Alaska Average Salary 2026
Average pay, top-paying occupations, and cost of living across Alaska.
The average salary in Alaska is $118,284 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS 2025 data aggregated across 1 metropolitan areas (Anchorage). The highest-paying tracked occupation in the state is Family Medicine Physician at $299,340 median; 37 occupations pay six-figure ($100K+) medians. Adjusted for the state's average cost-of-living index of 127, the average median equates to $93,137 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
Alaska has 1 metropolitan areas in our BLS OEWS coverage. Wages within the state vary substantially by metro — large coastal cities typically pay materially more than smaller inland ones, though the cost-of-living gap closes a lot of the apparent difference. BLS OEWS data captures every metropolitan statistical area (MSA) above a population threshold. Cities below that threshold roll up to non-metropolitan areas, which are not represented in the per-metro view but are captured in state-level rollups.
For workers comparing Alaska job markets, the per-metro pages give the role-specific breakdown that headline state averages obscure. The role-specific ranking pages — which list the highest-paying cities for a single occupation — are particularly useful when geographic flexibility is real and the role is the constraint.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs in Alaska
Family Medicine Physician
Healthcare · 250 jobs in state · top metro: Anchorage ($299,340)
Pediatrician
Healthcare · 50 jobs in state · top metro: Anchorage ($251,830)
Dentist
Healthcare · 180 jobs in state · top metro: Anchorage ($228,030)
Industrial Engineer
Engineering · 110 jobs in state · top metro: Anchorage ($171,910)
Business Professor (Postsecondary)
Education · 50 jobs in state · top metro: Anchorage ($168,440)
Optometrist
Healthcare · 30 jobs in state · top metro: Anchorage ($167,000)
Pharmacist
Healthcare · 360 jobs in state · top metro: Anchorage ($162,980)
Nurse Practitioner
Healthcare · 410 jobs in state · top metro: Anchorage ($157,430)
Lawyer
Legal · 780 jobs in state · top metro: Anchorage ($153,590)
Physician Assistant
Healthcare · 460 jobs in state · top metro: Anchorage ($152,710)
Cities in Alaska
Frequently Asked Questions
The average salary in Alaska is $118,284 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release aggregated across 1 BLS-tracked metros. The figure is employment-weighted, so larger occupations contribute proportionally more to the average. The top-paying role in the state is Family Medicine Physician at $299,340 median.
The top five highest-paying occupations in Alaska, ranked by employment-weighted median across all tracked metros, are Family Medicine Physician ($299,340), Pediatrician ($251,830), Dentist ($228,030), Industrial Engineer ($171,910), Business Professor (Postsecondary) ($168,440). See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/state/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.
Anchorage, AK leads Alaska with an average median salary of $118,284 across 55 BLS-tracked occupations.
The average cost-of-living index across Alaska's tracked metros is 127 (national avg = 100). The state average median of $118,284 translates to $93,137 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. COL is roughly in line with the national average.
State aggregates are employment-weighted across the BLS-tracked metros in Alaska, using the OEWS 2025 reference period.
55 data points · BLS OEWS 2025 · last refreshed 2026-05-21
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2026.