Question 1

What is the cost of living in Tuscaloosa, AL?

Accepted Answer

Tuscaloosa, AL's overall price level (BEA Regional Price Parity) is 87.72, where 100 equals the U.S. average. That means everyday goods, services, and housing cost about 12.3% less than the national average. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom is $1,169/month.

Question 2

What is the average salary in Tuscaloosa, AL?

Accepted Answer

Across the 100 BLS-tracked occupation categories with published data in Tuscaloosa, AL, the average median wage is $88,449. The single highest-paying occupation here is Physicians, All Other at $243,530/year (BLS OEWS).

Question 3

What are the highest-paying jobs in Tuscaloosa?

Accepted Answer

Based on BLS OEWS data, the top-paying occupations in Tuscaloosa, AL are: 1) Physicians, All Other at $243,530; 2) Nurse Anesthetists at $195,660; 3) Chief Executives at $164,810; 4) Architectural and Engineering Managers at $140,070; 5) Pharmacists at $132,430. 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 Tuscaloosa?

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a 2-bedroom unit in Tuscaloosa, AL is $1,169/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 Tuscaloosa 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	Producers and Directors	Arts & Media	$62K	$29.73/hr
92	Real Estate Sales Agents	Sales	$62K	$29.7/hr
93	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders	Production & Manufacturing	$62K	$29.66/hr
94	Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	Education	$62K	N/A
95	First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers	Farming & Fishing	$62K	$29.57/hr
96	English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary	Education	$61K	N/A
97	Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary	Education	$61K	N/A
98	Millwrights	Repair & Maintenance	$61K	$29.51/hr
99	Education Teachers, Postsecondary	Education	$61K	N/A
100	Special Education Teachers, Secondary School	Education	$61K	N/A

Top Paying Jobs in Tuscaloosa, AL

Highest paying careers in Tuscaloosa

Affordability snapshot: Tuscaloosa