Average Salaries in Tuscaloosa, AL
Explore salaries across 318 occupations in Tuscaloosa, AL. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $57.6K, -6.3% 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: 318 occupations and 98,860 total jobs in Tuscaloosa, AL.
How the metro compares
Tuscaloosa, AL pays modestly below the national average. That can be partly offset by a lower cost of living compared with higher-paying markets.
Tuscaloosa, 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 Tuscaloosa, 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 Tuscaloosa, AL
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $201.0K | 200 |
| Chief Executives | $189.6K | 30 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $176.8K | 80 |
| Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | $137.1K | 60 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $134.8K | 80 |
| Facilities Managers | $133.9K | 50 |
| Pharmacists | $130.9K | 340 |
| Electrical Engineers | $130.7K | 50 |
| Financial Managers | $126.8K | 220 |
| Industrial Production Managers | $123.9K | 250 |
Most jobs
Largest occupations in Tuscaloosa, AL
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Assemblers And Fabricators | 7,490 | N/A |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,980 | $29.2K |
| Cashiers | 2,610 | $27.5K |
| Registered Nurses | 2,460 | $68.8K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 2,160 | $23.9K |
| Secretaries And Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, And Executive | 1,850 | $41.3K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 1,810 | $22.7K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 1,700 | $31.4K |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | 1,650 | $63.5K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 1,650 | $35.3K |
What Tuscaloosa, 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 Tuscaloosa, AL than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Location quotient
Most concentrated occupations in Tuscaloosa, AL
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Loading And Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining | 31.94 | $58.0K |
| Psychiatric Aides | 22.36 | $32.6K |
| Log Graders And Scalers | 15.58 | $46.5K |
| Logging Equipment Operators | 11.22 | $49.4K |
| Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Wood | 10.78 | $36.8K |
| Tool Grinders, Filers, And Sharpeners | 9.73 | $46.9K |
| Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, And Kettle Operators And Tenders | 9.38 | $49.6K |
| Molding, Coremaking, And Casting Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic | 9.08 | $36.6K |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers And Fabricators | 7.31 | N/A |
| Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | 6.59 | $137.1K |
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 Tuscaloosa, 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.