How Much Does an RN Make in Birmingham, AL in 2026?
Typical pay for RNs in Birmingham, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Alabama.
BLS OES May 2025 · Birmingham metro area
A typical RN in Birmingham, Alabama earns $37.83 per hour, or $78,680 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $6,557 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $62,230, and the top 10% of earners make over $102,960.
That pay is 2% above the Alabama figure of $77,080 and 19% below the national figure of $97,550. Birmingham ranks 4th of 12 metro areas in Alabama for RN pay. About 17,850 RNs work in the Birmingham area.
RN pay in Birmingham at a glance
- Typical pay is $37.83 an hour, or $78,680 a year.
- That is 2% above the Alabama figure, ranking 4th of 12 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $62,230; the top 10% make over $102,960.
- Typical pay rose +36% from 2015 to 2025, against +39% for Alabama as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an RN make in Birmingham?
Pay in Birmingham runs from entry-level positions at around $29.92 an hour to more than $49.50 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Alabama and national figures.
RN pay by career stage in Birmingham
| Career stage | Birmingham | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $62,230$29.92 an hour | $58,150$27.96 an hour | $68,940$33.14 an hour |
| First years | $63,610$30.58 an hour | $63,500$30.53 an hour | $80,330$38.62 an hour |
| Typical RN | $78,680$37.83 an hour | $77,080$37.06 an hour | $97,550$46.90 an hour |
| Experienced | $85,160$40.94 an hour | $83,380$40.09 an hour | $112,350$54.02 an hour |
| Top 10% | $102,960$49.50 an hour | $98,910$47.56 an hour | $137,470$66.09 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Birmingham area as BLS defines it
RN pay growth in Birmingham
Typical (median) annual wage for RNs in the Birmingham area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical RN pay in Birmingham was $57,670 a year. By 2025 it had reached $78,680, a change of +36%, compared with +39% for Alabama over the same years.
How Birmingham compares with other Alabama cities
Montgomery pays RNs the most in Alabama at $79,570 a year, $890 more than Birmingham. The lowest-paying area in the state is Florence at $66,360.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Birmingham | RNs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montgomery | $79,570 | $38.25 | +1% | 3,990 |
| 2 | Mobile | $79,490 | $38.22 | +1% | 5,260 |
| 3 | Daphne | $79,450 | $38.20 | +1% | 1,770 |
| 4 | Birmingham | $78,680 | $37.83 | this city | 17,850 |
| 5 | Auburn metro incl. Opelika | $78,040 | $37.52 | -1% | 1,430 |
| 6 | Gadsden | $77,810 | $37.41 | -1% | 1,210 |
| 7 | Huntsville | $77,090 | $37.06 | -2% | 6,800 |
| 8 | Tuscaloosa | $75,250 | $36.18 | -4% | 2,590 |
| 9 | Anniston metro incl. Oxford | $72,730 | $34.97 | -8% | 990 |
| 10 | Decatur | $68,320 | $32.85 | -13% | 960 |
| 11 | Dothan | $67,430 | $32.42 | -14% | 1,940 |
| 12 | Muscle Shoals metro incl. Florence | $66,360 | $31.90 | -16% | 1,320 |
Every metro area in Alabama with RN wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Alabama typical pay $77,080
Is Birmingham a good place to work as an RN?
RNs in Birmingham earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $78,680 a year, 19% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Birmingham area, about 34 are RN positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 22. That makes the local economy more reliant on RNs than most places, and turnover keeps positions opening through the year.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an RN make in Birmingham, AL?
- A typical RN in Birmingham earns $78,680 a year, or $37.83 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $62,230 and the top 10% earn over $102,960.
- How much does an RN make an hour in Birmingham?
- Typical hourly pay for RNs in Birmingham is $37.83. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $29.92, and the top 10% earn over $49.50 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an RN in Birmingham?
- Entry-level RN positions in Birmingham typically offer around $29.92 an hour, or $62,230 a year.
- Is RN pay in Birmingham higher than in the rest of Alabama?
- Birmingham pay is 2% above the Alabama figure of $77,080 a year, ranking 4th of 12 metro areas in the state. Montgomery pays the most in Alabama at $79,570.