Average Salaries in Birmingham, AL
Explore salaries across 499 occupations in Birmingham, AL. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $63.2K, -3.8% 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: 499 occupations and 502,890 total jobs in Birmingham, AL.
How the metro compares
Wages in Birmingham, AL track close to the national average. Pay for most occupations here is similar to what workers earn nationally.
Birmingham, AL is a mid-sized metro labor market.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is General Internal Medicine Physicians. 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 Birmingham, AL
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 Birmingham, AL
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $334.1K | 180 |
| Physicians, All Other | $237K | 1,420 |
| Pediatricians, General | $189.7K | 80 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $175.9K | 750 |
| Lawyers | $170.2K | 2,800 |
| Podiatrists | $169.8K | 50 |
| Chief Executives | $167.1K | 190 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $166.7K | 600 |
| Optometrists | $162.9K | 110 |
| Compensation And Benefits Managers | $156.7K | 30 |
Largest occupations in Birmingham, AL
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 17,850 | $78.7K |
| Retail Salespersons | 15,280 | $31.5K |
| Secretaries And Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, And Executive | 10,900 | $44.6K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 10,890 | $35.7K |
| Cashiers | 10,690 | $29.3K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 10,080 | $27K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 9,850 | $40.5K |
| Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 9,170 | $54.5K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 8,200 | $37.5K |
| General And Operations Managers | 7,950 | $123.6K |
What Birmingham, AL 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 Birmingham, AL than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Birmingham, AL
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Patternmakers, Metal And Plastic | 13.62 | $62.4K |
| Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons | 13.16 | $49.3K |
| Metal-Refining Furnace Operators And Tenders | 7.48 | $56.3K |
| Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other | 6.09 | $62.6K |
| Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, And Kettle Operators And Tenders | 6.00 | $57.2K |
| Layout Workers, Metal And Plastic | 4.32 | $29.1K |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 4.31 | $175.9K |
| Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 4.25 | $78.2K |
| Athletic Trainers | 3.88 | $46.3K |
| Power Distributors And Dispatchers | 3.66 | $138.3K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Birmingham, AL
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 metros 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.