Counties in Alabama by average weekly wage (QCEW)

Washington County had the highest average weekly wage (QCEW) of 67 counties in 2017, at $1,160. Perry County had the lowest, at $589. The median was $713 and the figure for Alabama was $885. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest1,160Washington County
Lowest589Perry County
Median71367 counties
Alabama885History

Map of counties, 2017

Autauga County: 718 USDBaldwin County: 679 USDBarbour County: 688 USDBibb County: 766 USDBlount County: 666 USDBullock County: 640 USDButler County: 645 USDCalhoun County: 749 USDChambers County: 708 USDCherokee County: 654 USDChilton County: 707 USDChoctaw County: 913 USDClarke County: 741 USDClay County: 641 USDCleburne County: 823 USDCoffee County: 650 USDColbert County: 833 USDConecuh County: 684 USDCoosa County: 697 USDCovington County: 686 USDCrenshaw County: 670 USDCullman County: 727 USDDale County: 1,028 USDDallas County: 707 USDDeKalb County: 694 USDElmore County: 668 USDEscambia County: 741 USDEtowah County: 694 USDFayette County: 628 USDFranklin County: 671 USDGeneva County: 625 USDGreene County: 655 USDHale County: 686 USDHenry County: 793 USDHouston County: 787 USDJackson County: 680 USDJefferson County: 1,044 USDLamar County: 726 USDLauderdale County: 662 USDLawrence County: 645 USDLee County: 742 USDLimestone County: 910 USDLowndes County: 888 USDMacon County: 796 USDMadison County: 1,108 USDMarengo County: 751 USDMarion County: 658 USDMarshall County: 675 USDMobile County: 895 USDMonroe County: 802 USDMontgomery County: 867 USDMorgan County: 844 USDPerry County: 589 USDPickens County: 714 USDPike County: 760 USDRandolph County: 627 USDRussell County: 707 USDSt. Clair County: 713 USDShelby County: 997 USDSumter County: 745 USDTalladega County: 874 USDTallapoosa County: 657 USDTuscaloosa County: 857 USDWalker County: 716 USDWashington County: 1,160 USDWilcox County: 825 USDWinston County: 677 USD
  • Under 660
  • 660 to 680
  • 680 to 710
  • 710 to 750
  • 750 to 860
  • 860 and over
USD, 2017. 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, 2017

Washington County: 1,160 USDWashington County1,160Madison County: 1,108 USDMadison County1,108Jefferson County: 1,044 USDJefferson County1,044Dale County: 1,028 USDDale County1,028Shelby County: 997 USDShelby County997Choctaw County: 913 USDChoctaw County913Limestone County: 910 USDLimestone County910Mobile County: 895 USDMobile County895Lowndes County: 888 USDLowndes County888Talladega County: 874 USDTalladega County874Montgomery County: 867 USDMontgomery County867Tuscaloosa County: 857 USDTuscaloosa County857Morgan County: 844 USDMorgan County844Colbert County: 833 USDColbert County833Wilcox County: 825 USDWilcox County825Cleburne County: 823 USDCleburne County823Monroe County: 802 USDMonroe County802Macon County: 796 USDMacon County796Henry County: 793 USDHenry County793Houston County: 787 USDHouston County787Bibb County: 766 USDBibb County766Pike County: 760 USDPike County760Marengo County: 751 USDMarengo County751Calhoun County: 749 USDCalhoun County749Sumter County: 745 USDSumter County745Lee County: 742 USDLee County742Clarke County: 741 USDClarke County741Escambia County: 741 USDEscambia County741Cullman County: 727 USDCullman County727Lamar County: 726 USDLamar County726Autauga County: 718 USDAutauga County718Walker County: 716 USDWalker County716Pickens County: 714 USDPickens County714St. Clair County: 713 USDSt. Clair County713Chambers County: 708 USDChambers County708Chilton County: 707 USDChilton County707Dallas County: 707 USDDallas County707Russell County: 707 USDRussell County707Coosa County: 697 USDCoosa County697DeKalb County: 694 USDDeKalb County694Washington County: 1,160 USDWashington County1,160Madison County: 1,108 USDMadison County1,108Jefferson County: 1,044 USDJefferson County1,044Dale County: 1,028 USDDale County1,028Shelby County: 997 USDShelby County997Choctaw County: 913 USDChoctaw County913Limestone County: 910 USDLimestone County910Mobile County: 895 USDMobile County895Lowndes County: 888 USDLowndes County888Talladega County: 874 USDTalladega County874Montgomery County: 867 USDMontgomery County867Tuscaloosa County: 857 USDTuscaloosa County857Morgan County: 844 USDMorgan County844Colbert County: 833 USDColbert County833Wilcox County: 825 USDWilcox County825Cleburne County: 823 USDCleburne County823Monroe County: 802 USDMonroe County802Macon County: 796 USDMacon County796Henry County: 793 USDHenry County793Houston County: 787 USDHouston County787Bibb County: 766 USDBibb County766Pike County: 760 USDPike County760Marengo County: 751 USDMarengo County751Calhoun County: 749 USDCalhoun County749Sumter County: 745 USDSumter County745Lee County: 742 USDLee County742Clarke County: 741 USDClarke County741Escambia County: 741 USDEscambia County741Cullman County: 727 USDCullman County727Lamar County: 726 USDLamar County726Autauga County: 718 USDAutauga County718Walker County: 716 USDWalker County716Pickens County: 714 USDPickens County714St. Clair County: 713 USDSt. Clair County713Chambers County: 708 USDChambers County708Chilton County: 707 USDChilton County707Dallas County: 707 USDDallas County707Russell County: 707 USDRussell County707Coosa County: 697 USDCoosa County697DeKalb County: 694 USDDeKalb County694
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

RankCounties2017
USD
Change on 2016
1Washington County1,160+3.1%
2Madison County1,108+2.3%
3Jefferson County1,044+3.3%
4Dale County1,028+1.6%
5Shelby County997+2.7%
6Choctaw County913+1%
7Limestone County910+1.4%
8Mobile County895+2.6%
9Lowndes County888+4.1%
10Talladega County874+0.3%
11Montgomery County867+0.7%
12Tuscaloosa County857+3.6%
13Morgan County844+1.6%
14Colbert County833+2.6%
15Wilcox County825+3.6%
16Cleburne County823+2.6%
17Monroe County802+2%
18Macon County796-0.4%
19Henry County793+1.1%
20Houston County787+1.8%
21Bibb County766+1.5%
22Pike County760-1%
23Marengo County751-0.5%
24Calhoun County749+3.5%
25Sumter County745+3.3%
26Lee County742+4.2%
27Clarke County741+1.8%
27Escambia County741+2.2%
29Cullman County727+2.4%
30Lamar County726+2.4%
31Autauga County718+2.7%
32Walker County716+4.4%
33Pickens County714+0.4%
34St. Clair County713+2.7%
35Chambers County708+3.1%
36Chilton County707+6.5%
36Dallas County707+2.5%
36Russell County707+2%
39Coosa County697+0.9%
40DeKalb County694+3.7%
40Etowah County694+2.1%
42Barbour County688+1.2%
43Covington County686+3.8%
43Hale County686+1.3%
45Conecuh County684+3%
46Jackson County680+2.6%
47Baldwin County679+2.9%
48Winston County677+4.5%
49Marshall County675+2.4%
50Franklin County671+3.4%
51Crenshaw County670-1.3%
52Elmore County668+2.3%
53Blount County666+2.6%
54Lauderdale County662+2%
55Marion County658+3%
56Tallapoosa County657+4%
57Greene County655+2%
58Cherokee County654+2.7%
59Coffee County650+1.9%
60Butler County645+0.5%
60Lawrence County645+1.9%
62Clay County641+1.7%
63Bullock County640+0.6%
64Fayette County628+2.4%
65Randolph County627+0.3%
66Geneva County625+4%
67Perry County589+0.5%

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/2017/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), 2017) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2017/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), 2017. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2017/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/alabama-counties?period=2017. 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), 2017. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2017/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/alabama-counties?period=2017.

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), 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2017/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/alabama-counties?period=2017 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_alabama_by_2017,
  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), 2017}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2017/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/alabama-counties?period=2017. 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/2017/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), 2017
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2017/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/alabama-counties?period=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/alabama-counties?period=2017.
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/2017/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 $1,160 in 2017, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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

Perry County, with $589 in 2017.

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