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Birmingham · Occupational wage benchmark

Financial Managers Salary in Birmingham

What Financial Managers actually earn in the Birmingham metro area — the published BLS median, what it is worth after local costs, and how it ranks against other major metros.

Direct answer
Financial Managers in the Birmingham metro area earn a median of $153,930 per year (-7.6% vs national, #36 of 49 major metros). Because the area price level is 91.6 against a U.S. average of 100, that salary carries roughly the purchasing power of $167,965 nationally. These are BLS occupational wage benchmarks across all workers — not MBA-graduate-specific outcomes.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2024 estimates (published April 2025)), Birmingham-Hoover, AL metro estimates for SOC 11-3031; cost-of-living adjustment from U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities by Metropolitan Statistical Area (MARPP) (2024). Occupational wage benchmarks across all workers, not MBA-specific outcomes.

Median annual wage
$153,930
Financial Managers in Birmingham
Adjusted for cost of living
$167,965
Birmingham price level 91.6 (U.S. = 100)
Rank among metros
#36 of 49
#14 after cost of living
Workers employed
2,700
in metro Birmingham

What Financial Managers earn in Birmingham, adjusted for what it costs to live there

A headline wage only means something next to local prices. Once local prices are accounted for, Birmingham moves up 22 places — the paycheck stretches further than the nominal figure suggests.

MetroMedian (nominal)Adjusted for cost of living
San Jose$225,280$204,015
New York$221,010$196,343
San Francisco$216,150$186,960
Boston$209,780$193,764
Denver$193,400$182,829
Seattle$185,550$166,962
Washington DC$185,270$170,154
Los Angeles$175,310$154,368
San Diego$174,210$155,702
Richmond$173,140$176,930
Charlotte$172,760$177,466
Atlanta$171,240$171,141
Hartford$170,310$165,758
Dallas-Fort Worth$169,200$164,128
Chicago$168,810$162,952
Providence$167,570$164,651
Austin$167,180$170,477
Philadelphia$166,920$162,763
Houston$166,910$169,230
Minneapolis$165,620$158,001

Nominal medians: BLS OEWS, May 2024 estimates (published April 2025) — occupational wage benchmarks across all workers, not MBA-specific outcomes. Adjusted column: SalaryMBA estimate, computed as nominal ÷ (metro RPP ÷ 100) using BEA MARPP 2024 regional price parities.

The national pay range for Financial Managers

BLS publishes the full percentile distribution nationally. The spread within the occupation is usually far wider than the gap between metros.

Percentile (national)Annual wageReading
10th percentile$94,310Entry / early-career end
25th percentile$125,490
Median (50th)$166,570
75th percentile$219,980
90th percentile$323,270Senior / top-market end

Other MBA-relevant roles in Birmingham

How to read the Birmingham number

The $153,930 median means half of Financial Managers in the Birmingham area earn less and half earn more. It is measured across everyone in the occupation — every experience level, industry, and level of education. It is not the salary of a recent MBA graduate, and it is not a starting salary.

BLS counts roughly 2,700 people in this role in the Birmingham area. To compare against the state and national picture, see Financial Managers nationally or model your own economics with the MBA ROI calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How much do Financial Managers make in Birmingham?

Financial Managers in the Birmingham metro area earn a median of $153,930 per year, according to BLS OEWS May 2024 estimates (published April 2025). That is -7.6% vs national, ranking Birmingham #36 of 49 major metros we track for this role. This is an occupational wage benchmark across all workers in the metro, not an MBA-graduate-specific salary.

Is $153,930 a good salary in Birmingham?

It depends on local prices. The Birmingham area price level is 91.6 against a U.S. average of 100, so $153,930 there carries roughly the purchasing power of $167,965 nationally — about $14,035 more than the headline number implies. Once local prices are accounted for, Birmingham moves up 22 places — the paycheck stretches further than the nominal figure suggests.

Do Financial Managers in Birmingham need an MBA?

These BLS figures cover everyone in the occupation regardless of degree, so they cannot isolate what an MBA adds. Financial Managers is a role MBA graduates commonly target, and an MBA can affect where you land within the range through network, function, and seniority — but any precise MBA premium for this role in Birmingham would not be supported by this data.

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Every figure on SalaryMBA is source-labeled. See our methodology for how we source and gate data.