Average Salaries in Alabama
Explore salaries across 703 occupations in Alabama. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $64K, -2.7% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 703 occupations and 2,076,000 total jobs in Alabama.
How the state compares
Wages in Alabama track close to the national average. Pay for most occupations here is similar to what workers earn nationally.
Alabama has a mid-sized labor market, with strong representation in some occupations but thinner coverage in niche roles.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Cardiologists. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Alabama
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in Alabama
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiologists | $519.5K | 130 |
| Dermatologists | $394.6K | N/A |
| Anesthesiologists | $392.4K | N/A |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $324.6K | 380 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $311.2K | 310 |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $305.2K | N/A |
| Physicians, All Other | $272.6K | 3,980 |
| Orthodontists | $253.7K | N/A |
| Obstetricians And Gynecologists | $210.4K | 120 |
| Pediatricians, General | $209.5K | N/A |
Largest occupations in Alabama
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 60,880 | $30K |
| Registered Nurses | 54,340 | $77.1K |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers And Fabricators | 53,280 | $42.7K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 46,580 | $34.3K |
| Cashiers | 46,420 | $28.3K |
| Secretaries And Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, And Executive | 45,050 | $41.6K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 41,460 | $23.7K |
| Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 36,650 | $52.1K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 36,140 | $36.7K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 33,290 | $38.4K |
What Alabama specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Alabama than in the country as a whole, which signals what this state is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Alabama
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons | 7.68 | $47.7K |
| Logging Equipment Operators | 6.50 | $47.8K |
| Loading And Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining | 6.37 | $60K |
| Aerospace Engineers | 6.32 | $127.5K |
| Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, And Kettle Operators And Tenders | 5.63 | $50.6K |
| Metal-Refining Furnace Operators And Tenders | 5.50 | $54.3K |
| Engine And Other Machine Assemblers | 5.45 | N/A |
| Patternmakers, Metal And Plastic | 5.41 | $62.3K |
| Extruding And Forming Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Synthetic And Glass Fibers | 5.34 | $60.1K |
| Nuclear Power Reactor Operators | 5.13 | $119K |
Comparable states
| State | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $89.7K | Neurologists |
| Washington | $86.5K | Cardiologists |
| New York | $83.2K | Cardiologists |
| California | $83.2K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Massachusetts | $81.2K | Radiologists |
| New Jersey | $80.4K | Radiologists |
| Minnesota | $79.9K | Radiologists |
| Alaska | $79.6K | Emergency Medicine Physicians |
Metros inside Alabama
Salaries can vary a lot within a single state. Urban metro areas typically pay more than rural regions, and specific industries cluster in particular cities. Drill into any metro below for its own full salary breakdown.
Major metros in Alabama
| Metro | Average median | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham, AL | $63.2K | 502,890 |
| Huntsville, AL | $65.7K | 252,130 |
| Mobile, AL | $61.1K | 162,850 |
| Montgomery, AL | $58.4K | 157,310 |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | $58K | 97,000 |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | $55.7K | 80,120 |
| Auburn-Opelika, AL | $57.7K | 63,640 |
| Dothan, AL | $53K | 54,780 |
| Decatur, AL | $61.7K | 54,760 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | $54.9K | 48,340 |
Common salary questions for Alabama
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other states with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.