Salaries · United States · Alabama
Salaries in Alabama 2026
The median pay for all jobs in Alabama is $45,670 a year ($21.96 an hour), 10% below the US median of $50,980 (BLS, May 2025): the 46th highest of the 50 states and DC. Full-time workers living in Alabama earn a median of $53,026 (Census ACS 2020 to 2024).
By Dominic Roworth · From BLS, Census and BEA data, checked 31 October 2026
Pay in Alabama: the key figures
| Figure | Alabama | United States | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, all jobs | $45,670 | $50,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Average (mean) pay | $57,500 | $69,770 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lowest-paid 10% earn under | $26,090 | $31,200 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Highest-paid 10% earn over | $101,250 | $128,560 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Jobs counted | 2,113,660 | 155,495,730 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Full-time workers living here, median | $53,026 ± $367 | $61,657 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B20018 |
| Median household income | $63,999 ± $399 | $80,734 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B19013 |
| Price level (US = 100) | 88.8 | 100.0 | BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 |
| Minimum wage | $7.25 | $7.25 | State labor department |
Take-home pay on the median
On $45,670, a single person keeps about $36,997 a year ($3,083 a month) after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, Alabama income tax. With prices 11% below the US average, $45,670 here buys what $51,400 buys at average US prices.
| Median pay | $45,670 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | -$3,300 |
| Social Security | -$2,832 |
| Medicare | -$662 |
| Alabama income tax | -$1,878 |
| Take-home a year | $36,997 |
What drives pay in Alabama
Alabama's pay is shaped by factories, federal science and low prices. Manufacturing produced 14.6% of the state's GDP in 2025, against 9.5% nationally, and motor vehicles and parts alone made up 2.5%, four times the US share (BEA). The Alabama Department of Commerce dates the auto industry to Mercedes-Benz's 1993 decision to build its only US assembly plant in the state; Honda, Hyundai and Mazda-Toyota followed, and the four now have capacity for 1.3 million vehicles a year, with about 54,000 people working in the sector. That is why miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators are Alabama's third most common job: 53,280 of them, on a median of $42,700.
Many of the best-paid jobs sit in aerospace, defense and health care. Federal civilian government adds 3.6% of GDP (US 2.1%). NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville led development of the Space Launch System, the Army runs a major missile defense research and engineering center in the state, and Airbus builds A320 and A220 jets at its only US factory, in Mobile. Aerospace engineers, 5,820 of them, earn a median of $127,540. UAB describes itself as Alabama's largest employer, with more than 35,000 staff.
Even so, the all-jobs median of $45,670 is 10% below the US median and 46th of the 50 states and DC, because the most common jobs are low-paid service roles: retail salespersons (60,880 jobs, median $30,040), cashiers and fast food workers. Real GDP grew 2.0% in 2025, a little behind the US at 2.3%.
The highest-paid jobs in Alabama
Median annual pay, for jobs with at least 1,000 workers in the state (BLS, May 2025).
| Job | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 3,980 | $272,610 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 1,810 | $190,300 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 3,790 | $162,350 |
| Engineers, All Other | 3,460 | $152,550 |
| Financial Managers | 7,200 | $140,500 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 7,670 | $138,670 |
| Managers, All Other | 1,970 | $135,890 |
| Pharmacists | 5,400 | $134,630 |
| Lawyers | 6,730 | $131,970 |
| Computer Network Architects | 4,200 | $130,810 |
| Purchasing Managers | 1,520 | $130,710 |
| Aerospace Engineers | 5,820 | $127,540 |
| Electrical Engineers | 4,600 | $125,630 |
| Sales Managers | 4,670 | $124,040 |
| Information Security Analysts | 4,010 | $122,730 |
The most common jobs in Alabama
The jobs with the most workers, and what they pay.
| Job | Workers | Median a year | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 60,880 | $30,040 | $14.44 |
| Registered Nurses | 54,340 | $77,080 | $37.06 |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 53,280 | $42,700 | $20.53 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 46,580 | $34,290 | $16.48 |
| Cashiers | 46,420 | $28,250 | $13.58 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 45,050 | $41,630 | $20.01 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 41,460 | $23,700 | $11.40 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 36,650 | $52,120 | $25.06 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 36,140 | $36,670 | $17.63 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 33,290 | $38,400 | $18.46 |
| General and Operations Managers | 30,170 | $111,790 | $53.75 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 28,760 | $26,840 | $12.91 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 26,740 | $27,870 | $13.40 |
| Nursing Assistants | 25,250 | $34,140 | $16.41 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 25,110 | $30,620 | $14.72 |
Pay for careers we cover, in Alabama
Official BLS medians for Alabama; each links to the full salary guide with pay by state.
| Career | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetist | 1,810 | $190,300 |
| Actuary | 190 | $136,950 |
| Pharmacist | 5,400 | $134,630 |
| Lawyer | 6,730 | $131,970 |
| Aerospace Engineer | 5,820 | $127,540 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | 4,010 | $122,730 |
| Software Engineer | 17,450 | $122,540 |
| Air Traffic Controller | 240 | $114,960 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 5,640 | $105,750 |
| Physician Assistant | 930 | $104,960 |
| Elevator Technician | 170 | $103,700 |
| Data Scientist | 1,740 | $103,120 |
| Commercial Pilot | 780 | $101,420 |
| Project Manager | 3,190 | $100,820 |
| Financial Analyst | 3,410 | $91,290 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | 4,310 | $82,260 |
| Registered Nurse | 54,340 | $77,080 |
| Accountant | 24,300 | $74,880 |
| Compliance Officer | 3,770 | $72,990 |
| Dental Hygienist | 3,170 | $61,160 |
| Plumber | 6,950 | $58,670 |
| Electrician | 10,900 | $55,690 |
| UX Designer | 130 | $51,860 |
| Welder | 12,450 | $48,490 |
| HVAC Technician | 8,260 | $48,370 |
| Paralegal | 5,700 | $47,260 |
Alabama and its neighbors
| State | Median pay | Price level | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $45,670 | 88.8 | $51,400 |
| Florida | $47,880 | 103.4 | $46,300 |
| Georgia | $48,170 | 96.3 | $50,000 |
| Mississippi | $40,120 | 87.0 | $46,100 |
| Tennessee | $47,380 | 91.9 | $51,600 |
Limits
BLS figures cover jobs located in Alabama, not the self-employed; Census figures cover people who live here. Take-home assumes a single filer with the standard deduction. More in our methodology.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state file)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (tables B20018 and B19013)
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state (table SARPP), 2024
- Take-home pay: Paygrade's 2026 federal and state tax engine, see the methodology.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: GDP by state and industry, 2025 (industry shares and growth rates are our calculation), data last updated 30 Sep 2026
- Alabama Department of Commerce (Made in Alabama): Automotive, undated page, latest news item 12 Aug 2026; accessed 31 Oct 2026
- Alabama Department of Commerce (Made in Alabama): Aerospace & Aviation, undated page, accessed 31 Oct 2026
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Graduate Catalog 2025-2026: About UAB, 2025-2026 edition, accessed 31 Oct 2026
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