Accountant salary in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area
The Southwest Alabama nonmetro area is a lower-cost market for accountants: the median of $65,100 a year1 is 13.1% below the Alabama statewide median of $74,880, and 22.2% below the US median of $83,680. Only 28 of 521 US areas pay less for this job. BLS counts about 520 people in this job here, 2% of the Alabama total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Southwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area against Alabama and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Alabama (Nonmetro) | $47,980 | $65,100 | $107,900 | |
| Alabama | $50,240 | $74,880 | $123,170 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area earns $59,480–$85,890. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $107,900, only 2.2 times the bottom tenth, against 2.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($75,030) is 15% 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 $26,410 wide, against $35,030 across Alabama and $42,790 nationally: employers in the Southwest 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 | $47,980 | $3,998 | $23.07 | $61,910 |
| 25th percentile | $59,480 | $4,957 | $28.60 | $76,748 |
| Median | $65,100 | $5,425 | $31.30 | $84,000 |
| 75th percentile | $85,890 | $7,158 | $41.29 | $110,826 |
| 90th percentile | $107,900 | $8,992 | $51.88 | $139,226 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $20,790 over the median, the 25th only $5,620 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $26,826 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 Southwest Alabama nonmetro area, and the Alabama statewide median of $74,880 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $18,900 to the $65,100 median and brings it to $84,000 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for accountants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area
Of the 15 roles we track in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($91,000); recruiters come next at $60,660.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +39.8% | 50 | |
| Accountant | this role | 520 | |
| Recruiter | -6.8% | 270 | |
| Executive Assistant | -9.4% | 70 | |
| Office Manager | -18.7% | 540 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #8 of the 15 roles we track in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area (-22.2%), between payroll specialists (-22.0%) and executive assistants (-23.0%). The typical role here is at -22.2%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 9.4% of the jobs in these 15 roles in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area, 11.2% across Alabama and 9.3% 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 11 areas in Alabama with more accountants than the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area also pay more, among them Birmingham, AL ($78,660) and Huntsville, AL ($79,220).
| Area | Median | vs the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | +3.8% | 460 | |
| Dothan, AL | +3.4% | 610 | |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | +1.8% | 340 | |
| Northeast Alabama (Nonmetro) | +1.4% | 980 | |
| Southeast Alabama (Nonmetro) | +1.4% | 720 | |
| Southwest Alabama (Nonmetro) | this area | 520 | |
| Gadsden, AL | -2.8% | 280 |
the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area is #344 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, Lincoln and Hattiesburg pay just above the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area and Johnson City and Alexandria just below. All four are within $570 a year of the median in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logan, UT-ID | +10.6% | 520 | jobs | |
| Jackson, TN | +10.6% | 520 | jobs | |
| Hattiesburg, MS | +0.3% | 350 | pay | |
| Lincoln, NE | +0.1% | 2,130 | pay | |
| Southwest Alabama (Nonmetro) | this area | 520 | ||
| Johnson City, TN | -0.6% | 510 | pay | |
| Alexandria, LA | -0.9% | 400 | pay | |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | -3.2% | 520 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Southwest Alabama (Nonmetro)?
About $84,000 a year at the median, or $7,000 a month: $65,100 in pay plus about $18,900 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for accountants in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $65,100 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $47,980, the 90th $107,900, and the middle half earned $59,480 to $85,890.
Is the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Alabama for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $65,100 against $74,880 statewide. The next area up in Alabama is the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area at $65,990, the next down Gadsden at $63,250.
How many accountants work in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 520 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Alabama total of 24,300. 11 areas in Alabama have more; the closest in size is Decatur, with about 530.
Does an accountant cost more than a recruiter in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area?
Yes: $4,440 a year more at the median. The medians are $65,100 and $60,660.
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.