Jobs, pay and daily life in Muscle Shoals, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Muscle Shoals is a city in Alabama with 16,951 residents. The median household earns $75,894 a year and the median rent is $1,029 a month, which is 16.3% of the median household income. It is part of the Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL metropolitan area, where BLS counts 56,100 jobs.
How Muscle Shoals compares. Among the 80 largest places in Alabama, Muscle Shoals is #40 by population, #19 for remote work (#1 = most), #27 for household income (#1 = highest), #51 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Colbert County, is #14 of 67 counties for average pay ($58,010).
Muscle Shoals has 16,951 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of Alabama. It covers 17 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,005 people per square mile. The median age is 38.0, 3% younger than the state median (38.0 against 39.3).
The median gross rent is $1,029 a month (rent plus utilities), about the same as the state median ($1,029 against $1,007). Over a year that is 16.3% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $199,700, which is 2.6 times the median household income ($75,894); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 67.1% of households own their home, 4% below the state average (67.1% against 70.2%).
The Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL metropolitan area has 56,100 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $39,740 a year, 22% below the national median ($39,740 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are sales and related (6,200 jobs, median $31,140); food preparation and serving related (6,110 jobs, median $26,520); office and administrative support (5,960 jobs, median $37,520). The area is most specialised in production (1.8 times) and sales and related (1.3 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are production ($40,770) and office and administrative support ($37,520). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Colbert County was 3.8%. 63.8% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Colbert County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 77.7% drive alone, 0.8% use public transit, 0.3% walk, 13.7% work from home. 11.8% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 20% below the state average (11.8% against 14.7%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
24.0% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 16% below the state share (24.0% against 28.4%). 2.0% of residents were born outside the United States, 49% below the state share (2.0% against 4.0%). The poverty rate is 12.8%, 18% below the state rate (12.8% against 15.6%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 80°F (26.4°C), and the coolest is Jan at 39°F (4.0°C). About 1,428 mm (56 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Dec is the wettest month (150 mm) and Sep the driest (102 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Sheffield (4 miles, rent 19% lower); Tuscumbia (4 miles, rent 27% lower); Florence (6 miles, rent 20% lower); Russellville (17 miles, rent 33% lower). Rent differences are against Muscle Shoals; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Alabama (395) →State guide: AlabamaCountry guideColbert CountyAlabama rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 395 federal postings open in Alabama (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Alabama →
These figures are for the whole Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $39,740 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.9% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 19.5% |
| Manufacturing | 17.8% |
| Retail trade | 12.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 9.7% |
| Other services | 8.8% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 6.7% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 6.3% |
| Public administration | 5.3% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.9% |
| Construction | 4.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.8% |
| Information | 1.3% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.4% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Muscle Shoals lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colbert County | 58,022 | $3,559 million | $61,331 | 24,495 | 1,621 | $58,010 | +1.3% | 3.8% | 26,004 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 6,242 | 33.6% | $70,072 | 3.10 |
| Retail trade | 3,207 | 17.3% | $40,079 | 1.31 |
| Health care and social assistance | 1,994 | 10.7% | $54,073 | 0.57 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,927 | 10.4% | $19,280 | 0.87 |
| Construction | 1,738 | 9.4% | $65,943 | 1.35 |
| Wholesale trade | 892 | 4.8% | $64,433 | 0.92 |
| Finance and insurance | 744 | 4.0% | $66,097 | 0.75 |
| Administrative and waste services | 611 | 3.3% | $54,129 | 0.42 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 500 | 2.7% | $47,238 | 0.68 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 189 | 1.0% | $20,498 | 0.46 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 141 | 0.8% | $89,882 | 1.52 |
| Real estate and rental | 140 | 0.8% | $48,090 | 0.37 |
| Information | 116 | 0.6% | $51,772 | 0.25 |
| Educational services | 81 | 0.4% | $24,193 | 0.16 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 53 | 0.3% | $42,068 | 0.27 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 77.7% |
| Public transit | 0.8% |
| Walk | 0.3% |
| Work from home | 13.7% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 11.8% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $75,894 |
| Income per person | $35,651 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,029 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 16.3% |
| Median home value | $199,700 |
| Homeowners | 67.1% |
| Poverty rate | 12.8% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 84.8 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $39,740 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 5.00%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 38.0 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 90.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 24.0% |
| Born abroad | 2.0% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 63.8% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.0 | 39 | 120 |
| Feb | 6.1 | 43 | 138 |
| Mar | 10.8 | 51 | 126 |
| Apr | 15.7 | 60 | 129 |
| May | 20.3 | 69 | 123 |
| Jun | 24.5 | 76 | 106 |
| Jul | 26.4 | 80 | 121 |
| Aug | 26.4 | 80 | 108 |
| Sep | 23.1 | 74 | 102 |
| Oct | 16.7 | 62 | 102 |
| Nov | 10.1 | 50 | 103 |
| Dec | 5.9 | 43 | 150 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheffield | AL | 4 mi | 9,340 | $39,733 | $829 |
| Tuscumbia | AL | 4 mi | 9,115 | $59,143 | $748 |
| Florence | AL | 6 mi | 41,701 | $52,174 | $820 |
| Russellville | AL | 17 mi | 10,799 | $58,231 | $685 |
| Decatur | AL | 38 mi | 57,361 | $61,563 | $896 |
| Athens | AL | 39 mi | 29,002 | $69,922 | $899 |
| Lawrenceburg | TN | 39 mi | 11,844 | $42,343 | $775 |
| Hartselle | AL | 45 mi | 15,847 | $76,290 | $804 |
| Pulaski | TN | 46 mi | 8,285 | $48,538 | $835 |
| Madison | AL | 50 mi | 60,106 | $134,655 | $1,453 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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16,951 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,029 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 16.3% of the median household income.
$75,894 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.8% (BLS county, Colbert County (latest month 2026M09)).
Alabama. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.