High paying teaching and library jobs in Alabama

Every teaching and library occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Alabama. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single teaching and library job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Cost of living: prices in Alabama run 11.2% below the national average (2024), so a Alabama salary is worth about 1.13× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order. To see where a job pays a real premium, use jobs that pay more in Alabama.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find teaching jobs in Alabama

OccupationMedian, Alabama · Employed

1Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary$92,310
Doctoral or professional degree
$58,540 – $202,1903,360
2Business Teachers, Postsecondary$82,170
Doctoral or professional degree
$48,310 – $171,4201,260
3Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary$79,690
Doctoral or professional degree
$48,100 – $122,9301,460
4Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary$77,540
Doctoral or professional degree
$49,800 – $161,4601,160
5Instructional Coordinators$69,000
Master's degree
$46,460 – $109,7102,040
6Teachers and Instructors, All Other$66,510
Bachelor's degree
$36,590 – $98,3301,500
7Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary$65,900
Doctoral or professional degree
$50,230 – $97,860850
8Librarians and Media Collections Specialists$64,650
Master's degree
$37,890 – $78,3102,750
9Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School$64,520
Bachelor's degree
$50,510 – $77,150870
10Education Teachers, Postsecondary$63,730
Doctoral or professional degree
$46,750 – $100,490840
11Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary$63,540
Master's degree
$51,000 – $96,320900
12English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary$62,910
Doctoral or professional degree
$46,450 – $92,1401,040
13Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary$62,580
Bachelor's degree
$44,800 – $122,7502,350
14Special Education Teachers, Secondary School$62,210
Bachelor's degree
$50,020 – $75,030740
15Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$61,990
Bachelor's degree
$48,190 – $76,30015,880
16Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$61,770
Bachelor's degree
$48,320 – $74,09010,000
17Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$61,380
Bachelor's degree
$47,750 – $73,95022,030
18Self-Enrichment Teachers$38,430
High school diploma or equivalent
$21,520 – $60,8102,130
19Tutors$35,500
Some college, no degree
$19,630 – $45,230890
20Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$28,310
Associate's degree
$21,150 – $47,3507,910
21Substitute Teachers, Short-Term$25,340
Bachelor's degree
$18,170 – $30,0209,290
22Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$24,070
Some college, no degree
$21,440 – $30,59010,140

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianAlabama	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Health Specialties Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$92,310	$58,540 – $202,190	3,360
2	Business Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$82,170	$48,310 – $171,420	1,260
3	Nursing Instructors and Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$79,690	$48,100 – $122,930	1,460
4	Biological Science Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$77,540	$49,800 – $161,460	1,160
5	Instructional CoordinatorsMaster's degree	$69,000	$46,460 – $109,710	2,040
6	Teachers and Instructors, All OtherBachelor's degree	$66,510	$36,590 – $98,330	1,500
7	Mathematical Science Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$65,900	$50,230 – $97,860	850
8	Librarians and Media Collections SpecialistsMaster's degree	$64,650	$37,890 – $78,310	2,750
9	Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary SchoolBachelor's degree	$64,520	$50,510 – $77,150	870
10	Education Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$63,730	$46,750 – $100,490	840
11	Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, PostsecondaryMaster's degree	$63,540	$51,000 – $96,320	900
12	English Language and Literature Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$62,910	$46,450 – $92,140	1,040
13	Career/Technical Education Teachers, PostsecondaryBachelor's degree	$62,580	$44,800 – $122,750	2,350
14	Special Education Teachers, Secondary SchoolBachelor's degree	$62,210	$50,020 – $75,030	740
15	Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$61,990	$48,190 – $76,300	15,880
16	Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$61,770	$48,320 – $74,090	10,000
17	Elementary School Teachers, Except Special EducationBachelor's degree	$61,380	$47,750 – $73,950	22,030
18	Self-Enrichment TeachersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,430	$21,520 – $60,810	2,130
19	TutorsSome college, no degree	$35,500	$19,630 – $45,230	890
20	Preschool Teachers, Except Special EducationAssociate's degree	$28,310	$21,150 – $47,350	7,910
21	Substitute Teachers, Short-TermBachelor's degree	$25,340	$18,170 – $30,020	9,290
22	Teaching Assistants, Except PostsecondarySome college, no degree	$24,070	$21,440 – $30,590	10,140

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Alabama. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

More for Alabama

Metro areas in Alabama

Pay varies more between metros than between states — the spread inside one state is often wider than the gap between two.

By field in Alabama

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Alabama to rank honestly.

High paying teaching and library jobs in Alabama

More for Alabama

Metro areas in Alabama

By field in Alabama

Without a degree

High paying teaching and library jobs in each state