Cost of hiring in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
BLS counts about 5,090 people in these 14 roles in Florence-Muscle Shoals1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($93,950 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($30,580), and Administrative Assistant is the largest job, with about 1,160 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Florence-Muscle Shoals
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | -8.2% | 80 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -16.2% | 650 | |
| Office Manager | -17.5% | 500 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -18.3% | 1,160 | |
| Accountant | -19.2% | 460 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -19.5% | 330 | |
| Recruiter | -20.3% | 190 | |
| Executive Assistant | -22.5% | 40 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -22.8% | 590 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -23.3% | 30 | |
| Bookkeeper | -23.4% | 580 | |
| Paralegal | -27.6% | 100 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -33.1% | 220 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -34.1% | 160 |
The employer pays more than the wage: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, so a $38,850 median for administrative assistants, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $50,129 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Florence-Muscle Shoals against the US
Florence-Muscle Shoals pays below the US median for all 14 roles. The gap is smallest for project coordinators (-8.2%) and customer support specialists (-16.2%) and largest for marketing specialists (-34.1%). The middle gap across all 14 is -21.4%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for project coordinators, #237 of 518 areas by median pay; its lowest is for bookkeepers, #519 of 521.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Florence-Muscle Shoals has more administrative assistants (22.8% of these jobs here, against 11.0% nationally) and medical administrative assistants (11.6% against 6.2%), and fewer project coordinators (1.6% against 6.8%) and executive assistants (0.8% against 3.0%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Hattiesburg, MS is nearest, at -21.5%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawton, OK | -20.5% | 15 | 3,720 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | -21.1% | 15 | 4,440 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | -21.4% (this area) | 14 | 5,090 |
| Hattiesburg, MS | -21.5% | 15 | 5,210 |
| McAllen-Edinburg, TX | -21.6% | 17 | 28,300 |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | -22.1% | 16 | 7,690 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, marketing specialists in Florence-Muscle Shoals span $30,190–$104,580, the widest band (3.5×); medical administrative assistants the narrowest, $29,080–$48,790. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 5 of 14 roles, sales development representatives most ($37,980–$148,840 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives, marketing specialists, paralegals and 3 more roles: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($56,490 against a $46,800 median for sales development representatives).
Florence-Muscle Shoals against Alabama
Against Alabama as a whole, Florence-Muscle Shoals pays less for every one of the 14 roles with a statewide figure. It comes closest for customer support specialists (-2.3%) and is furthest below for sales development representatives (-20.5%). It has the lowest median in Alabama for bookkeepers.
Other areas in Alabama
By jobs in these roles, Florence-Muscle Shoals is #14 of 16 areas in Alabama. The table shows the areas closest to it in size, from Tuscaloosa to Gadsden.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Tuscaloosa, AL | 8,910 | 16 |
| Daphne-Fairhope, AL | 8,510 | 16 |
| Southeast Alabama (Nonmetro) | 6,900 | 15 |
| Auburn-Opelika, AL | 6,570 | 15 |
| Dothan, AL | 5,820 | 14 |
| Southwest Alabama (Nonmetro) | 5,550 | 15 |
| Decatur, AL | 5,210 | 15 |
| Northwest Alabama (Nonmetro) | 5,170 | 13 |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | 3,450 | 11 |
| Gadsden, AL | 2,870 | 11 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Florence-Muscle Shoals?
Of the 14 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $93,950 a year, about $121,226 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $30,580.
Is hiring in Florence-Muscle Shoals cheaper than the US median?
Yes, for every role we track: all 14 medians are below the US figure, the furthest for marketing specialists (-34.1%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.