SOC 15-1221 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Computer and Information Research Scientists — Alabama
Alabama · 1 metro areas compared
In Alabama the median wage is $117,870.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow much faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +19.7%
- Openings per year
- 3,200
- Typical entry-level education
- Master's degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Alabama.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
In Alabama the median wage is $117,870. That is 16.0% lower than the national median of $140,300. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $80,600 and $149,800. The lowest tenth earn under $63,290, while the highest tenth earn more than $174,030.
Employment stands at 570, or 0.3 jobs per thousand held locally. Among the 35 states with published data for this occupation, Alabama ranks 27th by median wage. Huntsville leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $122,200. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 53rd of 690 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $63,290 | −54.9% |
| 25th | $80,600 | −42.6% |
| Median (50th) | $117,870 | −16.0% |
| 75th | $149,800 | +6.8% |
| 90th | $174,030 | +24.0% |
| Mean | $124,970 | −10.9% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Alabama
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huntsville | $122,200 | — |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Alabama run 11.2% below the national average, so the median of $117,870 goes as far as $132,736 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 5.4% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$117,870as reported by BLSLocal price level
88.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$132,736US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $117,870 a year, 16.0% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $63,290 to $174,030 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 570 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 27th of 35 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Huntsville, at $122,200.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Computer and Information Research Scientists in Alabama?
The median annual wage is $117,870, or $56.67 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $140,300, so pay in Alabama is 16.0% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Alabama earns more than $174,030 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $63,290 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Huntsville, at $122,200 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 570 jobs in this occupation in Alabama. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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