Lawyers salary in Birmingham, AL
Median pay for lawyers in Birmingham, AL: $137,860/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $65,670 – $214,950 · about 2,380 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($119,840) by +$18,020 (+15%).
What it's really worth in Birmingham
With Birmingham's cost of living at 92 (US=100), that $137,860 has the buying power of about $150,232 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 35th of the 183 metros we hold lawyers wages for. Once Birmingham's cost of living is applied, it ranks 17th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Birmingham is one of the places where lawyers 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 1.9× 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 13% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where lawyers 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $239,200 | +74% | 2.5× |
| San Francisco, CA | $217,340 | +58% | 2.3× |
| Los Angeles, CA | $194,020 | +41% | 2× |
| New York, NY | $185,790 | +35% | 2.4× |
Same job elsewhere in AL
| Metro | Median pay | vs Birmingham | Rent vs Birmingham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville, AL | $132,700 | −4% | 1× |
| Mobile, AL | $124,130 | −10% | 0.9× |
| Montgomery, AL | $108,950 | −21% | 1× |
| Daphne, AL | $101,080 | −27% | 1.1× |
Staying in AL keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires lawyers around Birmingham
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Regions Financial · Finance
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 183 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.