Counties in Alabama by average weekly wage (QCEW)

Washington County had the highest average weekly wage (QCEW) of 67 counties in 2018, at $1,210. Perry County had the lowest, at $603. The median was $735 and the figure for Alabama was $912. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest1,210Washington County
Lowest603Perry County
Median73567 counties
Alabama912History

Map of counties, 2018

Autauga County: 739 USDBaldwin County: 708 USDBarbour County: 735 USDBibb County: 771 USDBlount County: 685 USDBullock County: 674 USDButler County: 670 USDCalhoun County: 763 USDChambers County: 732 USDCherokee County: 663 USDChilton County: 727 USDChoctaw County: 971 USDClarke County: 774 USDClay County: 659 USDCleburne County: 849 USDCoffee County: 666 USDColbert County: 854 USDConecuh County: 689 USDCoosa County: 712 USDCovington County: 699 USDCrenshaw County: 707 USDCullman County: 743 USDDale County: 1,034 USDDallas County: 725 USDDeKalb County: 719 USDElmore County: 678 USDEscambia County: 761 USDEtowah County: 704 USDFayette County: 640 USDFranklin County: 704 USDGeneva County: 636 USDGreene County: 664 USDHale County: 714 USDHenry County: 807 USDHouston County: 822 USDJackson County: 696 USDJefferson County: 1,082 USDLamar County: 770 USDLauderdale County: 674 USDLawrence County: 673 USDLee County: 758 USDLimestone County: 957 USDLowndes County: 871 USDMacon County: 820 USDMadison County: 1,143 USDMarengo County: 775 USDMarion County: 691 USDMarshall County: 701 USDMobile County: 914 USDMonroe County: 827 USDMontgomery County: 884 USDMorgan County: 870 USDPerry County: 603 USDPickens County: 744 USDPike County: 766 USDRandolph County: 646 USDRussell County: 726 USDSt. Clair County: 729 USDShelby County: 1,040 USDSumter County: 753 USDTalladega County: 884 USDTallapoosa County: 661 USDTuscaloosa County: 879 USDWalker County: 742 USDWashington County: 1,210 USDWilcox County: 853 USDWinston County: 712 USD
  • Under 670
  • 670 to 710
  • 710 to 740
  • 740 to 770
  • 770 to 870
  • 870 and over
USD, 2018. 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, 2018

Washington County: 1,210 USDWashington County1,210Madison County: 1,143 USDMadison County1,143Jefferson County: 1,082 USDJefferson County1,082Shelby County: 1,040 USDShelby County1,040Dale County: 1,034 USDDale County1,034Choctaw County: 971 USDChoctaw County971Limestone County: 957 USDLimestone County957Mobile County: 914 USDMobile County914Montgomery County: 884 USDMontgomery County884Talladega County: 884 USDTalladega County884Tuscaloosa County: 879 USDTuscaloosa County879Lowndes County: 871 USDLowndes County871Morgan County: 870 USDMorgan County870Colbert County: 854 USDColbert County854Wilcox County: 853 USDWilcox County853Cleburne County: 849 USDCleburne County849Monroe County: 827 USDMonroe County827Houston County: 822 USDHouston County822Macon County: 820 USDMacon County820Henry County: 807 USDHenry County807Marengo County: 775 USDMarengo County775Clarke County: 774 USDClarke County774Bibb County: 771 USDBibb County771Lamar County: 770 USDLamar County770Pike County: 766 USDPike County766Calhoun County: 763 USDCalhoun County763Escambia County: 761 USDEscambia County761Lee County: 758 USDLee County758Sumter County: 753 USDSumter County753Pickens County: 744 USDPickens County744Cullman County: 743 USDCullman County743Walker County: 742 USDWalker County742Autauga County: 739 USDAutauga County739Barbour County: 735 USDBarbour County735Chambers County: 732 USDChambers County732St. Clair County: 729 USDSt. Clair County729Chilton County: 727 USDChilton County727Russell County: 726 USDRussell County726Dallas County: 725 USDDallas County725DeKalb County: 719 USDDeKalb County719Washington County: 1,210 USDWashington County1,210Madison County: 1,143 USDMadison County1,143Jefferson County: 1,082 USDJefferson County1,082Shelby County: 1,040 USDShelby County1,040Dale County: 1,034 USDDale County1,034Choctaw County: 971 USDChoctaw County971Limestone County: 957 USDLimestone County957Mobile County: 914 USDMobile County914Montgomery County: 884 USDMontgomery County884Talladega County: 884 USDTalladega County884Tuscaloosa County: 879 USDTuscaloosa County879Lowndes County: 871 USDLowndes County871Morgan County: 870 USDMorgan County870Colbert County: 854 USDColbert County854Wilcox County: 853 USDWilcox County853Cleburne County: 849 USDCleburne County849Monroe County: 827 USDMonroe County827Houston County: 822 USDHouston County822Macon County: 820 USDMacon County820Henry County: 807 USDHenry County807Marengo County: 775 USDMarengo County775Clarke County: 774 USDClarke County774Bibb County: 771 USDBibb County771Lamar County: 770 USDLamar County770Pike County: 766 USDPike County766Calhoun County: 763 USDCalhoun County763Escambia County: 761 USDEscambia County761Lee County: 758 USDLee County758Sumter County: 753 USDSumter County753Pickens County: 744 USDPickens County744Cullman County: 743 USDCullman County743Walker County: 742 USDWalker County742Autauga County: 739 USDAutauga County739Barbour County: 735 USDBarbour County735Chambers County: 732 USDChambers County732St. Clair County: 729 USDSt. Clair County729Chilton County: 727 USDChilton County727Russell County: 726 USDRussell County726Dallas County: 725 USDDallas County725DeKalb County: 719 USDDeKalb County719
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

RankCounties2018
USD
Change on 2017
1Washington County1,210+4.3%
2Madison County1,143+3.2%
3Jefferson County1,082+3.6%
4Shelby County1,040+4.3%
5Dale County1,034+0.6%
6Choctaw County971+6.4%
7Limestone County957+5.2%
8Mobile County914+2.1%
9Montgomery County884+2%
9Talladega County884+1.1%
11Tuscaloosa County879+2.6%
12Lowndes County871-1.9%
13Morgan County870+3.1%
14Colbert County854+2.5%
15Wilcox County853+3.4%
16Cleburne County849+3.2%
17Monroe County827+3.1%
18Houston County822+4.4%
19Macon County820+3%
20Henry County807+1.8%
21Marengo County775+3.2%
22Clarke County774+4.5%
23Bibb County771+0.7%
24Lamar County770+6.1%
25Pike County766+0.8%
26Calhoun County763+1.9%
27Escambia County761+2.7%
28Lee County758+2.2%
29Sumter County753+1.1%
30Pickens County744+4.2%
31Cullman County743+2.2%
32Walker County742+3.6%
33Autauga County739+2.9%
34Barbour County735+6.8%
35Chambers County732+3.4%
36St. Clair County729+2.2%
37Chilton County727+2.8%
38Russell County726+2.7%
39Dallas County725+2.5%
40DeKalb County719+3.6%
41Hale County714+4.1%
42Coosa County712+2.2%
42Winston County712+5.2%
44Baldwin County708+4.3%
45Crenshaw County707+5.5%
46Etowah County704+1.4%
46Franklin County704+4.9%
48Marshall County701+3.9%
49Covington County699+1.9%
50Jackson County696+2.4%
51Marion County691+5%
52Conecuh County689+0.7%
53Blount County685+2.9%
54Elmore County678+1.5%
55Bullock County674+5.3%
55Lauderdale County674+1.8%
57Lawrence County673+4.3%
58Butler County670+3.9%
59Coffee County666+2.5%
60Greene County664+1.4%
61Cherokee County663+1.4%
62Tallapoosa County661+0.6%
63Clay County659+2.8%
64Randolph County646+3%
65Fayette County640+1.9%
66Geneva County636+1.8%
67Perry County603+2.4%

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/2018/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), 2018) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/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), 2018. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/alabama-counties?period=2018. 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), 2018. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/alabama-counties?period=2018.

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), 2018 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/alabama-counties?period=2018 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_alabama_by_2018,
  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), 2018}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/alabama-counties?period=2018. 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/2018/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), 2018
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/alabama-counties?period=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/alabama-counties?period=2018.
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/2018/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 $1,210 in 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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

Perry County, with $603 in 2018.

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