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News Release Information

25-933-ATL
Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (404) 893-4220

County Employment and Wages in Alabama — Fourth Quarter 2024

Employment rose in the six largest counties with published data in Alabama from December 2023 to December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that Baldwin County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 2.5 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)


Among the seven largest counties in Alabama, employment was highest in Jefferson (370,300) in December 2024. Together, the seven largest counties accounted for 55.8 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 369 largest counties comprise 73.3 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2023.)

Large county average weekly wages in the fourth quarter 2024

All seven large Alabama counties reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Baldwin had the largest gain (+4.7 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Alabama’s other six large counties ranged from 4.1 percent to 2.3 percent.


Weekly wages in 6 of the 7 largest counties in Alabama were below the national average of $1,507. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,531 in Madison to $1,039 in Baldwin.

Smaller county average weekly wages in the fourth quarter of 2024

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 60 small counties in Alabama, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2023. (See table 2.) Wage levels in 59 of the 60 smaller counties were below the national average. Washington reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,641). Perry reported the lowest average weekly wage ($841) in the state.

Among all 67 Alabama counties, 12 reported average weekly wages of less than $950, 19 registered wages from $950 to $1,024, 17 had wages from $1,025 to $1,099, 5 had wages from $1,100 to $1,174, and 14 had average weekly wages of $1,175 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)

Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in Alabama, fourth quarter 2024

(U.S. average = $1,507)

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.

Nationwide coverage of the largest counties is published in the County Employment and Wages news release. Additional information about quarterly employment and wages data is available in the news release Technical Note and from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

The County Employment and Wages release for first quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

QCEW Moves to One Data Release Beginning with Fourth Quarter 2024 Publication

The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) is streamlining its release process. Beginning with the fourth quarter 2024 national release on June 4, QCEW will publish the national County Employment and Wages news release on the same date as the QCEW full data update. Revised news release dates are available online.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the seven largest counties in Alabama, fourth quarter 2024
Area Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
December 2024
(thousands)
Percent change,
December
2023–24 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
Fourth quarter
2024 ($)
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
fourth quarter
2023–24 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

12,265.4 156,202.9 0.8 -- 1,507 -- 5.0 --

Alabama

162.3 2,122.2 0.9 -- 1,255 36 4.1 32

Baldwin

9.0 85.2 2.5 10 1,039 360 4.7 140

Jefferson

23.2 370.3 0.4 206 1,440 119 4.1 193

Madison

14.0 232.7 1.1 91 1,531 77 2.3 329

Mobile

12.4 175.9 1.1 91 1,278 217 3.1 291

Montgomery

7.3 133.8 0.3 221 1,295 207 3.4 256

Shelby

7.4 84.9 (5) - 1,343 175 3.6 242

Tuscaloosa

5.5 100.4 1.1 91 1,195 291 3.5 245

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications.
(3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(5) Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in Alabama, fourth quarter 2024
Area Establishments Employment December 2024 Average weekly wage ($) (1)

United States (2)

12,265,395 156,202,874 1,507

Alabama

162,310 2,122,222 1,255

Autauga

1,144 12,799 1,028

Baldwin

8,976 85,206 1,039

Barbour

597 7,749 915

Bibb

450 4,822 1,082

Blount

965 9,121 942

Bullock

213 2,767 1,005

Butler

525 6,793 941

Calhoun

2,847 43,983 1,027

Chambers

783 9,292 1,086

Cherokee

509 5,443 916

Chilton

923 9,205 990

Choctaw

362 3,282 1,298

Clarke

728 8,277 1,026

Clay

260 4,241 860

Cleburne

292 2,822 1,157

Coffee

1,380 17,402 953

Colbert

1,646 24,862 1,186

Conecuh

290 3,261 997

Coosa

158 1,450 1,028

Covington

1,146 12,284 964

Crenshaw

304 3,460 998

Cullman

2,340 31,192 1,068

Dale

1,146 18,432 1,310

Dallas

977 11,243 1,029

DeKalb

1,487 23,592 1,029

Elmore

1,813 21,908 983

Escambia

938 12,940 1,035

Etowah

2,470 33,203 933

Fayette

368 3,912 911

Franklin

699 11,062 998

Geneva

607 5,437 844

Greene

177 1,717 890

Hale

332 2,615 963

Henry

420 3,833 1,334

Houston

3,799 51,266 1,132

Jackson

1,197 15,302 999

Jefferson

23,196 370,293 1,440

Lamar

300 3,369 1,017

Lauderdale

2,589 31,353 932

Lawrence

569 6,355 1,038

Lee

4,449 67,905 1,084

Limestone

2,098 34,500 1,304

Lowndes

205 2,729 1,285

Macon

314 4,828 1,168

Madison

14,030 232,719 1,531

Marengo

574 7,435 1,060

Marion

721 10,168 953

Marshall

2,619 41,125 965

Mobile

12,382 175,924 1,278

Monroe

491 5,954 1,087

Montgomery

7,344 133,828 1,295

Morgan

3,400 53,598 1,193

Perry

188 1,810 841

Pickens

405 3,736 1,017

Pike

805 15,586 1,023

Randolph

478 4,810 846

Russell

1,209 14,063 971

St. Clair

1,981 22,196 1,050

Shelby

7,353 84,853 1,343

Sumter

293 2,807 966

Talladega

1,597 31,753 1,165

Tallapoosa

1,057 13,037 958

Tuscaloosa

5,470 100,391 1,195

Walker

1,527 18,701 976

Washington

321 5,244 1,641

Wilcox

334 2,747 1,168

Winston

551 8,133 1,045

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, fourth quarter 2024
State Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
December 2024
(thousands)
Percent change,
December
2023–24
Fourth quarter
2024 ($)
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
fourth quarter
2023–24
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

12,265.4 156,202.9 0.8 1,507 -- 5.0 --

Alabama

162.3 2,122.2 0.9 1,255 36 4.1 32

Alaska

25.3 317.4 1.7 1,430 16 4.2 30

Arizona

225.5 3,272.3 1.2 1,406 19 6.4 6

Arkansas

106.1 1,312.6 1.1 1,153 50 5.9 10

California

1,903.9 18,230.8 0.5 1,872 5 6.5 5

Colorado

236.6 2,911.3 -0.3 1,594 8 5.1 16

Connecticut

150.7 1,700.7 0.5 1,716 6 5.2 15

Delaware

45.2 480.6 1.5 1,437 15 4.5 24

District of Columbia

52.4 757.2 -0.5 2,495 1 4.7 21

Florida

914.8 9,978.9 0.9 1,405 20 5.7 13

Georgia

396.6 4,916.6 0.8 1,391 21 4.7 21

Hawaii

61.4 651.3 1.1 1,345 27 4.3 26

Idaho

103.9 859.1 0.5 1,232 39 8.3 3

Illinois

411.2 6,089.1 0.5 1,538 12 4.1 32

Indiana

194.6 3,201.9 0.4 1,222 44 4.4 25

Iowa

112.5 1,559.3 -0.6 1,237 38 3.2 50

Kansas

103.5 1,445.6 0.9 1,218 45 4.3 26

Kentucky

159.0 2,008.4 0.2 1,189 46 3.8 39

Louisiana

156.8 1,936.3 1.1 1,228 40 2.8 51

Maine

66.2 643.9 0.9 1,278 33 5.9 10

Maryland

197.0 2,779.9 1.6 1,570 10 4.2 30

Massachusetts

288.5 3,646.1 -0.4 1,890 3 4.7 21

Michigan

303.4 4,406.8 -0.1 1,370 23 4.1 32

Minnesota

215.1 2,945.4 1.1 1,452 14 3.7 42

Mississippi

90.9 1,174.3 0.2 1,023 51 4.1 32

Missouri

251.5 2,922.2 0.5 1,268 35 3.8 39

Montana

65.8 512.8 0.5 1,254 37 6.4 6

Nebraska

78.0 1,024.8 0.5 1,227 41 3.5 45

Nevada

108.1 1,561.5 0.4 1,350 25 6.1 9

New Hampshire

68.7 692.4 0.4 1,577 9 3.3 49

New Jersey

339.1 4,332.2 0.9 1,629 7 3.4 47

New Mexico

68.9 873.8 0.3 1,223 42 5.0 17

New York

711.5 9,777.3 1.5 1,881 4 5.4 14

North Carolina

384.0 4,941.9 0.5 1,358 24 5.8 12

North Dakota

36.9 431.1 0.9 1,315 30 3.8 39

Ohio

346.3 5,551.7 0.6 1,305 32 4.8 20

Oklahoma

129.7 1,713.2 0.8 1,168 48 4.1 32

Oregon

190.9 1,989.6 0.0 1,424 17 6.6 4

Pennsylvania

395.1 6,076.5 0.8 1,414 18 4.0 37

Rhode Island

48.9 500.8 1.6 1,348 26 3.5 45

South Carolina

195.3 2,310.1 1.4 1,223 42 6.2 8

South Dakota

40.6 459.7 0.9 1,181 47 3.9 38

Tennessee

232.2 3,320.3 0.9 1,372 22 5.0 17

Texas

846.0 14,129.7 1.5 1,488 13 4.3 26

Utah

142.6 1,735.8 1.3 1,333 29 3.7 42

Vermont

33.7 311.2 0.0 1,311 31 4.9 19

Virginia

320.9 4,142.6 1.2 1,546 11 4.3 26

Washington

241.5 3,612.0 0.8 1,897 2 8.7 2

West Virginia

62.7 701.4 0.2 1,159 49 3.4 47

Wisconsin

212.2 2,950.8 0.4 1,278 33 3.6 44

Wyoming

31.1 279.4 0.5 1,340 28 12.4 1

Puerto Rico

51.6 975.4 -0.2 718 (3) 4.5 (3)

Virgin Islands

3.0 33.1 -8.6 1,046 (3) 1.8 (3)

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(3) Data not included in the national ranking.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2025