Accountant salary in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area
Hiring an accountant costs less in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area than in Alabama or the country as a whole. The median is $66,010 a year1: 11.8% below the Alabama statewide median of $74,880 and 21.1% below the US median of $83,680. Nationally that is #480 of 521 areas, in the bottom tenth. About 980 accountants work here, 4% of the Alabama total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area against Alabama and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast Alabama (Nonmetro) | $47,460 | $66,010 | $114,770 | |
| Alabama | $50,240 | $74,880 | $123,170 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area earns $56,590–$85,260. The top tenth earns $114,770 or more, 2.4 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.6 times. The mean ($74,920) is 13% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $28,670 wide, against $35,030 across Alabama and $42,790 nationally: employers in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an accountant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $47,460 | $3,955 | $22.82 | $61,239 |
| 25th percentile | $56,590 | $4,716 | $27.21 | $73,019 |
| Median | $66,010 | $5,501 | $31.74 | $85,174 |
| 75th percentile | $85,260 | $7,105 | $40.99 | $110,013 |
| 90th percentile | $114,770 | $9,564 | $55.18 | $148,090 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $19,250 over the median, the 25th only $9,420 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $24,839 a year in employer cost. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $83,680 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area, and the Alabama statewide median of $74,880 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area
At the $66,010 median, a local hire costs about $85,174 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $19,164 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
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Other roles in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area
Of the 16 roles we track in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($94,730); recruiters come next at $59,190.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +43.5% | 60 | |
| Accountant | this role | 980 | |
| Recruiter | -10.3% | 590 | |
| Executive Assistant | -11.3% | 120 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -17.5% | 360 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #7 of the 16 roles we track in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area (-21.1%), between virtual receptionists (-20.0%) and recruiters (-22.1%). The typical role here is at -22.8%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 8.7% of the jobs in these 16 roles in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area, 11.2% across Alabama and 9.2% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Alabama
Across the 16 areas of Alabama with data for this job, the median runs from $63,250 in Gadsden to $79,220 in Huntsville, a gap of $15,970 a year. All 4 areas in Alabama with more accountants than the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area also pay more, among them Birmingham, AL ($78,660) and Huntsville, AL ($79,220).
| Area | Median | vs the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | +2.4% | 460 | |
| Dothan, AL | +2.0% | 610 | |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | +0.4% | 340 | |
| Northeast Alabama (Nonmetro) | this area | 980 | |
| Southeast Alabama (Nonmetro) | -0.0% | 720 | |
| Southwest Alabama (Nonmetro) | -1.4% | 520 | |
| Gadsden, AL | -4.2% | 280 |
the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area is #199 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Alabama, Hammond and Brownsville-Harlingen pay just above the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area and Jonesboro and El Paso just below. All four are within $430 a year of the median in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | +17.3% | 990 | jobs | |
| Lubbock, TX | +12.7% | 960 | jobs | |
| Erie, PA | +6.0% | 970 | jobs | |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | +0.7% | 690 | pay | |
| Hammond, LA | +0.1% | 250 | pay | |
| Northeast Alabama (Nonmetro) | this area | 980 | ||
| Jonesboro, AR | -0.0% | 320 | pay | |
| El Paso, TX | -0.0% | 2,120 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Northeast Alabama (Nonmetro)?
About $85,174 a year at the median, or $7,098 a month: $66,010 in pay plus about $19,164 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do accountants earn in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $66,010 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $47,460, the 90th $114,770, and the middle half earned $56,590 to $85,260.
Is the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Alabama for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $66,010 against $74,880 statewide. The next area up in Alabama is Anniston-Oxford at $66,260, the next down the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area at $65,990.
How many accountants work in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 980 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Alabama total of 24,300. 4 areas in Alabama have more; the closest in size is Mobile, with about 2,010.
Does an accountant cost more than a recruiter in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area?
Yes: $6,820 a year more at the median. The medians are $66,010 and $59,190.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.