The Huntsville, AL metropolitan statistical area, as BLS defines it.
Pay data · metro area
Average Salary in Huntsville, AL (2026)
The average salary in the Huntsville metro area is $71,090 a year and the median is $51,740: 1% above the US median and 13% above Alabama's (BLS, May 2025). At national-average prices the median is worth $55,590, 56th of 387 metro areas.
- Average (mean) salary
- $71,090US $69,770
- Median salary
- $51,740US $50,980
- Median hourly
- $24.88BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Price level
- 93.1US = 100 · BEA 2024
The spread
What workers in Huntsville earn
| Percentile | Huntsville area | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $28,370 | $26,090 | $31,200 |
| 25th | $36,190 | $32,050 | $37,590 |
| 50th (median) | $51,740 | $45,670 | $50,980 |
| 75th | $89,810 | $66,790 | $80,520 |
| 90th | $139,120 | $101,250 | $128,560 |
| Mean | $71,090 | $57,500 | $69,770 |
Prices
Cost of living in Huntsville
BEA Regional Price Parities put the Huntsville area at 93.1 against a US average of 100. Matching a $100,000 national-average lifestyle takes about $93,070 here. Compare with another city.
US = 100
- All items93.1
- Housing (rents)77.9
- Goods96.4
- Utilities83.9
- Other services96.7
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| All items | 93.1 |
| Housing (rents) | 77.9 |
| Goods | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 83.9 |
| Other services | 96.7 |
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
Common jobs
What common jobs pay in Huntsville
Mean annual wage in the Huntsville area against the national mean for the same occupation (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Occupation | Huntsville area | US mean | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurse | $75,210 | $101,420 | -26% |
| Software Developer | $127,280 | $148,100 | -14% |
| Elementary School Teacher | $61,750 | $72,650 | -15% |
| Accountant | $88,300 | $94,750 | -7% |
| Electrician | $59,090 | $71,490 | -17% |
| Truck Driver | $58,200 | $59,710 | -3% |
| Customer Service Representative | $42,020 | $46,590 | -10% |
| Retail Salesperson | $34,900 | $37,310 | -6% |
| Nursing Assistant | $33,950 | $42,700 | -20% |
| General and Operations Manager | $155,960 | $134,940 | +16% |
| Maintenance and Repair Worker, General | $48,300 | $53,780 | -10% |
| Cook, Restaurant | $34,960 | $38,730 | -10% |
The jobs
Best-paying jobs in Huntsville
BLS publishes estimates for 392 occupations in this metro. Highest mean pay, and the large occupations this area pays furthest above their national average.
Highest-paying jobs
Mean annual wage
- 1Chief Executive$234,150
- 2Nurse Anesthetist$211,580
- 3Family Medicine Physician$207,600
- 4Architectural and Engineering Manager$171,850
- 5Financial Manager$171,200
- 6IT Manager$160,200
- 7Regulatory Affairs Manager$159,490
- 8General and Operations Manager$155,960
- 9Physicist$155,940
- 10Remote Sensing Scientist and Technologist$154,980
Jobs Huntsville pays above the national average
Occupations with 100,000+ US workers
- 1Business Continuity Planner$126,550 · +35%
- 2Operations Research Analyst$130,920 · +31%
- 3Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator$69,800 · +28%
- 4Logistician$114,710 · +28%
- 5Financial Quantitative Analyst$114,770 · +22%
- 6Energy Engineer, Except Wind and Solar$150,490 · +20%
- 7Buyer and Purchasing Agent, Farm Products$98,070 · +17%
- 8Wholesale and Retail Buyer, Except Farm Products$98,070 · +17%
- 9Purchasing Agent, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products$98,070 · +17%
- 10General and Operations Manager$155,960 · +16%
Compare
Other metro areas in Alabama
Method
About these numbers
- All-occupations wages for the metro are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 estimates (api.bls.gov). Wage and salary workers only; excludes the self-employed.
- Pay by occupation is the OEWS May 2025 mean for that occupation in this metro, as published in the Department of Labor’s 2026–27 prevailing-wage file. Only figures BLS estimated for this metro itself are used, never state or national fallbacks.
- Price levels are BEA Regional Price Parities for 2024. Price-adjusted pay is a NueCareer calculation (wage ÷ RPP/100).
Questions
Average salary in Huntsville: FAQ
What is the average salary in Huntsville?
Across all occupations in the Huntsville, AL metro area, the average (mean) annual wage is $71,090 and the median is $51,740, 1% above the US median (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That covers 266,650 wage and salary jobs.
What is a good salary in Huntsville?
Above $51,740 out-earns half of workers in the Huntsville area; the top 25% start at $89,810 and the top 10% at $139,120. Prices run 7% below the national average (BEA, 2024), so matching a $100,000 national-average lifestyle takes about $93,070 here.
Is Huntsville expensive to live in?
BEA's price level for the Huntsville metro is 93.1 (US = 100, 2024). Housing rents are 77.9, goods 96.4, utilities 83.9. At local prices the median wage is worth $55,590, 56th of 387 metros.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Huntsville?
By mean annual wage: Chief Executive ($234,150), Nurse Anesthetist ($211,580), Family Medicine Physician ($207,600), Architectural and Engineering Manager ($171,850), Financial Manager ($171,200) (BLS OEWS May 2025, via the DOL wage file).