SOC 23-1011 · Birmingham, AL metro

Lawyers Salary in Birmingham, AL

The average salary for lawyers in Birmingham, Alabama is $165,910 a year ($79.76 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $170,230: half of the 2,800 people in this job in the Birmingham, AL metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 12% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($188,323).

$165,910average per year

$79.76 / hourMedian $170,230Take-home ≈ $118,038

  • $66K10th
  • $100K25th
  • $170KMedian
  • $214K75th
  • $273K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

2,800people in this job
-12%vs U.S. metro average
#1 of 12Alabama metros
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Lawyers pay range in Birmingham

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $65,650 a year or less, while the top 10% make $272,900 or more. The middle half of lawyers in Birmingham earn between $100,270 and $213,600.

  • $66K10th
  • $100K25th
  • $170KMedian
  • $214K75th
  • $273K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$165,910$13,826$79.76
Median$170,230$14,186$81.84
Entry level (25th percentile)$100,270$8,356$48.21
Experienced (75th percentile)$213,600$17,800$102.69

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Lawyers salary after taxes in Birmingham

On the average salary of $165,910, a single filer in Birmingham takes home about $118,038 a year, or $9,836 a month and $4,540 every two weeks. Taxes take 29% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.

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Is Birmingham a good place for lawyers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Birmingham area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 91.6), so the average $165,910 buys what about $181,037 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 3.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Birmingham ($47,770). A typical home costs $262,556, or 1.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $165,910 is worth in another city

Lawyers salary in other Alabama cities

Birmingham ranks 1st of 12 Alabama metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Lawyers salaries in Alabama

Highest-paying cities for lawyers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($288,980).

Lawyers salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Lawyers in Birmingham, AL.

Lawyers salary in Birmingham: questions

How much do lawyers make an hour in Birmingham?

$79.76 an hour on average, and $81.84 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level lawyers salary in Birmingham?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $65,650 a year and the 25th percentile is $100,270, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the lawyers take-home pay in Birmingham?

About $118,038 a year ($9,836 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $165,910. City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.

Do lawyers earn more in Birmingham than elsewhere?

The average here is 12% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($188,323).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 23-1011; area Birmingham, AL (13820). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.9%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.11, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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