Home / Wages / Birmingham Birmingham salaries The median worker in the Birmingham, AL metro area earned $46,330 a year in 2024, about $22.28 an hour. That ranks #209 of the 391 metro areas published here, 6.4% below the national median.
Alabama
Median pay $46,330 $22.28 per hour
Vs national -6.4% U.S. $49,500
Workers 517,920 wage and salary
Metro rank #209 of 391 by median pay
What this labour market looks like Birmingham pays 5.7% more than Alabama as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.
Housing here moved +0.8% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +32.7% over five years. Pay and house prices rarely move together, and where they diverge for long the
affordability of an area changes even when nothing about the jobs does.
House prices in Birmingham .
Unusually concentrated here Occupations against their national share, 2024 Occupation Concentration Employed Median Nurse Anesthetists 3.82× 650 $155,180 Helpers--Production Workers 2.63× 1,480 $35,560 Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary 2.55× 1,970 $82,810 Cooks, Fast Food 2.49× 5,590 $27,650 Helpers--Electricians 2.48× 540 $36,080 Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 2.48× 1,450 $41,200 Database Administrators 2.45× 600 $101,640 Surgical Technologists 2.32× 890 $51,430 Psychiatric Technicians 2.3× 1,050 $35,800 Firefighters 2.17× 2,420 $49,900 Industrial Machinery Mechanics 2.13× 3,010 $59,690 Physical Therapist Assistants 2.12× 770 $60,920
Best paid occupations Highest median pay in Birmingham Occupation Median Hourly Employed Physicians, All Other $231,480 $111.29 1,340 Chief Executives $171,680 $82.54 230 Architectural and Engineering Managers $157,790 $75.86 550 Nurse Anesthetists $155,180 $74.61 650 Lawyers $152,240 $73.19 2,240 Financial Managers $151,750 $72.96 2,370 Pharmacists $135,960 $65.36 1,750 Computer and Information Systems Managers $135,100 $64.95 1,960 Computer Network Architects $127,850 $61.47 820 Marketing Managers $123,340 $59.30 660 Human Resources Managers $121,870 $58.59 550 General and Operations Managers $117,820 $56.65 8,610 Purchasing Managers $113,180 $54.42 280 Electrical Engineers $109,360 $52.58 740 Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary $108,240 n/a 250 Nurse Practitioners $107,550 $51.71 1,280 Facilities Managers $106,960 $51.42 220 Managers, All Other $106,960 $51.42 560 Software Developers $106,890 $51.39 3,800 Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary $106,290 n/a 370 Industrial Production Managers $106,040 $50.98 620 Power Plant Operators $103,640 $49.83 270 Database Administrators $101,640 $48.87 600 Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $101,250 $48.68 260 Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $101,020 $48.57 410 Information Security Analysts $100,950 $48.54 580 Computer Systems Analysts $100,800 $48.46 1,730 Occupational Therapists $100,640 $48.39 530 Sales Managers $100,330 $48.24 1,570 Physician Assistants $100,320 $48.23 340 Medical and Health Services Managers $99,370 $47.77 3,130 Construction Managers $99,040 $47.61 2,290 Industrial Engineers $98,290 $47.26 890 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $98,280 n/a 640 Veterinarians $98,160 $47.19 380 Project Management Specialists $97,840 $47.04 870 Physical Therapists $97,520 $46.88 950 Data Scientists $96,590 $46.44 440 Management Analysts $96,100 $46.20 1,130 Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers $95,140 $45.74 590 Mechanical Engineers $94,430 $45.40 870 Architects, Except Landscape and Naval $94,170 $45.27 590 Civil Engineers $93,210 $44.81 1,430 Financial and Investment Analysts $92,840 $44.64 1,000 Business Teachers, Postsecondary $92,660 n/a 220 First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $90,200 $43.36 470 Computer Occupations, All Other $87,760 $42.19 300 Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $86,790 $41.73 350 Network and Computer Systems Administrators $86,710 $41.69 1,280 Education Administrators, Postsecondary $85,880 $41.29 850 Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators $83,460 $40.12 1,760 Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary $82,810 n/a 1,970 Business Operations Specialists, All Other $82,400 $39.61 1,120 First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers $82,210 $39.53 350 Speech-Language Pathologists $79,860 $38.39 480 Personal Financial Advisors $78,480 $37.73 1,100 Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists $76,800 $36.93 260 Detectives and Criminal Investigators $76,580 $36.82 230 First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers $76,450 $36.75 610 Registered Nurses $76,020 $36.55 18,330
Where most people work Largest occupations in Birmingham by employment Occupation Employed Median Hourly Registered Nurses 18,330 $76,020 $36.55 Retail Salespersons 15,150 $30,240 $14.54 Cashiers 11,300 $28,420 $13.66 Stockers and Order Fillers 10,630 $34,750 $16.71 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 10,520 $42,110 $20.25 Customer Service Representatives 10,150 $40,330 $19.39 Fast Food and Counter Workers 9,100 $25,430 $12.23 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 9,070 $51,310 $24.67 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 8,920 $37,100 $17.84 General and Operations Managers 8,610 $117,820 $56.65 Accountants and Auditors 7,980 $75,390 $36.25 Waiters and Waitresses 6,820 $21,930 $10.54 Nursing Assistants 6,440 $35,040 $16.85 First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 6,230 $64,040 $30.79 Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 6,200 $38,320 $18.42 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products 5,900 $64,800 $31.15 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers 5,690 $46,220 $22.22 Cooks, Fast Food 5,590 $27,650 $13.30 Security Guards 5,520 $29,990 $14.42 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 5,360 $30,640 $14.73
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.
Other Alabama metro areas Huntsville 260,190 workers $50,470 Tuscaloosa 108,360 workers $45,440 Mobile 169,130 workers $44,600 Decatur 59,180 workers $44,470 Montgomery 163,140 workers $42,600 Columbus 116,210 workers $40,780 Birmingham pay: common questions What is the average salary in Birmingham? The median across all occupations is $46,330 , or $22.28 an hour, covering 517,920 wage and salary workers. The mean is $58,530, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.
Does Birmingham pay more than the rest of Alabama? Yes. The metro median of $46,330 is 5.7% above the Alabama median of $43,830. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.
Which jobs pay best in Birmingham? Physicians, All Other ($231,480), Chief Executives ($171,680), Architectural and Engineering Managers ($157,790). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.
What is Birmingham unusually full of? Nurse Anesthetists, at 3.82× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.