Top 100 highest-paying jobs in Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area

Table 1 compares the top 100 highest-paying jobs in Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area, ranked by annual average salary. For each job, the table displays the number of employees with that job, as well as the job's entry-level salary. (The entry-level salary is calculated based on the 10% of paid workers with the lowest salaries.)

Based on the table, we see that the highest-paying jobs in Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area are those of sales manager, with an average annual salary of $128,570. The second highest-paying jobs are those of pharmacists, with an average salary of $127,190.

All of the shown salary and employment information for Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area has been computed using data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in April 2023. Notably, the highest-paying occupations change from year to year. Tables 2, 3, and 4 show the top 10 highest-paying occupations in Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area in 2021, 2020, and 2019.

Table 1. Top 100 highest-paying jobs in Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area (2022 survey)

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	No. of Empl i
1	Sales Managers	$128,570	$62,440	70
2	Pharmacists	$127,190	$88,210	180
3	Nurse Practitioners	$111,700	$80,430	130
4	Financial Managers	$109,170	$68,300	80
5	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$103,880	$66,330	30
6	Purchasing Managers	$99,370	$62,740	30
7	Electrical Engineers	$98,550	$72,140	40
8	Physical Therapists	$97,280	$56,160	70
9	Construction Managers	$96,740	$58,870	100
10	Veterinarians	$95,800	$61,200	30
11	Human Resources Managers	$91,000	$60,270	40
12	Lawyers	$88,070	$41,000	60
13	Industrial Production Managers	$85,990	$61,040	140
14	Software Developers	$84,560	$50,800	50
15	General and Operations Managers	$84,210	$36,370	900
16	Postsecondary Education Administrators	$84,030	$59,640	30
17	Medical and Health Services Managers	$82,570	$59,600	240
18	Elementary and Secondary School Education Administrators	$81,160	$63,460	150
19	Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers	$79,610	$39,070	100
20	Civil Engineers	$77,890	$56,900	60
21	Other Education Administrators	$77,770	$46,710	80
22	Industrial Engineers	$77,720	$52,280	190
23	Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators	$77,350	$47,070	30
24	Mechanical Engineers	$75,270	$52,480	120
25	Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants	$67,650	$48,440	50
26	Network and Computer Systems Administrators	$67,130	$38,460	60
27	Postsecondary Mathematical Science Teachers	$64,030	$61,850	40
28	First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	$62,550	$37,440	50
29	Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers	$61,620	$49,810	60
30	First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers	$61,410	$31,310	350
31	All Other Managers	$61,250	$33,050	80
32	Postsecondary English Language and Literature Teachers	$61,140	$49,130	30
33	First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers	$61,010	$37,440	50
34	Postsecondary Nursing Instructors and Teachers	$60,800	$48,110	50
35	Loan Officers	$60,560	$34,780	230
36	Compliance Officers	$60,200	$32,260	50
37	Accountants and Auditors	$59,730	$38,590	420
38	Physical Therapist Assistants	$59,180	$46,520	80
39	Librarians and Media Collections Specialists	$59,110	$25,010	100
40	Occupational Health and Safety Specialists	$58,960	$39,060	50
41	Cost Estimators	$58,850	$31,200	70
42	Registered Nurses	$58,840	$45,310	1,190
43	Educational, Guidance, School, and Vocational Counselors	$58,110	$38,840	150
44	Speech-Language Pathologists	$58,030	$40,490	60
45	Logisticians	$57,230	$40,460	40
46	Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	$57,040	$46,670	930
47	Wholesale and Manufacturing (Except Technical and Scientific Products) Sales Representatives	$56,900	$30,840	590
48	Kindergarten and Elementary School Special Education Teachers	$56,540	$39,520	40
49	First-Line Supervisors of Transportation Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors	$56,470	$32,180	290
50	First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers	$56,350	$37,990	320
51	Postal Service Clerks	$56,200	$39,770	70
52	Other Production Workers	$55,940	$34,220	40
53	Training and Development Specialists	$55,440	$33,200	40
54	Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	$55,210	$45,050	370
55	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers	$54,200	$36,560	920
56	Property, Real Estate Managers	$53,800	$38,240	30
57	Middle School Special Education Teachers	$53,160	$48,490	120
58	Food Service Managers	$53,140	$37,610	120
59	Human Resources Specialists	$52,980	$36,740	170
60	Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	$52,620	$45,810	710
61	Insurance Sales Agents	$52,610	$41,980	190
62	Tool and Die Makers	$52,520	$40,900	30
63	Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists	$52,340	$29,280	60
64	Respiratory Therapists	$51,890	$40,070	90
65	Buyers and Purchasing Agents	$51,540	$36,900	200
66	Other Teachers and Instructors	$51,180	$22,260	80
67	Social and Community Service Managers	$51,110	$28,350	80
68	Postal Service Mail Carriers	$50,410	$39,640	260
69	First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers	$50,190	$33,850	600
70	Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity	$50,190	$29,240	30
71	Radiologic Technologists	$50,160	$36,160	120
72	Dental Hygienists	$49,660	$38,480	90
73	Other Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers	$49,180	$35,270	40
74	First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers	$49,080	$29,970	30
75	Machinists	$48,700	$36,040	360
76	Postsecondary Vocational Education Teachers	$48,640	$36,290	90
77	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators	$48,610	$32,650	120
78	Industrial Machinery Mechanics	$48,480	$34,570	760
79	Healthcare Social Workers	$48,180	$24,050	60
80	Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines	$48,020	$30,940	50
81	Computer User Support Specialists	$47,990	$31,770	100
82	Industrial Engineering Technicians	$47,930	$46,940	40
83	Detectives and Criminal Investigators	$47,880	$40,560	30
84	Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks	$47,250	$33,280	120
85	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians	$46,700	$28,940	120
86	Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping	$46,540	$25,300	40
87	Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists	$46,490	$30,570	190
88	Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs	$46,430	$32,910	60
89	Child, Family, and School Social Workers	$45,550	$30,350	130
90	Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents	$45,450	$38,300	70
91	Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators	$44,810	$30,410	1,120
92	Crane and Tower Operators	$44,680	$44,680	0
93	Grinding/Lapping/Polishing/Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Pla	$44,340	$27,110	270
94	Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel	$44,320	$30,220	130
95	Civil Engineering Technicians	$44,200	$31,300	50
96	Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles	$43,200	$37,640	60
97	Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers	$43,050	$35,050	120
98	Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters	$42,990	$30,230	220
99	Architectural and Civil Drafters	$42,630	$31,060	60
100	Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	$42,230	$22,290	1,850

Table 2. Top 10 highest-paying jobs in Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area – 2021 survey

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	General Dentists	$155,620
2	Pharmacists	$125,460
3	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$120,230
4	Sales Managers	$119,680
5	Chief Executives	$116,860
6	Nurse Practitioners	$100,020
7	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$99,210
8	Financial Managers	$99,140
9	Veterinarians	$96,900
10	Human Resources Managers	$95,270

Table 3. Top 10 highest-paying jobs in Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area – 2020 survey

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	Pharmacists	$122,990
2	Physical Therapists	$108,080
3	Financial Managers	$104,250
4	Nurse Practitioners	$96,900
5	Occupational Therapists	$96,200
6	Construction Managers	$92,040
7	General and Operations Managers	$91,330
8	Postsecondary Education Administrators	$90,860
9	Industrial Production Managers	$90,310
10	Veterinarians	$86,550

Table 4. Top 10 highest-paying jobs in Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area – 2019 survey

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	Pharmacists	$120,440
2	Chief Executives	$111,380
3	Lawyers	$110,890
4	Financial Managers	$104,050
5	Physical Therapists	$103,090
6	Nurse Practitioners	$97,300
7	Veterinarians	$95,370
8	General and Operations Managers	$90,260
9	Industrial Production Managers	$84,430
10	Postsecondary Education Administrators	$82,140

Also see The most popular jobs in Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area.

Also see The most popular jobs in Alabama, The top paying jobs in Alabama.