Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
1 / 40#40. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Median annual wage: $46,570
- Median hourly wage: $22.39
- Total employment: 340 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying computer and engineering jobs in Birmingham
What do we mean when we talk about computer and engineering jobs? Well, that depends. These positions encompass various roles dedicated to new technology development and maintenance. Take software developers, who create and oversee computer programs, versus mechanical engineers, who design and build physical products, tools, and systems. However different these careers may be, though, they do have a few things in common: bachelor's degree requirements, a focus on analytical thinking, and the allure of a steady paycheck, particularly for recent college graduates.
First, the bad news—ongoing technological advancements have massively impacted these industries. As the use of artificial intelligence has exploded in the technology sector, finding an entry-level job has become increasingly difficult. LinkedIn Chief Economic Opportunity Officer Aneesh Raman noted in a May 2025 op-ed for The New York Times that artificial intelligence is decimating the "bottom rung of the career ladder" in technology, while a May 2025 report from SignalFire found that the hiring of new grads at the nation's 15 largest tech companies has dropped by more than 50% since 2019.
Yet, while the situation may seem dire, it's not all doom and gloom for computer and engineering jobs. Although these positions may be more selective than they once were, many pay far more than the country's 2024 median wages of $49,500. Those in computer and information technology occupations can expect to make a median salary of $105,990 as of 2024, while engineers earn median wages of more than $97,000.
Employment in these fields is also expected to grow at a healthy rate. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts an average of 356,700 new computer job openings yearly through 2033, and 195,000 new engineering job openings in the same period. Furthermore, growing interest in sustainable infrastructure and construction techniques could lead to exciting opportunities for engineers.
Though it's difficult to predict the exact future of computer and engineering jobs, those interested in these fields can at least consider one important aspect: salary. Stacker used BLS data to find the highest-paying computer and engineering jobs Birmingham. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
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2 / 40#39. Civil engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $48,040
- Median hourly wage: $23.10
- Total employment: 240 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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3 / 40#38. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $49,570
- Median hourly wage: $23.83
- Total employment: 2,160 people (4.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
4 / 40#37. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $49,690
- Median hourly wage: $23.89
- Total employment: 40 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gearstd // Shutterstock
5 / 40#36. Mechanical drafters
- Median annual wage: $50,220
- Median hourly wage: $24.14
- Total employment: 120 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 40#35. Computer network support specialists
- Median annual wage: $56,040
- Median hourly wage: $26.94
- Total employment: 280 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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7 / 40#34. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $56,360
- Median hourly wage: $27.10
- Total employment: 100 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock
8 / 40#33. Web and digital interface designers
- Median annual wage: $57,720
- Median hourly wage: $27.75
- Total employment: 50 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Hitdelight // Shutterstock
9 / 40#32. Architectural and civil drafters
- Median annual wage: $58,260
- Median hourly wage: $28.01
- Total employment: 370 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
10 / 40#31. Web developers
- Median annual wage: $64,690
- Median hourly wage: $31.10
- Total employment: 210 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 40#30. Surveyors
- Median annual wage: $65,380
- Median hourly wage: $31.43
- Total employment: 230 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
12 / 40#29. Electrical and electronics drafters
- Median annual wage: $71,700
- Median hourly wage: $34.47
- Total employment: Not available
Pheelings media // Shutterstock
13 / 40#28. Statisticians
- Median annual wage: $74,030
- Median hourly wage: $35.59
- Total employment: 90 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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14 / 40#27. Landscape architects
- Median annual wage: $79,400
- Median hourly wage: $38.17
- Total employment: 80 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
15 / 40#26. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $86,710
- Median hourly wage: $41.69
- Total employment: 1,280 people (2.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 40#25. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $86,790
- Median hourly wage: $41.73
- Total employment: 350 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
17 / 40#24. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $87,760
- Median hourly wage: $42.19
- Total employment: 300 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
eldar nurkovic // Shutterstock
18 / 40#23. Chemical engineers
- Median annual wage: $92,920
- Median hourly wage: $44.67
- Total employment: Not available
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19 / 40#22. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $93,210
- Median hourly wage: $44.81
- Total employment: 1,430 people (2.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
20 / 40#21. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $94,170
- Median hourly wage: $45.27
- Total employment: 590 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 40#20. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $94,430
- Median hourly wage: $45.40
- Total employment: 870 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
22 / 40#19. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $96,190
- Median hourly wage: $46.25
- Total employment: Not available
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23 / 40#18. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $96,450
- Median hourly wage: $46.37
- Total employment: 100 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
24 / 40#17. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $96,590
- Median hourly wage: $46.44
- Total employment: 440 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PR Image Factory // Shutterstock
25 / 40#16. Operations research analysts
- Median annual wage: $98,270
- Median hourly wage: $47.25
- Total employment: 90 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
26 / 40#15. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $98,290
- Median hourly wage: $47.26
- Total employment: 890 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 40#14. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $100,800
- Median hourly wage: $48.46
- Total employment: 1,730 people (3.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
28 / 40#13. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $100,950
- Median hourly wage: $48.54
- Total employment: 580 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
29 / 40#12. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $101,020
- Median hourly wage: $48.57
- Total employment: 410 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DC Studio // Shutterstock
30 / 40#11. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $101,640
- Median hourly wage: $48.87
- Total employment: 600 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 40#10. Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers
- Median annual wage: $103,280
- Median hourly wage: $49.65
- Total employment: 50 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
32 / 40#9. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $104,280
- Median hourly wage: $50.13
- Total employment: 110 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
33 / 40#8. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $106,130
- Median hourly wage: $51.03
- Total employment: 50 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wee dezign // Shutterstock
34 / 40#7. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $106,890
- Median hourly wage: $51.39
- Total employment: 3,800 people (7.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
35 / 40#6. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $109,360
- Median hourly wage: $52.58
- Total employment: 740 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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anyaivanova // Shutterstock
36 / 40#5. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $120,040
- Median hourly wage: $57.71
- Total employment: Not available
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
37 / 40#4. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $120,950
- Median hourly wage: $58.15
- Total employment: 40 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
38 / 40#3. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $127,850
- Median hourly wage: $61.47
- Total employment: 820 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MinskDesign // Shutterstock
39 / 40#2. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $132,700
- Median hourly wage: $63.80
- Total employment: 70 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
40 / 40#1. Actuaries
- Median annual wage: $143,230
- Median hourly wage: $68.86
- Total employment: 190 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
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