Question 1

What is the cost of living in Decatur, AL?

Accepted Answer

Decatur, AL's overall price level (BEA Regional Price Parity) is 87.21, where 100 equals the U.S. average. That means everyday goods, services, and housing cost about 12.8% less than the national average. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom is $961/month.

Question 2

What is the average salary in Decatur, AL?

Accepted Answer

Across the 100 BLS-tracked occupation categories with published data in Decatur, AL, the average median wage is $91,748. The single highest-paying occupation here is Physicians, All Other at $351,790/year (BLS OEWS).

Question 3

What are the highest-paying jobs in Decatur?

Accepted Answer

Based on BLS OEWS data, the top-paying occupations in Decatur, AL are: 1) Physicians, All Other at $351,790; 2) Architectural and Engineering Managers at $165,480; 3) Industrial Production Managers at $150,030; 4) Financial Managers at $142,940; 5) Lawyers at $139,010. Click any occupation above to see the full wage breakdown (10th to 90th percentile).

Question 4

How much does it cost to rent a 2-bedroom apartment in Decatur?

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a 2-bedroom unit in Decatur, AL is $961/month. FMR is the rent level HUD uses to administer housing assistance and reflects the 40th percentile of standard-quality rentals, updated annually.

Question 5

Where does AffordMap's Decatur data come from?

Accepted Answer

Salary figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. Cost of living comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (RPP). Rent comes from HUD Fair Market Rents. All three are federal datasets, updated annually, and free to use. AffordMap pairs them so you can see what a salary actually buys after local costs.

Rank	Occupation	Category	Median salary	Hourly
91	Tool and Die Makers	Production & Manufacturing	$60K	$29.05/hr
92	Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other	Engineering	$60K	$28.95/hr
93	Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters	Construction & Trades	$60K	$28.81/hr
94	Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	Production & Manufacturing	$60K	$28.81/hr
95	Computer User Support Specialists	Technology	$60K	$28.69/hr
96	Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School	Education	$60K	N/A
97	Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	Transportation	$59K	$28.56/hr
98	Postal Service Mail Carriers	Office & Admin	$59K	$28.37/hr
99	Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians	Engineering	$59K	$28.18/hr
100	Construction and Building Inspectors	Construction & Trades	$58K	$28.1/hr

Top Paying Jobs in Decatur, AL

Highest paying careers in Decatur

Affordability snapshot: Decatur