Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
Anchorage, AK Average Salary 2026
Cost of living, occupation-by-occupation pay, and percentile ranges from official BLS data.
The average salary in Anchorage, AK, Alaska is $118,284 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (2025 reference period) covering 55 occupations and roughly 31,200 workers. Adjusted for Anchorage, AK's cost-of-living index of 127, that nominal average translates to $93,137 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. The highest-paying tracked occupation is Family Medicine Physician at $299,340; the lowest is Automotive Technician at $59,880.
Anchorage, AK, AK has cost-of-living above the national baseline (index 127.0). The 55 occupations reported here average $118,284 in median wages.
Highest-paying role in Anchorage, AK on BLS data is Family Medicine Physician at $299,340 median. Top-paying roles in any U.S. city skew toward physicians, executives, tech specialists, and licensed professionals; the specific ranking varies with the local industry mix. Workers comparing Anchorage, AK to other regional centers should look at both gross and cost-adjusted wages. The cost-of-living index is uniform across the city but actual household costs vary widely by neighborhood and lifestyle.
Salaries by Occupation in Anchorage, AK
| Role | Category | Median | Range (10th–90th) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $299,340 | $170,390 – $394,740 | 250 |
| Pediatrician | Healthcare | $251,830 | $224,040 – $362,690 | 50 |
| Dentist | Healthcare | $228,030 | $124,190 – $320,440 | 180 |
| Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $171,910 | $107,490 – $218,900 | 110 |
| Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $168,440 | $75,290 – $331,040 | 50 |
| Optometrist | Healthcare | $167,000 | $78,190 – $204,680 | 30 |
| Pharmacist | Healthcare | $162,980 | $106,190 – $184,830 | 360 |
| Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $157,430 | $97,690 – $207,490 | 410 |
| Lawyer | Legal | $153,590 | $89,910 – $336,190 | 780 |
| Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $152,710 | $106,060 – $199,810 | 460 |
| Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $145,500 | $105,600 – $186,620 | 90 |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $137,990 | $92,960 – $201,870 | 550 |
| Human Resources Manager | Management | $135,480 | $92,020 – $211,830 | 320 |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $133,620 | $81,630 – $308,170 | 900 |
| Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $132,740 | $60,590 – $139,940 | 490 |
| Financial Manager | Finance | $129,220 | $85,780 – $209,590 | 1,200 |
| Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $126,730 | $82,720 – $179,880 | 220 |
| Veterinarian | Healthcare | $124,810 | $104,030 – $471,360 | 110 |
| Information Security Analyst | Technology | $121,710 | $75,770 – $147,210 | 220 |
| Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $121,610 | $76,660 – $166,530 | 270 |
| Database Architect | Technology | $121,260 | $71,560 – $129,150 | 50 |
| General and Operations Manager | Management | $120,030 | $65,050 – $223,230 | 3,290 |
| Computer Network Architect | Technology | $119,720 | $94,900 – $162,040 | 90 |
| Marketing Manager | Management | $118,770 | $79,640 – $196,800 | 170 |
| Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $115,290 | $85,840 – $155,150 | 4,990 |
| Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $113,190 | $69,700 – $149,340 | 410 |
| Financial Analyst | Finance | $113,010 | $73,870 – $292,960 | 120 |
| Civil Engineer | Engineering | $112,740 | $78,940 – $159,320 | 1,110 |
| Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $112,590 | $97,330 – $133,300 | 460 |
| Architect | Engineering | $108,720 | $60,980 – $146,950 | 140 |
| Software Developer | Technology | $104,030 | $62,060 – $136,460 | 320 |
| Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $103,680 | $82,320 – $134,180 | 300 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $103,010 | $81,500 – $125,950 | 220 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $102,330 | $48,410 – $103,340 | 180 |
| Financial Examiner | Finance | $101,740 | $73,460 – $138,620 | 30 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $101,260 | $77,510 – $131,960 | 260 |
| Sales Manager | Management | $100,940 | $70,190 – $174,570 | 530 |
| Data Scientist | Technology | $98,630 | $57,180 – $177,690 | 120 |
| Network Architect | Technology | $96,420 | $69,140 – $121,960 | 560 |
| Management Analyst | Management | $96,120 | $48,920 – $143,150 | 310 |
| Plumber | Trades | $93,600 | $53,730 – $116,790 | 640 |
| Computer Programmer | Technology | $91,130 | $66,780 – $137,210 | 320 |
| Electrician | Trades | $82,440 | $58,550 – $123,200 | 930 |
| Accountant | Finance | $82,150 | $59,550 – $123,450 | 1,160 |
| Secondary School Teacher | Education | $79,650 | $64,570 – $98,140 | 1,130 |
| Elementary School Teacher | Education | $79,270 | $62,750 – $97,090 | 1,720 |
| Welder | Trades | $74,000 | $46,680 – $96,200 | 250 |
| Loan Officer | Finance | $72,800 | $26,720 – $124,810 | 370 |
| Carpenter | Trades | $72,800 | $48,620 – $149,320 | 1,460 |
| Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $71,510 | $53,240 – $120,240 | 360 |
| Market Research Analyst | Management | $68,720 | $44,390 – $102,170 | 380 |
| Paralegal | Legal | $66,210 | $50,590 – $97,390 | 390 |
| Graphic Designer | Creative | $63,250 | $40,320 – $105,160 | 130 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $62,050 | $46,650 – $109,660 | 400 |
| Automotive Technician | Trades | $59,880 | $39,580 – $89,790 | 850 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The single highest-paying occupation tracked in Anchorage, AK is Family Medicine Physician, with a median of $299,340 and a 90th-percentile reading of $394,740. That $224,350 spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles is typical for a role of this seniority — entry-level workers cluster near the bottom of the band, while senior specialists and managers earn at the top.
Across all 55 BLS-tracked occupations in Anchorage, AK, the average median salary is $118,284. The top five roles average $223,910 — about 1.9× the citywide average — which is the expected shape for a U.S. metro economy: a small concentration of high-skill, high-credential occupations sits well above the broader middle.
Anchorage, AK carries an above-average cost of living (index 127, roughly 27% above the U.S. average), driven mostly by housing and transportation. Most professional roles here pay enough premium to compensate, but lower-percentile and mid-percentile workers see materially less purchasing power than nominal salaries suggest.
Salary Negotiation in Anchorage, AK
For salary negotiation in Anchorage, AK, the practical input is the percentile band for your role and city, not the citywide average. The OEWS publishes 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile wages for every metro and occupation; you can find your role's exact percentile in the table above and use the SalaryTruth percentile calculator to anchor your offer. Cost-of-living index 127 should also factor in any cross-metro comparison.
For city-vs-city moves, the right benchmark is COL-adjusted pay rather than nominal pay. Our COL-adjusted salaries guide shows the exact math; the negotiation playbook covers how to use BLS percentile bands to anchor offers.
How Anchorage, AK Salary Data Is Built
Wages on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — a federal survey of more than 1.2 million U.S. establishments, published once per year by Metropolitan Statistical Area and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. We pull the BLS data file for Anchorage, AK, match each occupation against our role catalog, and surface percentile wages alongside employment counts. The cost-of-living index (127) is a composite of housing, food, transportation, and utility data from public sources, calibrated to a U.S. national average of 100. Read the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average salary in Anchorage, AK in 2026?
The average salary in Anchorage, AK is $118,284 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release covering 55 occupations. The mean (employment-weighted average) gives slightly more weight to large occupations; the median across roles is also close to $118,284. The top-paying role is Family Medicine Physician at $299,340.
Is $100,000 a good salary in Anchorage, AK?
In Anchorage, AK, $100,000 has the purchasing power of $78,740 in an average-cost U.S. metro (COL index 127). That is roughly in line with what $100K buys in a typical U.S. city. Compared to the city's average median of $118,284, $100K is below the typical worker.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Anchorage, AK?
The top-paying tracked occupations in Anchorage, AK are Family Medicine Physician ($299,340), Pediatrician ($251,830), Dentist ($228,030), and Industrial Engineer ($171,910). Across the top 10, median salaries range from $152,710 to $299,340. See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/anchorage.
How does Anchorage, AK's cost of living affect salaries?
Anchorage, AK has a cost-of-living index of 127, 27% above the U.S. national average. A nominal salary of $118,284 in this metro has the equivalent purchasing power of $93,137 in an average-cost U.S. city. Housing is the dominant driver of this gap; in higher-COL markets, mortgage or rent typically eats 5–15 percentage points more of pre-tax pay than in average-cost metros.
How many people are employed in Anchorage, AK?
Across the 55 BLS-tracked occupations on this page, total employment in the Anchorage, AK metro is approximately 31,200. BLS OEWS sample-based estimates cover all major occupational categories but exclude very small or volatile fields where the sample is too thin to publish.
Where does this Anchorage, AK salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal survey data covering about 1.2 million U.S. employers. The same data is used by the U.S. Department of Labor for prevailing wage determinations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Anchorage, AK MSA, 2026 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2026."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 55 occupations · COL Index 127.