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What to Pay a Registered Nurse in Birmingham, AL (2026)

Last updated: May 15, 2026 Built for: Total Rewards, Comp, HR Sample: BLS OEWS + disclosed-range postings
Market Median
$74,000
base, annual
Competitive Range
$66K–$84K
25th–75th percentile
YoY Movement
+3.6%
trailing 12 months
Days to Fill
~24
Birmingham metro average
To hire a Registered Nurse in Birmingham at market, plan on a base salary range of $66,000 to $84,000, with $74,000 as the midpoint. To attract candidates in a market where average time-to-fill runs 24 days, expect to lead at $84K–$96K plus a sign-on bonus, common in skilled nursing settings. Alabama does not currently require pay range disclosure in job postings.

How to set your RN pay range in Birmingham

Three pay positions, modeled against current Birmingham market data. Pick the one that matches your comp philosophy and the role's strategic value.

Lag Market
Pay Below Median
$58K–$66K
Workable in non-acute settings with strong non-cash differentiation. Expect longer fill times and turnover ~1.4× the Birmingham average.
Match Market — recommended
Pay at Median
$70.8K–$78K
Default for most Birmingham employers. Competitive enough to fill in ~24 days. A range width of ~30% (min $66,000 to max $84,000) keeps compa-ratio movement smooth across a RN's typical 8–12 year tenure.
Lead Market
Pay Above Median
$80K–$96K
Use for hard-to-fill specialties (wound care, IV therapy, bilingual), 24/7 SNF roles, or when speed-to-hire trumps budget. Reduces fill time by 35–45% on average.

RN salary percentile distribution in Birmingham, AL

Where the Birmingham market actually sits for RN base pay.

10th $58K
25th $66K
Median $74K
75th $84K
90th $96K

Most Birmingham employers building a range for this role anchor the midpoint to the market median ($74,000) and set range width at 30–35% — a min of $66,000 and a max of $84,000. This keeps the band wide enough for experience-based progression without concentrating range penetration at the cap.

Alabama pay transparency compliance for RN job postings

What you must post when hiring a RN in Alabama.

Not required statewide. Alabama has no statewide pay transparency law. Posting a range is optional — but roughly half of healthcare employers in the market now disclose ranges voluntarily, and candidates increasingly skip postings without one.

For a RN role in Birmingham, a compliant good-faith range looks like $66,000 to $84,000. No statutory requirement applies, but if you disclose voluntarily, post a good-faith range of $66,000–$84,000 rather than a single number — it screens out misaligned candidates and reduces offer-stage fallout.

Top RN employers in Birmingham — who you're competing against

Top healthcare employers hiring RNs in the Birmingham metro and what they're posting.

Employer Type Disclosed Range Sign-on Bonus
UAB Medicine (University of Alabama Birmingham) Academic medical center $74K–$94K Common ($8K–$15K)
Grandview Medical Center Hospital (HCA) $72K–$92K Very common ($10K–$18K)
Ascension St. Vincent's Health system $72K–$92K Very common ($10K–$18K)
Children's of Alabama (UAB) Pediatric specialty $74K–$94K Common ($8K–$15K)
Brookwood Baptist Medical Center Hospital $70K–$90K Common ($8K–$15K)

RN talent supply and hiring difficulty in Birmingham

How hard is it to fill a RN role in Birmingham.

~24
Avg Days to Fill
~950
Active Postings
~11,400
Birmingham RN Workforce
Moderate
Supply : Demand

Birmingham RN market driven by UAB Medicine, Grandview Medical Center, and Ascension St. Vincent's.

Skill premiums RN candidates command in Birmingham, AL

Skill / Credential Pay Premium Demand Signal
CCRN +8–12% Very high
CEN + trauma (UAB Level I) +6–10% Very high
Pediatric (Children's of Alabama) +6–10% Very high
BSN (vs ADN) +5–8% Standard at UAB

RN total compensation in Birmingham — what candidates expect beyond base

Total rewards mix for RNs in Birmingham. "Prevalence" reflects share of Birmingham disclosed-range postings including each element.

Component Typical Value Prevalence in Birmingham Postings
Base salary $74,000 (median) 100%
Shift differential +12–18% premium ~86%
Sign-on bonus $10,000–$18,000 ~72%
Certification pay +5–12% premium ~50%
Tuition reimbursement $2,000–$4,000/yr ~52%
Estimated total comp benchmark ~$92K–$112K —

Shift differentials and sign-on bonuses are typically table stakes rather than differentiators. Tuition reimbursement for LPN-to-RN bridge programs is increasingly the lever that wins competitive offers, particularly for early-career candidates.

RN pay by setting in Birmingham — SNF, hospital, clinic, home health

Where the RN range splits by employer type in the Birmingham metro.

Setting Median Competitive Range Hiring Difficulty
Acute-care hospital (med-surg) $70,000 $62K–$80K Moderate
ICU / Critical care $84,000 $74K–$96K Very high
Emergency department $82,000 $72K–$94K Very high
Level I trauma (UAB) $86,000 $76K–$98K Very high
Ambulatory / clinic $62,000 $56K–$70K Moderate

RN salary in Birmingham vs. other Alabama and nearby metros

What you'd pay if you hired in a nearby metro instead.

Location Median Base vs. Birmingham Hiring Difficulty
Birmingham–Hoover, AL $74,000 — Moderate
Nashville–Davidson, TN $82,000 +10.8% Moderate
Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Roswell, GA $86,000 +16.2% Above national avg
Memphis, TN-MS-AR $76,000 +2.7% Moderate
Alabama statewide $68,000 −8.1% —
U.S. national $93,600 — —

FAQ: hiring a Registered Nurse in Birmingham, AL

Market median is $74,000 for base pay. To match market, set a range with the midpoint at $74,000 — typically $66,000 to $84,000. To lead the market, plan on $84K–$96K base plus a sign-on bonus.
No statewide law requires a posted range in Alabama. Disclosing one voluntarily — a good-faith range such as $66,000–$84,000 — is increasingly the market norm and improves application rates.
$66,000 falls below the Birmingham market median of $74,000 — roughly at the 25th–50th percentile locally. Acceptable in SNF or physician office settings where the candidate pool is deeper; below-market for hospital or specialty roles.
Roughly 72% of Birmingham RN postings include a sign-on bonus. Grandview (HCA) and Ascension St. Vincent's lead with $10K–$18K offers.
Average fill time is approximately 24 days in the Birmingham metro. Roles paid above the 75th percentile ($84K+) fill in roughly 18–22 days. Roles below the 25th percentile ($66K) commonly take 45+ days and have elevated turnover within the first 90 days.
By Birmingham-metro posting volume: UAB Medicine (University of Alabama Birmingham), Grandview Medical Center, Ascension St. Vincent's, Children's of Alabama (UAB), Brookwood Baptist Medical Center lead the pack.
A 30–35% range width (min to max) is standard for RN in Birmingham — for example, $66,000 to $84,000. Narrower than 25% compresses progression and creates compa-ratio pressure within 18 months.
No. Alabama has no pay transparency law covering internal or external postings. Note that remote roles open to candidates in states like Colorado or California may still trigger those states' disclosure requirements.

Related RN pay benchmarks — Alabama metros and nearby nursing roles

Same role, nearby metros
RN pay benchmark — Nashville, TN → RN pay benchmark — Atlanta, GA → RN pay benchmark — Memphis, TN → All RN pay benchmarks →
Related roles in Birmingham
Certified Nursing Assistant pay benchmark — Birmingham → Nurse Practitioner pay benchmark — Birmingham → All roles' pay benchmarks →

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Data refreshed May 15, 2026. Next scheduled update: August 15, 2026.
© 2026 BetterComp. Market data informational only — not legal advice.