Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
Birmingham, AL Average Salary 2026
Cost of living, occupation-by-occupation pay, and percentile ranges from official BLS data.
The average salary in Birmingham, AL, Alabama is $94,647 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (2025 reference period) covering 60 occupations and roughly 103,550 workers. Adjusted for Birmingham, AL's cost-of-living index of 90.4, that nominal average translates to $104,698 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. The highest-paying tracked occupation is Pediatrician at $189,650; the lowest is Automotive Technician at $47,830.
Birmingham, AL, AL has below-baseline cost-of-living (index 90.4), which means the $94,647 average median wage translates to higher real purchasing power than the same number would in higher-COL markets.
Highest-paying role in Birmingham, AL on BLS data is Pediatrician at $189,650 median. Top-paying roles in any U.S. city skew toward physicians, executives, tech specialists, and licensed professionals; the specific ranking varies with the local industry mix. Lower-COL cities like Birmingham, AL often outperform higher-COL ones on cost-adjusted real income for the same role, especially for workers in mid-paying occupations whose gross wages do not vary as much by city.
Salaries by Occupation in Birmingham, AL
| Role | Category | Median | Range (10th–90th) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pediatrician | Healthcare | $189,650 | $177,950 – $258,580 | 80 |
| Lawyer | Legal | $170,230 | $65,650 – $272,900 | 2,800 |
| Optometrist | Healthcare | $162,890 | $73,750 – $196,600 | 110 |
| Financial Manager | Finance | $153,930 | $99,530 – $292,490 | 2,700 |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $140,230 | $83,880 – $217,290 | 2,230 |
| Pharmacist | Healthcare | $138,800 | $107,330 – $161,190 | 1,550 |
| Computer Network Architect | Technology | $131,140 | $74,810 – $168,740 | 880 |
| Marketing Manager | Management | $130,160 | $76,750 – $227,330 | 660 |
| Human Resources Manager | Management | $127,080 | $77,180 – $215,000 | 620 |
| Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $125,940 | $63,480 – $214,320 | 190 |
| Software Developer | Technology | $125,410 | $74,110 – $175,330 | 3,830 |
| General and Operations Manager | Management | $123,560 | $61,350 – $278,780 | 7,950 |
| Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $119,990 | $119,990 – $314,390 | 140 |
| Sales Manager | Management | $119,740 | $59,400 – $212,420 | 1,560 |
| Information Security Analyst | Technology | $115,520 | $68,310 – $164,520 | 670 |
| Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $112,960 | $64,630 – $166,820 | 900 |
| Management Analyst | Management | $108,220 | $64,270 – $203,800 | 1,290 |
| Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $107,700 | $89,240 – $137,560 | 1,350 |
| Veterinarian | Healthcare | $106,890 | $77,990 – $176,330 | 310 |
| Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $105,440 | $59,500 – $163,630 | 280 |
| Computer Programmer | Technology | $103,750 | $64,670 – $136,440 | 120 |
| Database Architect | Technology | $101,850 | $61,220 – $136,770 | 540 |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $100,500 | $67,060 – $172,440 | 3,430 |
| Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $100,480 | $73,680 – $135,700 | 940 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $99,470 | $64,930 – $137,180 | 1,870 |
| Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $98,810 | $61,470 – $157,890 | 780 |
| Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $97,750 | $77,750 – $134,300 | 1,030 |
| Civil Engineer | Engineering | $97,420 | $67,340 – $168,370 | 1,070 |
| Architect | Engineering | $96,730 | $63,720 – $210,290 | 500 |
| Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $95,250 | $76,770 – $127,050 | 540 |
| Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $94,330 | $58,560 – $146,350 | 400 |
| Data Scientist | Technology | $94,240 | $58,690 – $154,660 | 490 |
| Financial Analyst | Finance | $91,290 | $62,470 – $162,820 | 1,100 |
| Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $89,940 | $59,750 – $138,960 | 100 |
| Audiologist | Healthcare | $86,300 | $67,280 – $102,650 | 0 |
| Network Architect | Technology | $84,350 | $52,140 – $138,700 | 1,290 |
| Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $82,060 | $54,080 – $131,030 | 360 |
| Statistician | Technology | $80,240 | $53,330 – $100,550 | 90 |
| Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $79,480 | $38,660 – $338,040 | 1,190 |
| Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $78,680 | $62,230 – $102,960 | 17,850 |
| Accountant | Finance | $78,660 | $52,140 – $128,530 | 7,790 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $75,750 | $61,190 – $115,700 | 600 |
| Loan Officer | Finance | $66,740 | $44,930 – $158,790 | 1,730 |
| Web Designer | Technology | $66,640 | $34,970 – $106,270 | 200 |
| Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $64,880 | $42,420 – $125,000 | 710 |
| Writer/Author | Creative | $64,460 | $41,710 – $104,000 | 70 |
| Secondary School Teacher | Education | $62,650 | $48,860 – $75,990 | 2,850 |
| Elementary School Teacher | Education | $62,630 | $48,690 – $75,040 | 5,340 |
| Market Research Analyst | Management | $62,190 | $39,820 – $120,250 | 2,660 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $62,000 | $40,050 – $101,360 | 220 |
| Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $61,730 | $56,990 – $74,070 | 1,150 |
| Web Developer | Technology | $60,130 | $48,730 – $135,500 | 40 |
| Plumber | Trades | $60,090 | $38,620 – $76,290 | 1,840 |
| Electrician | Trades | $56,630 | $38,880 – $78,550 | 2,780 |
| Paralegal | Legal | $53,160 | $34,130 – $81,560 | 2,420 |
| Graphic Designer | Creative | $52,480 | $35,000 – $93,510 | 530 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $51,430 | $36,550 – $82,200 | 2,790 |
| Carpenter | Trades | $50,400 | $37,480 – $63,380 | 1,660 |
| Welder | Trades | $49,930 | $38,010 – $71,640 | 2,160 |
| Automotive Technician | Trades | $47,830 | $33,630 – $88,150 | 2,220 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The single highest-paying occupation tracked in Birmingham, AL is Pediatrician, with a median of $189,650 and a 90th-percentile reading of $258,580. That $80,630 spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles is typical for a role of this seniority — entry-level workers cluster near the bottom of the band, while senior specialists and managers earn at the top.
Across all 60 BLS-tracked occupations in Birmingham, AL, the average median salary is $94,647. The top five roles average $163,386 — about 1.7× the citywide average — which is the expected shape for a U.S. metro economy: a small concentration of high-skill, high-credential occupations sits well above the broader middle.
Birmingham, AL runs below the U.S. average on cost of living (index 90.4, about 10% below the national mean). Lower nominal salaries here often translate to comparable or better purchasing power than higher headline numbers in coastal hubs.
Salary Negotiation in Birmingham, AL
For salary negotiation in Birmingham, AL, the practical input is the percentile band for your role and city, not the citywide average. The OEWS publishes 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile wages for every metro and occupation; you can find your role's exact percentile in the table above and use the SalaryTruth percentile calculator to anchor your offer. Cost-of-living index 90.4 should also factor in any cross-metro comparison.
For city-vs-city moves, the right benchmark is COL-adjusted pay rather than nominal pay. Our COL-adjusted salaries guide shows the exact math; the negotiation playbook covers how to use BLS percentile bands to anchor offers.
How Birmingham, AL Salary Data Is Built
Wages on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — a federal survey of more than 1.2 million U.S. establishments, published once per year by Metropolitan Statistical Area and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. We pull the BLS data file for Birmingham, AL, match each occupation against our role catalog, and surface percentile wages alongside employment counts. The cost-of-living index (90.4) is a composite of housing, food, transportation, and utility data from public sources, calibrated to a U.S. national average of 100. Read the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average salary in Birmingham, AL in 2026?
The average salary in Birmingham, AL is $94,647 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release covering 60 occupations. The mean (employment-weighted average) gives slightly more weight to large occupations; the median across roles is also close to $94,647. The top-paying role is Pediatrician at $189,650.
Is $100,000 a good salary in Birmingham, AL?
In Birmingham, AL, $100,000 has the purchasing power of $110,619 in an average-cost U.S. metro (COL index 90.4). That is above $100K of buying power — a $100K salary stretches further in Birmingham, AL than in most U.S. metros. Compared to the city's average median of $94,647, $100K is above the typical worker.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Birmingham, AL?
The top-paying tracked occupations in Birmingham, AL are Pediatrician ($189,650), Lawyer ($170,230), Optometrist ($162,890), and Financial Manager ($153,930). Across the top 10, median salaries range from $125,940 to $189,650. See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/birmingham.
How does Birmingham, AL's cost of living affect salaries?
Birmingham, AL has a cost-of-living index of 90.4, 10% below the U.S. national average. A nominal salary of $94,647 in this metro has the equivalent purchasing power of $104,698 in an average-cost U.S. city. Housing is the dominant driver of this gap; in higher-COL markets, mortgage or rent typically eats 5–15 percentage points more of pre-tax pay than in average-cost metros.
How many people are employed in Birmingham, AL?
Across the 60 BLS-tracked occupations on this page, total employment in the Birmingham, AL metro is approximately 103,550. BLS OEWS sample-based estimates cover all major occupational categories but exclude very small or volatile fields where the sample is too thin to publish.
Where does this Birmingham, AL salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal survey data covering about 1.2 million U.S. employers. The same data is used by the U.S. Department of Labor for prevailing wage determinations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Birmingham, AL MSA, 2026 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2026."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 60 occupations · COL Index 90.4.