Average Salaries in Decatur, AL
Explore salaries across 244 occupations in Decatur, AL. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $56.5K, -8.2% 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 2024 estimates. Coverage: 244 occupations and 53,340 total jobs in Decatur, AL.
How the metro compares
Decatur, AL pays modestly below the national average. That can be partly offset by a lower cost of living compared with higher-paying markets.
Decatur, AL is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Architectural And Engineering Managers. 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 Decatur, 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.
Top wages
Highest-paid occupations in Decatur, AL
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $159.5K | 130 |
| Industrial Production Managers | $147.0K | 210 |
| Financial Managers | $134.9K | 140 |
| Pharmacists | $132.3K | 140 |
| Materials Engineers | $130.6K | 50 |
| Computer Network Architects | $128.7K | 30 |
| Sales Managers | $128.6K | 90 |
| Facilities Managers | $126.1K | 40 |
| Health And Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers And Inspectors | $124.0K | 80 |
| Electrical Engineers | $123.4K | 160 |
Most jobs
Largest occupations in Decatur, AL
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Assemblers And Fabricators | 1,630 | $37.8K |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,460 | $30.8K |
| Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,440 | $58.3K |
| Cashiers | 1,340 | $27.0K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 1,150 | $36.5K |
| Secretaries And Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, And Executive | 1,140 | $40.6K |
| Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,090 | $31.9K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 1,090 | $31.4K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 1,050 | $25.5K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 1,010 | $27.6K |
What Decatur, 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 Decatur, AL than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Location quotient
Most concentrated occupations in Decatur, AL
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Meat, Poultry, And Fish Cutters And Trimmers | 17.06 | $21.7K |
| Chemical Equipment Operators And Tenders | 14.71 | $77.7K |
| Chemical Plant And System Operators | 13.76 | N/A |
| Chemical Engineers | 10.25 | $113.2K |
| Health And Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers And Inspectors | 8.75 | $124.0K |
| Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Wood | 8.01 | $41.7K |
| Structural Metal Fabricators And Fitters | 7.50 | $49.2K |
| Chemical Technicians | 7.40 | $61.4K |
| Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic | 7.32 | $110.8K |
| Welding, Soldering, And Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 6.86 | $45.2K |
Peer markets
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $90.4K | Training And Development Managers |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $89.2K | Natural Sciences Managers |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $81.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $80.1K | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $78.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| Vallejo, CA | $77.4K | Lawyers |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $77.2K | Podiatrists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $77.1K | Neurologists |
Common salary questions for Decatur, 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.