Elementary School Teachers salary in Birmingham, AL
Median pay for elementary school teachers in Birmingham, AL: $62,520/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $48,200 – $68,740 · about 4,910 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($62,430) by +$90 (+0%).
What it's really worth in Birmingham
With Birmingham's cost of living at 92 (US=100), that $62,520 has the buying power of about $68,131 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $68,329 · median home $262,556 · median rent $1,448/mo.
How Birmingham ranks for this job
On raw pay, Birmingham, AL is 92nd of the 187 metros we hold elementary school teachers wages for. Once Birmingham's cost of living is applied, it ranks 73rd.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Birmingham is one of the places where elementary school teachers gain ground in real terms, because local costs are low relative to what the job pays.
What that salary buys in Birmingham
A median home in Birmingham, AL costs $262,556 — about 4.2× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,448/mo works out at 28% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where elementary school teachers earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Birmingham.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Birmingham | Rent vs Birmingham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merced, CA | $105,090 | +68% | 1.4× |
| San Francisco, CA | $103,440 | +65% | 2.3× |
| Oxnard, CA | $103,350 | +65% | 2.1× |
| Modesto, CA | $101,210 | +62% | 1.4× |
Same job elsewhere in AL
| Metro | Median pay | vs Birmingham | Rent vs Birmingham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville, AL | $63,560 | +2% | 1× |
| Daphne, AL | $60,670 | −3% | 1.1× |
| Mobile, AL | $60,150 | −4% | 0.9× |
| Montgomery, AL | $53,090 | −15% | 1× |
Staying in AL keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires elementary school teachers around Birmingham
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- University of Alabama at Birmingham · Education
- University of Birmingham · Education
Other jobs in Birmingham
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.