Counties in Alabama by average weekly wage (QCEW)

Washington County had the highest average weekly wage (QCEW) of 67 counties in 2016, at $1,125. Perry County had the lowest, at $586. The median was $693 and the figure for Alabama was $862. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest1,125Washington County
Lowest586Perry County
Median69367 counties
Alabama862History

Map of counties, 2016

Autauga County: 699 USDBaldwin County: 660 USDBarbour County: 680 USDBibb County: 755 USDBlount County: 649 USDBullock County: 636 USDButler County: 642 USDCalhoun County: 724 USDChambers County: 687 USDCherokee County: 637 USDChilton County: 664 USDChoctaw County: 904 USDClarke County: 728 USDClay County: 630 USDCleburne County: 802 USDCoffee County: 638 USDColbert County: 812 USDConecuh County: 664 USDCoosa County: 691 USDCovington County: 661 USDCrenshaw County: 679 USDCullman County: 710 USDDale County: 1,012 USDDallas County: 690 USDDeKalb County: 669 USDElmore County: 653 USDEscambia County: 725 USDEtowah County: 680 USDFayette County: 613 USDFranklin County: 649 USDGeneva County: 601 USDGreene County: 642 USDHale County: 677 USDHenry County: 784 USDHouston County: 773 USDJackson County: 663 USDJefferson County: 1,011 USDLamar County: 709 USDLauderdale County: 649 USDLawrence County: 633 USDLee County: 712 USDLimestone County: 897 USDLowndes County: 853 USDMacon County: 799 USDMadison County: 1,083 USDMarengo County: 755 USDMarion County: 639 USDMarshall County: 659 USDMobile County: 872 USDMonroe County: 786 USDMontgomery County: 861 USDMorgan County: 831 USDPerry County: 586 USDPickens County: 711 USDPike County: 768 USDRandolph County: 625 USDRussell County: 693 USDSt. Clair County: 694 USDShelby County: 971 USDSumter County: 721 USDTalladega County: 871 USDTallapoosa County: 632 USDTuscaloosa County: 827 USDWalker County: 686 USDWashington County: 1,125 USDWilcox County: 796 USDWinston County: 648 USD
  • Under 640
  • 640 to 660
  • 660 to 690
  • 690 to 760
  • 760 to 830
  • 830 and over
USD, 2016. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2016

Washington County: 1,125 USDWashington County1,125Madison County: 1,083 USDMadison County1,083Dale County: 1,012 USDDale County1,012Jefferson County: 1,011 USDJefferson County1,011Shelby County: 971 USDShelby County971Choctaw County: 904 USDChoctaw County904Limestone County: 897 USDLimestone County897Mobile County: 872 USDMobile County872Talladega County: 871 USDTalladega County871Montgomery County: 861 USDMontgomery County861Lowndes County: 853 USDLowndes County853Morgan County: 831 USDMorgan County831Tuscaloosa County: 827 USDTuscaloosa County827Colbert County: 812 USDColbert County812Cleburne County: 802 USDCleburne County802Macon County: 799 USDMacon County799Wilcox County: 796 USDWilcox County796Monroe County: 786 USDMonroe County786Henry County: 784 USDHenry County784Houston County: 773 USDHouston County773Pike County: 768 USDPike County768Bibb County: 755 USDBibb County755Marengo County: 755 USDMarengo County755Clarke County: 728 USDClarke County728Escambia County: 725 USDEscambia County725Calhoun County: 724 USDCalhoun County724Sumter County: 721 USDSumter County721Lee County: 712 USDLee County712Pickens County: 711 USDPickens County711Cullman County: 710 USDCullman County710Lamar County: 709 USDLamar County709Autauga County: 699 USDAutauga County699St. Clair County: 694 USDSt. Clair County694Russell County: 693 USDRussell County693Coosa County: 691 USDCoosa County691Dallas County: 690 USDDallas County690Chambers County: 687 USDChambers County687Walker County: 686 USDWalker County686Barbour County: 680 USDBarbour County680Etowah County: 680 USDEtowah County680Washington County: 1,125 USDWashington County1,125Madison County: 1,083 USDMadison County1,083Dale County: 1,012 USDDale County1,012Jefferson County: 1,011 USDJefferson County1,011Shelby County: 971 USDShelby County971Choctaw County: 904 USDChoctaw County904Limestone County: 897 USDLimestone County897Mobile County: 872 USDMobile County872Talladega County: 871 USDTalladega County871Montgomery County: 861 USDMontgomery County861Lowndes County: 853 USDLowndes County853Morgan County: 831 USDMorgan County831Tuscaloosa County: 827 USDTuscaloosa County827Colbert County: 812 USDColbert County812Cleburne County: 802 USDCleburne County802Macon County: 799 USDMacon County799Wilcox County: 796 USDWilcox County796Monroe County: 786 USDMonroe County786Henry County: 784 USDHenry County784Houston County: 773 USDHouston County773Pike County: 768 USDPike County768Bibb County: 755 USDBibb County755Marengo County: 755 USDMarengo County755Clarke County: 728 USDClarke County728Escambia County: 725 USDEscambia County725Calhoun County: 724 USDCalhoun County724Sumter County: 721 USDSumter County721Lee County: 712 USDLee County712Pickens County: 711 USDPickens County711Cullman County: 710 USDCullman County710Lamar County: 709 USDLamar County709Autauga County: 699 USDAutauga County699St. Clair County: 694 USDSt. Clair County694Russell County: 693 USDRussell County693Coosa County: 691 USDCoosa County691Dallas County: 690 USDDallas County690Chambers County: 687 USDChambers County687Walker County: 686 USDWalker County686Barbour County: 680 USDBarbour County680Etowah County: 680 USDEtowah County680
USD. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016
USD
Change on 2015
1Washington County1,125+3.8%
2Madison County1,083+0.7%
3Dale County1,012+3.6%
4Jefferson County1,011+0.5%
5Shelby County971+1.5%
6Choctaw County904-0.4%
7Limestone County897+3.5%
8Mobile County872+1.5%
9Talladega County871+2.2%
10Montgomery County861+1.9%
11Lowndes County853+0.1%
12Morgan County831+2.2%
13Tuscaloosa County827+0.2%
14Colbert County812+1%
15Cleburne County802-3.1%
16Macon County799+1%
17Wilcox County796+2.8%
18Monroe County786+1.6%
19Henry County784+7.5%
20Houston County773+2.1%
21Pike County768+1.7%
22Bibb County755+4.1%
22Marengo County755+2.4%
24Clarke County7280%
25Escambia County7250%
26Calhoun County724+2.3%
27Sumter County721+1.7%
28Lee County712+2.3%
29Pickens County711+3.9%
30Cullman County710+0.7%
31Lamar County709+1%
32Autauga County699+3.4%
33St. Clair County694+2.2%
34Russell County693+0.7%
35Coosa County691+0.6%
36Dallas County690+1.8%
37Chambers County687+3%
38Walker County686+0.6%
39Barbour County680+0.9%
39Etowah County680+0.4%
41Crenshaw County679-0.1%
42Hale County677+2.7%
43DeKalb County669+2.1%
44Chilton County664+0.5%
44Conecuh County664+2.6%
46Jackson County663+0.6%
47Covington County661+3%
48Baldwin County660+1.2%
49Marshall County659+1.9%
50Elmore County653+1.4%
51Blount County649+1.6%
51Franklin County649+0.9%
51Lauderdale County649+1.1%
54Winston County648+4.2%
55Butler County642+2.2%
55Greene County642+4.7%
57Marion County639+1.6%
58Coffee County638+1.8%
59Cherokee County637+0.3%
60Bullock County636+0.8%
61Lawrence County633-0.3%
62Tallapoosa County632+1.9%
63Clay County630+2.8%
64Randolph County625+4.5%
65Fayette County613-0.8%
66Geneva County601+0.7%
67Perry County586+3.4%

Other periods

About this ranking

Total wages paid during the year divided by the average number of covered jobs and by 52, in US dollars, all industries, private and government, from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Counted where the job is located, from the reports employers file each quarter; monthly employment counts the jobs in the pay period that includes the 12th.

In current dollars, not adjusted for inflation. An average per job, so part-time jobs pull it down and high earners pull it up; for the typical job use median_annual_wage. Wages include bonuses, stock options exercised, severance pay and tips, which makes counties with corporate headquarters stand out. Covers about 95 percent of US wage and salary jobs. Excludes the self-employed, most agricultural workers on small farms, the armed forces, elected officials in most states, most railroad employees, some domestic workers and most student workers at schools.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties (Counties in Alabama by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2016) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv

MLA 9

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, Counties in Alabama by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2016. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/alabama-counties?period=2016. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Counties in Alabama by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2016. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/alabama-counties?period=2016.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, Counties in Alabama by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2016 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/alabama-counties?period=2016 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_alabama_by_2016,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}},
  title = {{Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: Counties in Alabama by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2016}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/alabama-counties?period=2016. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
TI  - Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: Counties in Alabama by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2016
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/alabama-counties?period=2016
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/alabama-counties?period=2016.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Rank Counties in Alabama by average weekly wage (QCEW) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest average weekly wage (QCEW)?

Washington County, with $1,125 in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest average weekly wage (QCEW)?

Perry County, with $586 in 2016.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Average weekly wage (QCEW): other rankings

Counties in Alabama: more rankings