Alabama
Highest-Paying Occupations in Alabama
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025Alabama
Figures describe the state of Alabama as a whole. Occupations are ranked by published median annual wage; occupations where BLS suppressed the annual median or publishes only hourly wages are not ranked (13 such occupations here).
Top 25 of 690 occupations
| # | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiologists | $519,480 | $249.75 | 130 |
| 2 | Dermatologists | $394,550 | $189.69 | Not published |
| 3 | Anesthesiologists | $392,350 | $188.63 | Not published |
| 4 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $324,570 | $156.04 | 380 |
| 5 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $311,180 | $149.61 | 310 |
| 6 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $305,200 | $146.73 | Not published |
| 7 | Physicians, All Other | $272,610 | $131.06 | 3,980 |
| 8 | Orthodontists | $253,670 | $121.96 | Not published |
| 9 | Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons | $239,200 or more | $115.00 or more | 130 |
| 10 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | $239,200 or more | $115.00 or more | 90 |
| 11 | Surgeons, All Other | $239,200 or more | $115.00 or more | 340 |
| 12 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $210,380 | $101.15 | 120 |
| 13 | Pediatricians, General | $209,490 | $100.72 | Not published |
| 14 | Nurse Anesthetists | $190,300 | $91.49 | 1,810 |
| 15 | Chief Executives | $166,420 | $80.01 | 810 |
| 16 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $162,350 | $78.06 | 3,790 |
| 17 | Podiatrists | $161,820 | $77.80 | 90 |
| 18 | Engineers, All Other | $152,550 | $73.34 | 3,460 |
| 19 | Optometrists | $145,090 | $69.75 | 460 |
| 20 | Financial Managers | $140,500 | $67.55 | 7,200 |
| 21 | Physicists | $139,330 | $66.98 | 280 |
| 22 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $138,670 | $66.67 | 7,670 |
| 23 | Computer Hardware Engineers | $136,990 | $65.86 | 680 |
| 24 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $136,990 | Not published | 360 |
| 25 | Actuaries | $136,950 | $65.84 | 190 |
The full list of every published occupation here is on the Alabama overview.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.