Counties in Alabama by average weekly wage (QCEW)

Madison County had the highest average weekly wage (QCEW) of 67 counties in 2020, at $1,310. Perry County had the lowest, at $660. The median was $806 and the figure for Alabama was $1,004. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest1,310Madison County
Lowest660Perry County
Median80667 counties
Alabama1,004History

Map of counties, 2020

Autauga County: 830 USDBaldwin County: 796 USDBarbour County: 781 USDBibb County: 884 USDBlount County: 731 USDBullock County: 809 USDButler County: 735 USDCalhoun County: 837 USDChambers County: 791 USDCherokee County: 702 USDChilton County: 791 USDChoctaw County: 1,042 USDClarke County: 830 USDClay County: 730 USDCleburne County: 903 USDCoffee County: 732 USDColbert County: 924 USDConecuh County: 758 USDCoosa County: 765 USDCovington County: 761 USDCrenshaw County: 767 USDCullman County: 819 USDDale County: 1,100 USDDallas County: 819 USDDeKalb County: 785 USDElmore County: 729 USDEscambia County: 830 USDEtowah County: 791 USDFayette County: 689 USDFranklin County: 751 USDGeneva County: 674 USDGreene County: 698 USDHale County: 792 USDHenry County: 922 USDHouston County: 888 USDJackson County: 774 USDJefferson County: 1,167 USDLamar County: 818 USDLauderdale County: 755 USDLawrence County: 755 USDLee County: 848 USDLimestone County: 1,011 USDLowndes County: 944 USDMacon County: 908 USDMadison County: 1,310 USDMarengo County: 856 USDMarion County: 733 USDMarshall County: 773 USDMobile County: 996 USDMonroe County: 888 USDMontgomery County: 984 USDMorgan County: 975 USDPerry County: 660 USDPickens County: 806 USDPike County: 838 USDRandolph County: 691 USDRussell County: 790 USDSt. Clair County: 819 USDShelby County: 1,126 USDSumter County: 791 USDTalladega County: 927 USDTallapoosa County: 741 USDTuscaloosa County: 959 USDWalker County: 788 USDWashington County: 1,270 USDWilcox County: 913 USDWinston County: 774 USD
  • Under 740
  • 740 to 770
  • 770 to 810
  • 810 to 850
  • 850 to 940
  • 940 and over
USD, 2020. 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, 2020

Madison County: 1,310 USDMadison County1,310Washington County: 1,270 USDWashington County1,270Jefferson County: 1,167 USDJefferson County1,167Shelby County: 1,126 USDShelby County1,126Dale County: 1,100 USDDale County1,100Choctaw County: 1,042 USDChoctaw County1,042Limestone County: 1,011 USDLimestone County1,011Mobile County: 996 USDMobile County996Montgomery County: 984 USDMontgomery County984Morgan County: 975 USDMorgan County975Tuscaloosa County: 959 USDTuscaloosa County959Lowndes County: 944 USDLowndes County944Talladega County: 927 USDTalladega County927Colbert County: 924 USDColbert County924Henry County: 922 USDHenry County922Wilcox County: 913 USDWilcox County913Macon County: 908 USDMacon County908Cleburne County: 903 USDCleburne County903Houston County: 888 USDHouston County888Monroe County: 888 USDMonroe County888Bibb County: 884 USDBibb County884Marengo County: 856 USDMarengo County856Lee County: 848 USDLee County848Pike County: 838 USDPike County838Calhoun County: 837 USDCalhoun County837Autauga County: 830 USDAutauga County830Clarke County: 830 USDClarke County830Escambia County: 830 USDEscambia County830Cullman County: 819 USDCullman County819Dallas County: 819 USDDallas County819St. Clair County: 819 USDSt. Clair County819Lamar County: 818 USDLamar County818Bullock County: 809 USDBullock County809Pickens County: 806 USDPickens County806Baldwin County: 796 USDBaldwin County796Hale County: 792 USDHale County792Chambers County: 791 USDChambers County791Chilton County: 791 USDChilton County791Etowah County: 791 USDEtowah County791Sumter County: 791 USDSumter County791Madison County: 1,310 USDMadison County1,310Washington County: 1,270 USDWashington County1,270Jefferson County: 1,167 USDJefferson County1,167Shelby County: 1,126 USDShelby County1,126Dale County: 1,100 USDDale County1,100Choctaw County: 1,042 USDChoctaw County1,042Limestone County: 1,011 USDLimestone County1,011Mobile County: 996 USDMobile County996Montgomery County: 984 USDMontgomery County984Morgan County: 975 USDMorgan County975Tuscaloosa County: 959 USDTuscaloosa County959Lowndes County: 944 USDLowndes County944Talladega County: 927 USDTalladega County927Colbert County: 924 USDColbert County924Henry County: 922 USDHenry County922Wilcox County: 913 USDWilcox County913Macon County: 908 USDMacon County908Cleburne County: 903 USDCleburne County903Houston County: 888 USDHouston County888Monroe County: 888 USDMonroe County888Bibb County: 884 USDBibb County884Marengo County: 856 USDMarengo County856Lee County: 848 USDLee County848Pike County: 838 USDPike County838Calhoun County: 837 USDCalhoun County837Autauga County: 830 USDAutauga County830Clarke County: 830 USDClarke County830Escambia County: 830 USDEscambia County830Cullman County: 819 USDCullman County819Dallas County: 819 USDDallas County819St. Clair County: 819 USDSt. Clair County819Lamar County: 818 USDLamar County818Bullock County: 809 USDBullock County809Pickens County: 806 USDPickens County806Baldwin County: 796 USDBaldwin County796Hale County: 792 USDHale County792Chambers County: 791 USDChambers County791Chilton County: 791 USDChilton County791Etowah County: 791 USDEtowah County791Sumter County: 791 USDSumter County791
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

RankCounties2020
USD
Change on 2019
1Madison County1,310+9.5%
2Washington County1,270+3.5%
3Jefferson County1,167+5.7%
4Shelby County1,126+6.1%
5Dale County1,100+5.6%
6Choctaw County1,042+4%
7Limestone County1,011+6%
8Mobile County996+6.5%
9Montgomery County984+7.1%
10Morgan County975+6.9%
11Tuscaloosa County959+6.3%
12Lowndes County944+2.5%
13Talladega County927+3.1%
14Colbert County924+6.7%
15Henry County922+9.2%
16Wilcox County913+2.8%
17Macon County908+6.4%
18Cleburne County903+9.2%
19Houston County888+5.6%
19Monroe County888+6.5%
21Bibb County884+6.9%
22Marengo County856+6.6%
23Lee County848+8.3%
24Pike County838+6.3%
25Calhoun County837+5.2%
26Autauga County830+7%
26Clarke County830+4%
26Escambia County830+6.1%
29Cullman County819+6.6%
29Dallas County819+6.5%
29St. Clair County819+7.8%
32Lamar County818+3.3%
33Bullock County809+12.8%
34Pickens County806+4.9%
35Baldwin County796+8.2%
36Hale County792+8.8%
37Chambers County791+5.3%
37Chilton County791+5.2%
37Etowah County791+9.1%
37Sumter County791+5.9%
41Russell County790+5.6%
42Walker County788+4.1%
43DeKalb County785+6.8%
44Barbour County781+8.6%
45Jackson County774+8.6%
45Winston County774+6%
47Marshall County773+6.9%
48Crenshaw County767+3.4%
49Coosa County765+9.8%
50Covington County761+7.2%
51Conecuh County758+5.9%
52Lauderdale County755+8.8%
52Lawrence County755+9.9%
54Franklin County751+5.2%
55Tallapoosa County741+9.1%
56Butler County735+8.2%
57Marion County733+5.2%
58Coffee County732+7.5%
59Blount County731+6.1%
60Clay County730+6.7%
61Elmore County729+3%
62Cherokee County702+3.7%
63Greene County698+3.9%
64Randolph County691+5%
65Fayette County689+4.1%
66Geneva County674+3.7%
67Perry County660+5.3%

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/2020/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), 2020) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/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), 2020. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/alabama-counties?period=2020. 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), 2020. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/alabama-counties?period=2020.

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), 2020 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/alabama-counties?period=2020 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_alabama_by_2020,
  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), 2020}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/alabama-counties?period=2020. 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/2020/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), 2020
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/alabama-counties?period=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/alabama-counties?period=2020.
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/2020/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)?

Madison County, with $1,310 in 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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

Perry County, with $660 in 2020.

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