State salary profile · Alaska

Alaska Salaries

Alaska ranks #10 by BLS All Occupations mean; occupation detail from OEWS May 2025. Published local OEWS areas include Alaska nonmetropolitan area, Anchorage, AK, Fairbanks-College, AK.

$181,864
Mean of top 50 medians
511
Occupations
3
Local wage areas
30,080
Estimated jobs (top tier)

The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians in Alaska is $181,864.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, The May 2025 release has a published median for 511 occupations in Alaska; percentile boundaries and local-area rows are available only where BLS publishes them. The highest-paying reported occupation, Emergency Medicine Physicians, earns $452,620, versus $26,310 for Waiters and Waitresses at the bottom of the range. Detail is available for 2 metro areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area. Published local OEWS areas include Alaska nonmetropolitan area, Anchorage, AK, Fairbanks-College, AK.

Alaska · employment ≠ wage

In Alaska, Retail Salespersons lead by published employment (7,890 jobs, #1 of 496) but rank #471 of 496 on median wage ($37,290), while Emergency Medicine Physicians top the wage list at $452,620 (#1 of 496) with 190 jobs (#283 of 496). The largest payroll is not the highest published median.

7,890
Retail Salespersons employment #1
$452,620
Emergency Medicine Physici... wage #1
#283
Employment rank of wage leader
#471
Wage rank of employment leader

Employment is OEWS tot_emp inside this state; pay is the occupation median. Same detailed-occupation pool, two rankings.

Employment of Alaska's #1 occupations by headcount vs median wage

Same unit (published jobs) for both named leaders. BLS OEWS May 2025.

jobs

What this shows Retail Salespersons lead Alaska by employment; Emergency Medicine Physicians lead on median wage at $452,620.

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

Alaska, the picture in one line

Alaska ranks #10 of 54 states and territories by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage; its highest published occupation median is Emergency Medicine Physicians at $452,620. Published local OEWS areas include Alaska nonmetropolitan area, Anchorage, AK, Fairbanks-College, AK.

#10
of 54 states by published mean wage
$452,620
top-paying: Emergency Medicine Physicians
81st
percentile among all states
Alaska nonmetropolitan area
local OEWS: Alaska nonmetropolitan area and Anchorage, AK

The state rank uses BLS's All Occupations mean. Occupation rows below use occupation-specific medians; the two statistics are not interchangeable. Start local checks in Alaska nonmetropolitan area.

Employment scale inside Alaska's top-pay list

General and Operations Managers and Financial Managers lead Alaska's published employment inside this top-pay sample, order follows OEWS job counts, not median wage.

  1. 1. General and Operations Managers 6,020 jobs · $116,630
  2. 2. Financial Managers 2,020 jobs · $127,030
  3. 3. Managers, All Other 1,740 jobs · $127,950
  4. 4. Construction Managers 1,720 jobs · $139,190
  5. 5. Medical and Health Services Managers 1,640 jobs · $132,240
  6. 6. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers 1,350 jobs · $232,140
  7. 7. Lawyers 1,120 jobs · $149,940
  8. 8. Computer and Information Systems Managers 970 jobs · $133,490
  9. 9. Architectural and Engineering Managers 900 jobs · $164,260
  10. 10. Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary 890 jobs · $125,520
  11. 11. Dental Hygienists 790 jobs · $132,690
  12. 12. Family Medicine Physicians 760 jobs · $323,490
  13. 13. Nurse Practitioners 710 jobs · $155,170
  14. 14. Natural Sciences Managers 710 jobs · $130,590
  15. 15. Physician Assistants 700 jobs · $150,700
  16. 16. Chief Executives 640 jobs · $166,710
  17. 17. Human Resources Managers 610 jobs · $129,570
  18. 18. Massage Therapists 570 jobs · $134,930
  19. 19. Pharmacists 560 jobs · $167,310
  20. 20. Air Traffic Controllers 490 jobs · $123,950

Local BLS wage areas inside Alaska

Published local OEWS areas include Alaska nonmetropolitan area, Anchorage, AK, Fairbanks-College, AK.

Alaska nonmetropolitan area Anchorage, AK Fairbanks-College, AK

Observed statewide pay change

What changed, BLS OEWS 2024–2025

May 2024 → May 2025
  • BLS's published All Occupations median in Alaska moved from $59,400 in May 2024 to $61,000 in May 2025 (+2.7%).
  • Across the 54 states and territories priced in both releases, the median place changed +2.7%.
  • Alaska sits -0.1 pp near that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.

Registered Nurses shows the widest statewide vs national median gap in Alaska

Registered Nurses publishes $109,480 here versus $97,550 nationally (+12.2%; 7,510statewide jobs). Next is Home Health and Personal Care Aides at $39,740 locally versus $35,800 nationally (+11.0%).

  1. Registered Nurses$109,480 in Alaska sits 12.2% above the national Registered Nurses median of $97,550 (7,510 published local jobs).
  2. Home Health and Personal Care Aides$39,740 in Alaska sits 11.0% above the national Home Health and Personal Care Aides median of $35,800 (6,530 published local jobs).
  3. General and Operations Managers$116,630 in Alaska sits 10.3% above the national General and Operations Managers median of $105,770 (6,020 published local jobs).
  4. Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners$40,510 in Alaska sits 10.0% above the national Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners median of $36,840 (5,200 published local jobs).

Registered Nurses and the other occupations above are descriptive OEWS endpoints for Alaska; they are not findings about taxes, employers, or worker experience.

· Source: BLS OEWS May 2025

The Alaska OEWS table has a published median for 511 occupations. The displayed top 50 rows have summed published employment of approximately 30,080; that sum does not include the bottom table or rows whose employment is suppressed. BLS publishes means and percentile boundaries only where the corresponding estimate meets its publication standards. Averaging the medians of the top 50 highest-paying occupations gives $181,864 per year. That is only a mean of the displayed upper-tier occupation medians; it is not the BLS All Occupations mean or median and does not describe a typical worker. Published local OEWS areas include Alaska nonmetropolitan area, Anchorage, AK, Fairbanks-College, AK. Local OEWS areas in this extract include Alaska nonmetropolitan area, Anchorage, AK, Fairbanks-College, AK.

At the top of the ranking, Emergency Medicine Physicians pays a Alaska median of $452,620, the highest-paying reported occupation in the state. The number-two spot goes to Obstetricians and Gynecologists at $421,450, followed by General Internal Medicine Physicians at $366,080. At the bottom of the published range, Waiters and Waitresses has a median of $26,310, making the displayed endpoint ratio 17.2×. The endpoints do not establish a cause or career stage. WageDex has BLS occupation rows for 2 metro areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area assigned to Alaska, allowing comparisons below the statewide estimate without treating nonmetropolitan areas as MSAs.

Alaska's #10 All Occupations rank is a different statistic from Emergency Medicine Physicians's occupation median. Use the state rank for cross-state context, then open Emergency Medicine Physicians's national profile for percentile boundaries where BLS publishes them, see methodology. Published local OEWS areas include Alaska nonmetropolitan area, Anchorage, AK, Fairbanks-College, AK. Local OEWS area names are state-specific; statewide means are not metro offers.

Top-Tier Sample

75

occupations shown below

Avg. Median Salary

$181,864

top 50 occupations

Top Salary

$452,620

Emergency Medicine Physicians

Where Alaska ranks by published mean wage

BLS All Occupations annual mean vs. 54 states & territories; local OEWS includes Alaska nonmetropolitan area and Anchorage, AK, Fairbanks-College, AK

$74,720 Top 19% higher than 81% of 54 states & territories

$0–$5,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Below this entry. $55,000–$60,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Below this entry. $60,000–$65,000: 16 states & territories (30%). Below this entry. $65,000–$70,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Below this entry. $70,000–$75,000: 8 states & territories (15%). This entry sits in this band. $75,000–$80,000: 4 states & territories (7%). Above this entry. $80,000–$85,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Above this entry. $85,000–$90,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. $90,000–$95,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $95,000–$100,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $100,000–$105,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $105,000–$110,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $110,000–$115,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. This state $0 $115,000 every state & territory, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
Band Count Share
$0–$5,000 0 states & territories 0%
$5,000–$10,000 0 states & territories 0%
$10,000–$15,000 0 states & territories 0%
$15,000–$20,000 0 states & territories 0%
$20,000–$25,000 0 states & territories 0%
$25,000–$30,000 0 states & territories 0%
$30,000–$35,000 0 states & territories 0%
$35,000–$40,000 1 states & territories 2%
$40,000–$45,000 0 states & territories 0%
$45,000–$50,000 1 states & territories 2%
$50,000–$55,000 3 states & territories 6%
$55,000–$60,000 8 states & territories 15%
$60,000–$65,000 16 states & territories 30%
$65,000–$70,000 8 states & territories 15%
$70,000–$75,000 (this entry) 8 states & territories 15%
$75,000–$80,000 4 states & territories 7%
$80,000–$85,000 3 states & territories 6%
$85,000–$90,000 1 states & territories 2%
$90,000–$95,000 0 states & territories 0%
$95,000–$100,000 0 states & territories 0%
$100,000–$105,000 0 states & territories 0%
$105,000–$110,000 0 states & territories 0%
$110,000–$115,000 1 states & territories 2%

$74,720 · 81st percentile of 54 states & territories

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

Alaska ranks #10 of 54 by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage ($74,720). It is not the median wage or a prediction for a particular worker.

National-price-equivalent mean: dividing the $74,720 BLS All Occupations mean by the BEA state RPP gives $72,969. Inputs: BEA Regional Price Parity for Alaska (RPP 102.4, 2024; 100 = national average, all items, table SARPP). The division is a WageDex calculation, not an after-tax or household-income measure.

Highest-paying occupations in Alaska

Median annual wage by occupation, top 15 reported roles

median / yr
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

BLS publishes wage data for 511 distinct occupations in Alaska. The table below shows the top 50 by median annual wage. Drill into the full top-100 ranking or the fastest-growing list for deeper coverage.

Highest Paying Jobs in Alaska

View all 100 →
# Occupation Median Salary
1 Emergency Medicine Physicians $452,620
2 Obstetricians and Gynecologists $421,450
3 General Internal Medicine Physicians $366,080
4 Physicians, All Other $355,100
5 Neurologists $354,760
6 Psychiatrists $342,170
7 Nurse Anesthetists $341,210
8 Family Medicine Physicians $323,490
9 Pediatricians, General $267,390
10 Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers $232,140
11 Dentists, General $230,990
12 Petroleum Engineers $206,290
13 Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates $183,310
14 Optometrists $170,310
15 Business Teachers, Postsecondary $168,930
16 Pharmacists $167,310
17 Chief Executives $166,710
18 Architectural and Engineering Managers $164,260
19 Industrial Engineers $156,510
20 Nurse Practitioners $155,170
21 Physician Assistants $150,700
22 Lawyers $149,940
23 Engineers, All Other $142,390
24 Construction Managers $139,190
25 First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $137,320
26 Massage Therapists $134,930
27 Computer and Information Systems Managers $133,490
28 Nurse Midwives $133,430
29 Dental Hygienists $132,690
30 Medical and Health Services Managers $132,240
31 Natural Sciences Managers $130,590
32 Human Resources Managers $129,570
33 Managers, All Other $127,950
34 Financial Managers $127,030
35 Electrical Engineers $125,970
36 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $125,520
37 Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay $125,260
38 Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers $124,630
39 Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers $124,530
40 Mechanical Engineers $124,340
41 Clinical and Counseling Psychologists $124,270
42 Air Traffic Controllers $123,950
43 Materials Engineers $123,360
44 Transportation Inspectors $123,120
45 Compensation and Benefits Managers $122,490
46 Public Relations Managers $120,920
47 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists $120,610
48 Physical Scientists, All Other $120,240
49 Computer Network Architects $119,720
50 General and Operations Managers $116,630

Lowest Paying Jobs in Alaska

Occupation Median Salary
Waiters and Waitresses $26,310
Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants $26,350
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers $27,040
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop $30,210
Bartenders $30,460
Baggage Porters and Bellhops $32,150
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists $32,150
Fast Food and Counter Workers $33,280
Dishwashers $33,890
Cooks, Fast Food $33,960
School Bus Monitors $33,990
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers $34,540
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers $34,680
Animal Trainers $34,900
Food Preparation Workers $35,720
Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary $35,790
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers $36,050
Cashiers $36,130
Childcare Workers $36,200
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers $36,490
Parking Attendants $36,580
Animal Caretakers $36,640
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse $36,780
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers $37,180
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary $37,190

Fastest Growing Jobs

View all 50 →

See national growth projections alongside the published OEWS state employment estimates for each occupation in Alaska. Based on BLS employment projections 2024-2034.

Metro and Nonmetropolitan Wage Areas in Alaska

Alaska nonmetropolitan area Anchorage, AK Fairbanks-College, AK

Salary Guides

Best States for Salaries

Which states pay the most and why

Salary vs. Cost of Living

Compare local wage and price-level benchmarks

Fastest Growing Occupations

Where the job growth is heading

Nationwide states with similar All Occupations pay or employment scale

Two BLS OEWS peer sets outside Alaska. Local metro cards below stay inside this state; these neighborhoods are cross-state nearest neighbors on published All Occupations mean wage ($74,720 here) and reported employment (325,570 jobs here).

Similar mean wage

Nearest other states by BLS All Occupations annual mean wage.

Similar employment scale

Nearest headcount peers (floor 250,000 All Occupations jobs), distinct from the mean-wage column.

Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS All Occupations mean annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude states already listed in the mean-wage column so the two link sets stay distinct.

Local OEWS areas and related Alaska pages

Published local OEWS areas include Alaska nonmetropolitan area, Anchorage, AK, Fairbanks-College, AK.

Alaska nonmetropolitan area

Local OEWS wage area

Anchorage, AK

Local OEWS wage area

Fairbanks-College, AK

Local OEWS wage area

Highest Paying in Alaska

Top 100 by median salary

Fastest Growing in Alaska

Projected 2024-2034 growth

Emergency Medicine Physicians

National occupation profile

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average of the top 50 occupation medians in Alaska? ▼
The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians is $181,864/year (BLS OEWS May 2025). It is not the statewide mean or median and does not describe the wage of a typical worker.
What is the average salary in Alaska? ▼
BLS publishes an All Occupations annual mean wage of $74,720/year for Alaska in the May 2025 OEWS release, which ranks 10th among the 54 states and territories with a published mean. Published local OEWS areas include Alaska nonmetropolitan area, Anchorage, AK, Fairbanks-College, AK. This is an occupational wage estimate, not a household-income statistic or a prediction for one worker.
What is the highest paying job in Alaska? ▼
The highest paying occupation in Alaska is Emergency Medicine Physicians with a median salary of $452,620/year according to BLS data. The second highest is Obstetricians and Gynecologists at $421,450/year.
What jobs pay the least in Alaska? ▼
The lowest published occupation median in this Alaska ranking is Waiters and Waitresses at $26,310/year. The table does not classify that occupation as entry-level or explain why its median is lowest.
How many local BLS wage areas are shown for Alaska? ▼
WageDex has occupation-level wage rows for 2 metro areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area assigned to Alaska. Published local OEWS areas include Alaska nonmetropolitan area, Anchorage, AK, Fairbanks-College, AK. Nonmetropolitan reporting areas are not MSAs. Compare the same occupation and statistic across areas; published coverage can differ by occupation and geography.
How many occupations are shown for Alaska? ▼
BLS publishes wage data for 511 distinct occupations in Alaska. The 50 occupations in the displayed upper tier have a combined OEWS employment estimate of approximately 30,080 jobs in covered establishments.

Federal sources behind Alaska wages

BLS OEWS state wage tables → BLS QCEW state series → BLS LAUS unemployment → BEA personal income by state →

What to do with this data

How to use Alaska wage data in a real decision

  • Alaska ranks #10 of 54 by All Occupations mean; that state rank is not interchangeable with Emergency Medicine Physicians's occupation median of $452,620. Compare states
  • Inside Alaska, re-check Emergency Medicine Physicians in Alaska nonmetropolitan area, Anchorage, AK, Fairbanks-College, AK before treating the statewide median as a metro offer. Alaska nonmetropolitan area
  • Open Emergency Medicine Physicians for percentile bands and local-area rows; Alaska's statewide median of $452,620 uses a different geography than any single metro estimate. Emergency Medicine Physicians
  • The published Alaska range runs from Waiters and Waitresses at $26,310 to Emergency Medicine Physicians at $452,620; an offer still depends on the exact role and employer. Salary calculator

BLS OEWS estimates reflect the May 2025 reference period and exclude self-employed workers; some small occupation-area cells are suppressed.

Last updated: May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

State-level employment totals and local-area breakouts from BLS OEWS State and Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, May 2025. Local areas can be metropolitan or nonmetropolitan.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. State wage figures are computed directly from BLS OEWS state-level data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Statewide figures are estimates and may not reflect pay in your specific local wage area or employer.