Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
55 Highest Paying Jobs in Alaska (2026)
The highest-paying job in Alaska is Family Medicine Physician with a state-aggregated median salary of $299,340 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data weighted across the state's 1 BLS-tracked metro. Across all 55 occupations the average median is $118,284, with 37 occupations paying a six-figure ($100K+) median. Alaska's average cost-of-living index is 127, so the average median equates to $93,137 of buying power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
The 55 occupations below are ranked by median wage across Alaska — rolling up wage data across all metropolitan areas in the state. State-level rollups smooth over the substantial intra-state wage variation typical of larger states. For state-level wage comparisons, BLS OEWS state files aggregate across MSAs and non-MSA areas. The aggregation hides legitimate within-state differences: a job in Alaska's primary metro often pays substantially more (and costs substantially more to live near) than the same job in smaller cities.
Use the per-metro pages for the geographic-specific view. The state-level ranking is most useful for comparing Alaska to other states, not for comparing within-state options.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs in Alaska
Ranked by state-aggregated median (50th percentile) salary, employment-weighted across Alaska's single tracked metro.
State median $299,340 · 250 jobs · top metro: Anchorage ($299,340)
Family Medicine Physicians in Alaska earn $299,340 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Anchorage) pays $299,340 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $251,830 · 50 jobs · top metro: Anchorage ($251,830)
Pediatricians in Alaska earn $251,830 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Anchorage) pays $251,830 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $228,030 · 180 jobs · top metro: Anchorage ($228,030)
Dentists in Alaska earn $228,030 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Anchorage) pays $228,030 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $171,910 · 110 jobs · top metro: Anchorage ($171,910)
Industrial Engineers in Alaska earn $171,910 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Anchorage) pays $171,910 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $168,440 · 50 jobs · top metro: Anchorage ($168,440)
Business Professor (Postsecondary)s in Alaska earn $168,440 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Anchorage) pays $168,440 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $167,000 · 30 jobs · top metro: Anchorage ($167,000)
Optometrists in Alaska earn $167,000 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Anchorage) pays $167,000 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $162,980 · 360 jobs · top metro: Anchorage ($162,980)
Pharmacists in Alaska earn $162,980 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Anchorage) pays $162,980 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $157,430 · 410 jobs · top metro: Anchorage ($157,430)
Nurse Practitioners in Alaska earn $157,430 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Anchorage) pays $157,430 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $153,590 · 780 jobs · top metro: Anchorage ($153,590)
Lawyers in Alaska earn $153,590 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Anchorage) pays $153,590 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $152,710 · 460 jobs · top metro: Anchorage ($152,710)
Physician Assistants in Alaska earn $152,710 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Anchorage) pays $152,710 median, materially above the state aggregate.
Full Ranking: All 55 Tracked Occupations
| Rank | Role | Category | State Median | Top Metro | Top Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $299,340 | Anchorage | $299,340 | 250 |
| 2 | Pediatrician | Healthcare | $251,830 | Anchorage | $251,830 | 50 |
| 3 | Dentist | Healthcare | $228,030 | Anchorage | $228,030 | 180 |
| 4 | Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $171,910 | Anchorage | $171,910 | 110 |
| 5 | Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $168,440 | Anchorage | $168,440 | 50 |
| 6 | Optometrist | Healthcare | $167,000 | Anchorage | $167,000 | 30 |
| 7 | Pharmacist | Healthcare | $162,980 | Anchorage | $162,980 | 360 |
| 8 | Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $157,430 | Anchorage | $157,430 | 410 |
| 9 | Lawyer | Legal | $153,590 | Anchorage | $153,590 | 780 |
| 10 | Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $152,710 | Anchorage | $152,710 | 460 |
| 11 | Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $145,500 | Anchorage | $145,500 | 90 |
| 12 | Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $137,990 | Anchorage | $137,990 | 550 |
| 13 | Human Resources Manager | Management | $135,480 | Anchorage | $135,480 | 320 |
| 14 | Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $133,620 | Anchorage | $133,620 | 900 |
| 15 | Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $132,740 | Anchorage | $132,740 | 490 |
| 16 | Financial Manager | Finance | $129,220 | Anchorage | $129,220 | 1,200 |
| 17 | Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $126,730 | Anchorage | $126,730 | 220 |
| 18 | Veterinarian | Healthcare | $124,810 | Anchorage | $124,810 | 110 |
| 19 | Information Security Analyst | Technology | $121,710 | Anchorage | $121,710 | 220 |
| 20 | Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $121,610 | Anchorage | $121,610 | 270 |
| 21 | Database Architect | Technology | $121,260 | Anchorage | $121,260 | 50 |
| 22 | General and Operations Manager | Management | $120,030 | Anchorage | $120,030 | 3,290 |
| 23 | Computer Network Architect | Technology | $119,720 | Anchorage | $119,720 | 90 |
| 24 | Marketing Manager | Management | $118,770 | Anchorage | $118,770 | 170 |
| 25 | Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $115,290 | Anchorage | $115,290 | 4,990 |
| 26 | Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $113,190 | Anchorage | $113,190 | 410 |
| 27 | Financial Analyst | Finance | $113,010 | Anchorage | $113,010 | 120 |
| 28 | Civil Engineer | Engineering | $112,740 | Anchorage | $112,740 | 1,110 |
| 29 | Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $112,590 | Anchorage | $112,590 | 460 |
| 30 | Architect | Engineering | $108,720 | Anchorage | $108,720 | 140 |
| 31 | Software Developer | Technology | $104,030 | Anchorage | $104,030 | 320 |
| 32 | Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $103,680 | Anchorage | $103,680 | 300 |
| 33 | Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $103,010 | Anchorage | $103,010 | 220 |
| 34 | Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $102,330 | Anchorage | $102,330 | 180 |
| 35 | Financial Examiner | Finance | $101,740 | Anchorage | $101,740 | 30 |
| 36 | Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $101,260 | Anchorage | $101,260 | 260 |
| 37 | Sales Manager | Management | $100,940 | Anchorage | $100,940 | 530 |
| 38 | Data Scientist | Technology | $98,630 | Anchorage | $98,630 | 120 |
| 39 | Network Architect | Technology | $96,420 | Anchorage | $96,420 | 560 |
| 40 | Management Analyst | Management | $96,120 | Anchorage | $96,120 | 310 |
| 41 | Plumber | Trades | $93,600 | Anchorage | $93,600 | 640 |
| 42 | Computer Programmer | Technology | $91,130 | Anchorage | $91,130 | 320 |
| 43 | Electrician | Trades | $82,440 | Anchorage | $82,440 | 930 |
| 44 | Accountant | Finance | $82,150 | Anchorage | $82,150 | 1,160 |
| 45 | Secondary School Teacher | Education | $79,650 | Anchorage | $79,650 | 1,130 |
| 46 | Elementary School Teacher | Education | $79,270 | Anchorage | $79,270 | 1,720 |
| 47 | Welder | Trades | $74,000 | Anchorage | $74,000 | 250 |
| 48 | Loan Officer | Finance | $72,800 | Anchorage | $72,800 | 370 |
| 49 | Carpenter | Trades | $72,800 | Anchorage | $72,800 | 1,460 |
| 50 | Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $71,510 | Anchorage | $71,510 | 360 |
| 51 | Market Research Analyst | Management | $68,720 | Anchorage | $68,720 | 380 |
| 52 | Paralegal | Legal | $66,210 | Anchorage | $66,210 | 390 |
| 53 | Graphic Designer | Creative | $63,250 | Anchorage | $63,250 | 130 |
| 54 | Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $62,050 | Anchorage | $62,050 | 400 |
| 55 | Automotive Technician | Trades | $59,880 | Anchorage | $59,880 | 850 |
Why These Roles Pay the Most in Alaska
Alaska's pay distribution reflects its mix of regional employers and industries, plus the local cost of living that affects nominal salary levels in the BLS data.
$Alaska tracks $1 BLS-published metros covering approximately $31,200 workers across the $55 occupations on this page. State-aggregated medians are employment-weighted across metros, which is the right way to read "state pay" when BLS publishes by metro. The Family Medicine Physician top spot reflects Anchorage pulling the upper end of the distribution; smaller metros in Alaska typically pay 10–25% less for the same role.
Metro-by-Metro Detail
For salary data specific to one metro within Alaska, see:
Frequently Asked Questions
The highest paying job in Alaska is Family Medicine Physician with a state median salary of $299,340. The top-paying metro for this role is Anchorage at $299,340 median. The role employs roughly 250 workers across Alaska.
37 of the 55 BLS-tracked occupations in Alaska have a state-aggregated median salary of $100,000 or higher. That places this state in the upper tier nationally for high-paying occupations.
Across 55 BLS-tracked occupations, the average median salary in Alaska is $118,284. The figure is employment-weighted across 1 metros, so larger occupations and larger metros contribute proportionally more. Cost-of-living-adjusted to a national-average baseline, it equates to $93,137.
BLS OEWS publishes wage data by Metropolitan Statistical Area. For Alaska, this page aggregates Anchorage. Some non-MSA areas (small towns, rural counties) are excluded from OEWS metro tables but covered in BLS state-level summaries; we use metro-level data to preserve the percentile granularity.
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. State aggregates are computed by employment-weighting metro-level percentile wages across the BLS-tracked metros in Alaska.
State aggregates are employment-weighted across the BLS-tracked metros in Alaska, using OEWS 2025 data.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2026.