Cost of hiring in Huntsville, AL
BLS counts about 24,650 people in these 16 roles in Huntsville1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($112,130 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($35,060), and Administrative Assistant is the largest job, with about 4,700 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Huntsville
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +9.6% | 850 | |
| Recruiter | +3.7% | 1,630 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +1.5% | 80 | |
| Executive Assistant | -2.5% | 440 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -3.1% | 4,700 | |
| Accountant | -5.3% | 3,010 | |
| Bookkeeper | -7.0% | 1,830 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -7.8% | 1,470 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -7.9% | 1,810 | |
| Office Manager | -9.4% | 2,030 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -10.7% | 150 | |
| HR Assistant | -13.8% | 110 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -14.2% | 3,340 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -18.0% | 1,800 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -24.8% | 960 | |
| Paralegal | -25.9% | 440 |
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 $46,090 median for administrative assistants, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $59,471 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Huntsville against the US
Huntsville pays above the US median for 3 of the 16 roles, most of all for project coordinators (+9.6%) and recruiters (+3.7%), and below it for 13, furthest for paralegals (-25.9%). The middle gap across all 16 is -7.8%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for project coordinators, #19 of 518 areas by median pay; its lowest is for paralegals, #468 of 506.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Huntsville has more administrative assistants (19.1% of these jobs here, against 10.8% nationally) and accountants (12.2% against 9.2%), and fewer data entry specialists (0.3% against 0.8%) and project coordinators (3.4% against 6.8%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Lexington-Fayette, KY is nearest, at -7.8%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington, IL | -7.8% | 14 | 6,740 |
| Huntsville, AL | -7.8% (this area) | 16 | 24,650 |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | -7.8% | 17 | 30,310 |
| Lebanon, PA | -7.9% | 15 | 3,880 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | -7.9% | 16 | 5,220 |
| Spartanburg, SC | -8.0% | 17 | 13,230 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Huntsville span $39,500–$135,350, the widest band (3.4×); data entry specialists the narrowest, $33,100–$48,030. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 7 of 16 roles, data entry specialists most ($31,200–$58,790 across the US). Budget from the median for marketing specialists, sales development representatives, paralegals and 5 more roles: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($72,650 against a $59,230 median for marketing specialists).
Huntsville against Alabama
Against Alabama as a whole, Huntsville pays more for 13 of 16 roles, led by recruiters (+21.3%) and data entry specialists (+19.5%), and less only for paralegals (-1.4%). It has the highest median in Alabama for accountants, recruiters and sales development representatives and 3 more roles.
Other areas in Alabama
By jobs in these roles, Huntsville is #2 of 16 areas in Alabama. The table shows the areas closest to it in size, from Birmingham to the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham, AL | 57,280 | 16 |
| Montgomery, AL | 18,070 | 16 |
| Mobile, AL | 17,970 | 16 |
| Northeast Alabama (Nonmetro) | 11,230 | 16 |
| 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 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Huntsville?
Of the 16 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $112,130 a year, about $144,684 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $35,060.
Is hiring in Huntsville cheaper than the US median?
For 13 of the 16 roles, yes, most of all paralegals (-25.9%). 3 pay more than the US median, led by project coordinators (+9.6%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.