Salaries in Alabama.
1 metro area. 3445 roles.
Average cost-of-living index: 0.84x national average. Last updated April 2026.
1 city tracked3445 roles
Highest Paying
$297,000
Principal AI Research Scientist
Median Role
$267,000
Principal AI Agent Engineer
Entry Level
$255,000
SVP of Sales
Salary data sourced from SEC filings, H-1B Labor Condition Applications (DOL), Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, and aggregated job postings across 50+ platforms. Ranges reflect 25th to 75th percentile for full-time positions. Cost-of-living adjustments use Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (2025 index). Last updated April 2026.
Alabama has 1 major metro area tracked in our salary database, with an average cost-of-living index of 0.84x the national average. The highest-paying role across the state is Principal AI Research Scientist at $297,000 in Birmingham. The median role pays $267,000.
Top 30 salaries in Alabama
| # | Role | Median | Top City | Range |
|---|
| 1 | Principal AI Research Scientist | $297,000 | Birmingham | $232,000 – $386,000 |
| 2 | Technical Fellow | $288,000 | Birmingham | $225,000 – $375,000 |
| 3 | Principal Quantitative Researcher | $285,000 | Birmingham | $222,000 – $371,000 |
| 4 | Distinguished Engineer | $280,000 | Birmingham | $212,000 – $356,000 |
| 5 | Senior VP of Security | $280,000 | Birmingham | $218,000 – $364,000 |
| 6 | Senior VP of Product | $277,000 | Birmingham | $216,000 – $360,000 |
| 7 | Principal AI Compiler Engineer | $275,000 | Birmingham | $215,000 – $358,000 |
| 8 | Principal Deep Learning Engineer | $273,000 | Birmingham | $213,000 – $355,000 |
| 9 | Principal AI Agent Architect | $272,000 | Birmingham | $213,000 – $354,000 |
| 10 | Chief Strategy Officer | $271,000 | Birmingham | $211,000 – $352,000 |
| 11 | Chief Security Officer | $269,000 | Birmingham | $209,000 – $350,000 |
| 12 | Staff AI Research Scientist | $268,000 | Birmingham | $209,000 – $349,000 |
| 13 | Staff Quantitative Researcher | $268,000 | Birmingham | $209,000 – $349,000 |
| 14 | Chief Science Officer | $268,000 | Birmingham | $209,000 – $349,000 |
| 15 | SVP of Product | $268,000 | Birmingham | $209,000 – $349,000 |
| 16 | Principal AI Agent Engineer | $267,000 | Birmingham | $209,000 – $348,000 |
| 17 | Principal Cryptographer | $267,000 | Birmingham | $209,000 – $348,000 |
| 18 | SVP of Technology | $265,000 | Birmingham | $207,000 – $344,000 |
| 19 | Chief AI Officer | $263,000 | Birmingham | $195,000 – $339,000 |
| 20 | SVP of Engineering | $263,000 | Birmingham | $205,000 – $342,000 |
| 21 | L7 Software Engineer | $263,000 | Birmingham | $205,000 – $342,000 |
| 22 | Principal AI Safety Engineer | $261,000 | Birmingham | $204,000 – $339,000 |
| 23 | Chief Machine Learning Officer | $260,000 | Birmingham | $202,000 – $337,000 |
| 24 | Senior VP of Design | $260,000 | Birmingham | $204,000 – $339,000 |
| 25 | Principal Quantitative Developer | $259,000 | Birmingham | $203,000 – $338,000 |
| 26 | Principal Applied Scientist | $257,000 | Birmingham | $201,000 – $334,000 |
| 27 | Chief Architect | $257,000 | Birmingham | $200,000 – $334,000 |
| 28 | Chief Legal Officer | $255,000 | Birmingham | $199,000 – $331,000 |
| 29 | Chief Design Officer | $255,000 | Birmingham | $199,000 – $332,000 |
| 30 | SVP of Sales | $255,000 | Birmingham | $199,000 – $331,000 |
Tax considerations in Alabama
Alabama's top state income tax rate is 5%. Birmingham has no city income tax. The low rate combined with very affordable housing creates excellent take home pay ratios.
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