Average Salaries in Decatur, AL
Explore salaries across 243 occupations in Decatur, AL. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $61.7K, -6.2% 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 2025 estimates. Coverage: 243 occupations and 54,760 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 Physicians, All Other. 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.
Highest-paid occupations in Decatur, AL
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $351.8K | 50 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $165.5K | 160 |
| Industrial Production Managers | $150K | 240 |
| Financial Managers | $142.9K | 150 |
| Lawyers | $139K | 70 |
| Aerospace Engineers | $138.5K | 100 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $135.9K | 130 |
| Materials Engineers | $134.4K | 50 |
| Sales Managers | $133.5K | 110 |
| Pharmacists | $133.4K | 120 |
Largest occupations in Decatur, AL
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Assemblers And Fabricators | 1,830 | $43.1K |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,580 | $31.6K |
| Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,420 | $59.4K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 1,280 | $25.7K |
| Cashiers | 1,260 | $28.9K |
| Secretaries And Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, And Executive | 1,260 | $43.9K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 1,200 | $32.1K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 1,140 | $27.4K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 1,090 | $36.2K |
| Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,080 | $30.4K |
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.
Most concentrated occupations in Decatur, AL
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Meat, Poultry, And Fish Cutters And Trimmers | 15.18 | $36.8K |
| Chemical Equipment Operators And Tenders | 13.77 | $82.2K |
| Milling And Planing Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic | 12.55 | $36.5K |
| Health And Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers And Inspectors | 10.97 | $125.9K |
| Boilermakers | 8.45 | $64.1K |
| Engineering Technologists And Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other | 8.02 | $60.2K |
| Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic | 7.27 | $114.5K |
| Chemical Engineers | 7.25 | $109.2K |
| Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Wood | 7.22 | $44.4K |
| Chemical Technicians | 6.18 | $64.8K |
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 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.