jobs · $140,500
  4. 4. Lawyers 6,730 jobs · $131,970
  5. 5. Aerospace Engineers 5,820 jobs · $127,540
  6. 6. Pharmacists 5,400 jobs · $134,630
  7. 7. Sales Managers 4,670 jobs · $124,040
  8. 8. Electrical Engineers 4,600 jobs · $125,630
  9. 9. Computer Network Architects 4,200 jobs · $130,810
  10. 10. Information Security Analysts 4,010 jobs · $122,730
  11. 11. Physicians, All Other 3,980 jobs · $272,610
  12. 12. Architectural and Engineering Managers 3,790 jobs · $162,350
  13. 13. Industrial Production Managers 3,620 jobs · $122,520
  14. 14. Engineers, All Other 3,460 jobs · $152,550
  15. 15. Managers, All Other 1,970 jobs · $135,890
  16. 16. Electronics Engineers, Except Computer 1,940 jobs · $120,720
  17. 17. Nurse Anesthetists 1,810 jobs · $190,300
  18. 18. Marketing Managers 1,540 jobs · $120,160
  19. 19. Purchasing Managers 1,520 jobs · $130,710
  20. 20. Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers 1,250 jobs · $118,320

Local BLS wage areas inside Alabama

Published local OEWS areas include Anniston-Oxford, AL, Auburn-Opelika, AL, Birmingham, AL, Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL, Decatur, AL, Dothan, AL, then Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL, Gadsden, AL, Huntsville, AL, Mobile, AL, Montgomery, AL, Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area.

Anniston-Oxford, AL Auburn-Opelika, AL Birmingham, AL Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL Decatur, AL Dothan, AL Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL Gadsden, AL Huntsville, AL Mobile, AL Montgomery, AL Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area Southeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area Southwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area Tuscaloosa, AL

Observed statewide pay change

What changed, BLS OEWS 2024–2025

May 2024 → May 2025
  • BLS's published All Occupations median in Alabama moved from $43,830 in May 2024 to $45,670 in May 2025 (+4.2%).
  • Across the 54 states and territories priced in both releases, the median place changed +2.7%.
  • Alabama sits +1.5 pp ahead of that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.

Bus Drivers, School shows the widest statewide vs national median gap in Alabama

Bus Drivers, School publishes $17,630 here versus $47,920 nationally (-63.2%; 10,410statewide jobs). Next is Substitute Teachers, Short-Term at $25,340 locally versus $41,670 nationally (-39.2%).

  1. Bus Drivers, School$17,630 in Alabama sits 63.2% below the national Bus Drivers, School median of $47,920 (10,410 published local jobs).
  2. Substitute Teachers, Short-Term$25,340 in Alabama sits 39.2% below the national Substitute Teachers, Short-Term median of $41,670 (9,290 published local jobs).
  3. Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$24,070 in Alabama sits 34.6% below the national Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary median of $36,780 (10,140 published local jobs).
  4. Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers$51,270 in Alabama sits 32.7% below the national Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers median of $76,210 (11,710 published local jobs).

Bus Drivers, School and the other occupations above are descriptive OEWS endpoints for Alabama; they are not findings about taxes, employers, or worker experience.

· Source: BLS OEWS May 2025

The Alabama OEWS table has a published median for 687 occupations. The displayed top 50 rows have summed published employment of approximately 100,210; that sum does not include the bottom table or rows whose employment is suppressed. BLS publishes means and percentile boundaries only where the corresponding estimate meets its publication standards. Averaging the medians of the top 50 highest-paying occupations gives $171,638 per year. That is only a mean of the displayed upper-tier occupation medians; it is not the BLS All Occupations mean or median and does not describe a typical worker. Published local OEWS areas include Anniston-Oxford, AL, Auburn-Opelika, AL, Birmingham, AL, Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL, Decatur, AL, Dothan, AL, then Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL, Gadsden, AL, Huntsville, AL, Mobile, AL, Montgomery, AL, Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area. Local OEWS areas in this extract include Anniston-Oxford, AL, Auburn-Opelika, AL, Birmingham, AL, Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL, Decatur, AL, Dothan, AL, Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL, Gadsden, AL, Huntsville, AL, Mobile, AL, Montgomery, AL, Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area.

At the top of the ranking, Cardiologists pays a Alabama median of $519,480, the highest-paying reported occupation in the state. The number-two spot goes to Dermatologists at $394,550, followed by Anesthesiologists at $392,350. At the bottom of the published range, Bus Drivers, School has a median of $17,630, making the displayed endpoint ratio 29.5×. The endpoints do not establish a cause or career stage. WageDex has BLS occupation rows for 12 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas assigned to Alabama, allowing comparisons below the statewide estimate without treating nonmetropolitan areas as MSAs.

Alabama's lower BEA price level (RPP 88.8) lifts the national-price reading of the published mean to about $64,752. Even then, compare Cardiologists and Bus Drivers, School inside a local OEWS area before treating either median as an offer. Published local OEWS areas include Anniston-Oxford, AL, Auburn-Opelika, AL, Birmingham, AL, Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL, Decatur, AL, Dothan, AL, then Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL, Gadsden, AL, Huntsville, AL, Mobile, AL, Montgomery, AL, Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area. Local OEWS area names are state-specific; statewide means are not metro offers.

Top-Tier Sample

75

occupations shown below

Avg. Median Salary

$171,638

top 50 occupations

Top Salary

$519,480

Cardiologists

Where Alabama ranks by published mean wage

BLS All Occupations annual mean vs. 54 states & territories; local OEWS includes Anniston-Oxford, AL and Auburn-Opelika, AL, Birmingham, AL

$57,500 Bottom 15% higher than 15% of 54 states & territories

$0–$5,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Below this entry. $55,000–$60,000: 8 states & territories (15%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$65,000: 16 states & territories (30%). Above this entry. $65,000–$70,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Above this entry. $70,000–$75,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Above this entry. $75,000–$80,000: 4 states & territories (7%). Above this entry. $80,000–$85,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Above this entry. $85,000–$90,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. $90,000–$95,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $95,000–$100,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $100,000–$105,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $105,000–$110,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $110,000–$115,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. This state $0 $115,000 every state & territory, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
Band Count Share
$0–$5,000 0 states & territories 0%
$5,000–$10,000 0 states & territories 0%
$10,000–$15,000 0 states & territories 0%
$15,000–$20,000 0 states & territories 0%
$20,000–$25,000 0 states & territories 0%
$25,000–$30,000 0 states & territories 0%
$30,000–$35,000 0 states & territories 0%
$35,000–$40,000 1 states & territories 2%
$40,000–$45,000 0 states & territories 0%
$45,000–$50,000 1 states & territories 2%
$50,000–$55,000 3 states & territories 6%
$55,000–$60,000 (this entry) 8 states & territories 15%
$60,000–$65,000 16 states & territories 30%
$65,000–$70,000 8 states & territories 15%
$70,000–$75,000 8 states & territories 15%
$75,000–$80,000 4 states & territories 7%
$80,000–$85,000 3 states & territories 6%
$85,000–$90,000 1 states & territories 2%
$90,000–$95,000 0 states & territories 0%
$95,000–$100,000 0 states & territories 0%
$100,000–$105,000 0 states & territories 0%
$105,000–$110,000 0 states & territories 0%
$110,000–$115,000 1 states & territories 2%

$57,500 · 15th percentile of 54 states & territories

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

Alabama ranks #46 of 54 by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage ($57,500). It is not the median wage or a prediction for a particular worker.

National-price-equivalent mean: dividing the $57,500 BLS All Occupations mean by the BEA state RPP gives $64,752. Inputs: BEA Regional Price Parity for Alabama (RPP 88.8, 2024; 100 = national average, all items, table SARPP). The division is a WageDex calculation, not an after-tax or household-income measure.

Largest OEWS footprints in Alabama

Published employment among the top-pay sample, top 15 by jobs

jobs
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

BLS publishes wage data for 687 distinct occupations in Alabama. The table below shows the top 50 by median annual wage, reordered by published employment for this reading. Drill into the full top-100 ranking or the fastest-growing list for deeper coverage.

Top-pay occupations in Alabama, by employment

View all 100 →

Same top-pay sample as the salary ranking, sorted by published Alabama jobs so the title sequence follows the local OEWS mix.

# Occupation Median Salary
1 Software Developers $122,540
2 Computer and Information Systems Managers $138,670
3 Financial Managers $140,500
4 Lawyers $131,970
5 Aerospace Engineers $127,540
6 Pharmacists $134,630
7 Sales Managers $124,040
8 Electrical Engineers $125,630
9 Computer Network Architects $130,810
10 Information Security Analysts $122,730
11 Physicians, All Other $272,610
12 Architectural and Engineering Managers $162,350
13 Industrial Production Managers $122,520
14 Engineers, All Other $152,550
15 Managers, All Other $135,890
16 Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $120,720
17 Nurse Anesthetists $190,300
18 Marketing Managers $120,160
19 Purchasing Managers $130,710
20 Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $118,320
21 Facilities Managers $121,010
22 Chief Executives $166,420
23 Computer Hardware Engineers $136,990
24 Chemical Engineers $135,030
25 Computer and Information Research Scientists $117,870
26 Optometrists $145,090
27 Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric $324,570
28 Natural Sciences Managers $133,470
29 Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers $136,990
30 Nuclear Power Reactor Operators $119,000
31 General Internal Medicine Physicians $311,180
32 Nuclear Engineers $132,570
33 Physicists $139,330
34 Actuaries $136,950
35 Training and Development Managers $128,750
36 Physical Scientists, All Other $135,350
37 Cardiologists $519,480
38 Obstetricians and Gynecologists $210,380
39 Psychologists, All Other $136,070
40 Podiatrists $161,820
41 Compensation and Benefits Managers $118,470
42 Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers $134,810
43 Law Teachers, Postsecondary $135,340
44 Economists $129,960
45 Dermatologists $394,550
46 Anesthesiologists $392,350
47 Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric $305,200
48 Orthodontists $253,670
49 Pediatricians, General $209,490
50 Family Medicine Physicians $134,550

Lowest Paying Jobs in Alabama

Occupation Median Salary
Bus Drivers, School $17,630
Shampooers $21,810
Cooks, Short Order $22,330
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers $22,360
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers $22,470
Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary $22,600
Childcare Workers $22,720
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other $22,990
Amusement and Recreation Attendants $23,210
Personal Care and Service Workers, All Other $23,590
Fast Food and Counter Workers $23,700
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary $24,070
Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians $24,420
Baggage Porters and Bellhops $25,150
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term $25,340
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop $26,130
Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants $26,440
Waiters and Waitresses $26,840
Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials $26,860
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders $27,080
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria $27,120
Psychiatric Aides $27,150
Physical Therapist Aides $27,290
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $27,480
Library Assistants, Clerical $27,530

Fastest Growing Jobs

View all 50 →

See national growth projections alongside the published OEWS state employment estimates for each occupation in Alabama. Based on BLS employment projections 2024-2034.

Metro and Nonmetropolitan Wage Areas in Alabama

Anniston-Oxford, AL Auburn-Opelika, AL Birmingham, AL Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL Decatur, AL Dothan, AL Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL Gadsden, AL Huntsville, AL Mobile, AL Montgomery, AL Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area Southeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area Southwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area Tuscaloosa, AL

Salary Guides

Best States for Salaries

Which states pay the most and why

Salary vs. Cost of Living

Compare local wage and price-level benchmarks

Fastest Growing Occupations

Where the job growth is heading

Local OEWS areas and related Alabama pages

Published local OEWS areas include Anniston-Oxford, AL, Auburn-Opelika, AL, Birmingham, AL, Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL, Decatur, AL, Dothan, AL, then Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL, Gadsden, AL, Huntsville, AL, Mobile, AL, Montgomery, AL, Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area.

Anniston-Oxford, AL

Local OEWS wage area

Auburn-Opelika, AL

Local OEWS wage area

Birmingham, AL

Local OEWS wage area

Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL

Local OEWS wage area

Decatur, AL

Local OEWS wage area

Dothan, AL

Local OEWS wage area

South Dakota

Nearby All Occupations mean

Oklahoma

Nearby All Occupations mean

Highest Paying in Alabama

Top 100 by median salary

Fastest Growing in Alabama

Projected 2024-2034 growth

Cardiologists

National occupation profile

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average of the top 50 occupation medians in Alabama? ▼
The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians is $171,638/year (BLS OEWS May 2025). It is not the statewide mean or median and does not describe the wage of a typical worker.
What is the average salary in Alabama? ▼
BLS publishes an All Occupations annual mean wage of $57,500/year for Alabama in the May 2025 OEWS release, which ranks 46th among the 54 states and territories with a published mean. Published local OEWS areas include Anniston-Oxford, AL, Auburn-Opelika, AL, Birmingham, AL, Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL, Decatur, AL, Dothan, AL, then Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL, Gadsden, AL, Huntsville, AL, Mobile, AL, Montgomery, AL, Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area. This is an occupational wage estimate, not a household-income statistic or a prediction for one worker.
What is the highest paying job in Alabama? ▼
The highest paying occupation in Alabama is Cardiologists with a median salary of $519,480/year according to BLS data. The second highest is Dermatologists at $394,550/year.
What jobs pay the least in Alabama? ▼
The lowest published occupation median in this Alabama ranking is Bus Drivers, School at $17,630/year. The table does not classify that occupation as entry-level or explain why its median is lowest.
How many local BLS wage areas are shown for Alabama? ▼
WageDex has occupation-level wage rows for 12 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas assigned to Alabama. Published local OEWS areas include Anniston-Oxford, AL, Auburn-Opelika, AL, Birmingham, AL, Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL, Decatur, AL, Dothan, AL, then Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL, Gadsden, AL, Huntsville, AL, Mobile, AL, Montgomery, AL, Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area. Nonmetropolitan reporting areas are not MSAs. Compare the same occupation and statistic across areas; published coverage can differ by occupation and geography.
How many occupations are shown for Alabama? ▼
BLS publishes wage data for 687 distinct occupations in Alabama. The 50 occupations in the displayed upper tier have a combined OEWS employment estimate of approximately 100,210 jobs in covered establishments.

Price-level sources for Alabama

BLS OEWS state wage tables → BEA Regional Price Parities → BLS LAUS unemployment → BEA personal income by state →

What to do with this data

How to use Alabama wage data in a real decision

  • Alabama prices sit below the national BEA average (RPP 88.8), so the published $57,500 mean is closer to $64,752 nationally; still re-check Cardiologists inside Anniston-Oxford, AL and Auburn-Opelika, AL before relocating. Compare states
  • Inside Alabama, re-check Cardiologists in Anniston-Oxford, AL, Auburn-Opelika, AL, Birmingham, AL, Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL or Decatur, AL before treating the statewide median as a metro offer. Anniston-Oxford, AL
  • Open Cardiologists for percentile bands and local-area rows; Alabama's statewide median of $519,480 uses a different geography than any single metro estimate. Cardiologists
  • The published Alabama range runs from Bus Drivers, School at $17,630 to Cardiologists at $519,480; an offer still depends on the exact role and employer. Salary calculator

BLS OEWS estimates reflect the May 2025 reference period and exclude self-employed workers; some small occupation-area cells are suppressed.

Last updated: May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

State-level employment totals and local-area breakouts from BLS OEWS State and Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, May 2025. Local areas can be metropolitan or nonmetropolitan.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. State wage figures are computed directly from BLS OEWS state-level data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Statewide figures are estimates and may not reflect pay in your specific local wage area or employer.