Auburn-Opelika, AL
Across all occupations in the Auburn-Opelika, AL metropolitan area, the median wage is $39,070 a year ($18.78 an hour) and the mean $52,160, May 2025. That median is −23% against the US median of $50,980 and −14% against Alabama's $45,670. BLS counts 72,710 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is physicians, all other; the largest is fast food and counter workers.
All occupations: Auburn-Opelika, AL vs Alabama and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Auburn-Opelika, AL | Hourly | $11.05 | $14.09 | $18.78 | $29.46 | $45.39 | $25.08 | 72,710 |
| Annual | $22,980 | $29,300 | $39,070 | $61,270 | $94,400 | $52,160 | ||
| Alabama | Hourly | $12.54 | $15.41 | $21.96 | $32.11 | $48.68 | $27.65 | 2,113,660 |
| Annual | $26,090 | $32,050 | $45,670 | $66,790 | $101,250 | $57,500 | ||
| United States | Hourly | $15.00 | $18.07 | $24.51 | $38.71 | $61.81 | $33.54 | 155,495,730 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $37,590 | $50,980 | $80,520 | $128,560 | $69,770 | ||
260 detailed occupations publish a median in this area. State profile: Alabama. Compare any occupation across every area in the wage explorer.
20 highest-paying occupations in Auburn-Opelika, AL
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physicians, All Other | $293,630 | $141.17 | 180 |
| 2 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $144,800 | $69.61 | 70 |
| 3 | Pharmacists | $133,180 | $64.03 | 210 |
| 4 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Alabama | $129,590 | $62.30 | 180 |
| 5 | Financial Managers in Alabama | $129,580 | $62.30 | 180 |
| 6 | Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary | $128,090 | * | 40 |
| 7 | Information Security Analysts | $120,950 | $58.15 | 70 |
| 8 | Software Developers in Alabama | $120,310 | $57.84 | 290 |
| 9 | Sales Managers in Alabama | $116,000 | $55.77 | 90 |
| 10 | Industrial Production Managers | $110,980 | $53.36 | 100 |
| 11 | Electrical Engineers | $109,100 | $52.45 | 30 |
| 12 | Human Resources Managers | $108,590 | $52.21 | 70 |
| 13 | Nurse Practitioners | $108,500 | $52.16 | 180 |
| 14 | Administrative Services Managers | $108,110 | $51.98 | 40 |
| 15 | Marketing Managers | $106,300 | $51.10 | 60 |
| 16 | Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $105,180 | $50.57 | 30 |
| 17 | Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | $103,580 | * | 260 |
| 18 | General and Operations Managers in Alabama | $103,380 | $49.70 | 920 |
| 19 | Computer Network Architects | $102,380 | $49.22 | 50 |
| 20 | Veterinarians | $101,060 | $48.59 | 60 |
Ranked by median; an occupation whose median BLS withholds or top-codes in this area cannot appear here, however well it pays.
20 largest occupations in Auburn-Opelika, AL
Most concentrated occupations in Auburn-Opelika, AL
The 10 occupations with the highest location quotient among those employing at least 100 people in the area. A quotient of 2.00 means the occupation's share of local jobs is twice its national share.
| Rank | Occupation | Location quotient | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | 51.15 | 210 | 2.93 | $80,030 |
| 2 | Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | 13.74 | 260 | 3.56 | $103,580 |
| 3 | Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 9.75 | 230 | 3.15 | $81,440 |
| 4 | Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary | 6.13 | 220 | 3.07 | $44,680 |
| 5 | Education Administrators, Postsecondary | 5.37 | 450 | 6.23 | * |
| 6 | Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 4.83 | 340 | 4.67 | $37,540 |
| 7 | Education Administrators, All Other | 4.07 | 100 | 1.44 | $93,520 |
| 8 | Cooks, Fast Food in Alabama | 4.06 | 1,220 | 16.73 | $27,120 |
| 9 | Business Teachers, Postsecondary | 3.95 | 150 | 2.09 | $98,130 |
| 10 | Residential Advisors | 3.85 | 150 | 2.10 | $31,790 |
Occupation groups in Auburn-Opelika, AL
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $102,260 | $117,170 | 3,830 | 52.65 | 0.74 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $83,000 | $92,350 | 1,130 | 15.61 | 0.46 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $79,990 | $87,430 | 820 | 11.27 | 0.67 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $78,040 | $89,970 | 4,060 | 55.84 | 0.88 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $66,830 | $74,980 | 570 | 7.81 | 0.82 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $66,120 | $75,820 | 2,720 | 37.39 | 0.55 |
| Legal | $61,460 | $90,660 | 270 | 3.75 | 0.45 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $54,550 | $68,980 | 800 | 11.01 | 0.84 |
| Community and Social Service | $50,240 | $56,200 | 960 | 13.19 | 0.77 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $48,650 | $53,360 | 3,010 | 41.36 | 1.06 |
| Protective Service | $48,420 | $51,530 | 1,320 | 18.14 | 0.75 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $48,340 | $55,370 | 8,350 | 114.91 | 1.96 |
| Construction and Extraction | $46,890 | $49,410 | 2,650 | 36.43 | 0.88 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $39,430 | $43,230 | 7,110 | 97.78 | 0.86 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $39,270 | $42,270 | 190 | 2.68 | 0.96 |
| Production | $37,780 | $41,880 | 6,800 | 93.47 | 1.70 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $37,010 | $41,460 | 6,570 | 90.38 | 1.03 |
| Healthcare Support | $34,700 | $34,570 | 2,270 | 31.18 | 0.61 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $33,860 | $35,270 | 2,180 | 29.93 | 1.02 |
| Sales and Related | $30,910 | $39,810 | 6,600 | 90.83 | 1.05 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $27,260 | $28,880 | 8,900 | 122.38 | 1.39 |
| Personal Care and Service | $27,040 | $31,240 | 1,600 | 22.05 | 1.05 |
Every occupation in Alabama, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 260 published occupations for this area are in the wage explorer; other metros are on the metros hub.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Auburn-Opelika, AL estimates (area 12220).
*- Wage estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Jobs per 1,000 is the occupation's employment per 1,000 jobs in the Auburn-Opelika, AL area; the location quotient is that share divided by the national share.
- The concentration table keeps only occupations with employment of 100 or more in the area, so a quotient built on a handful of rounded jobs cannot top it.