Home / Wages / Anchorage Anchorage salaries The median worker in the Anchorage, AK metro area earned $59,060 a year in 2024, about $28.39 an hour. That ranks #17 of the 391 metro areas published here, 19.3% above the national median.
Alaska
Median pay $59,060 $28.39 per hour
Vs national +19.3% U.S. $49,500
Workers 174,740 wage and salary
Metro rank #17 of 391 by median pay
What this labour market looks like Anchorage pays 0.6% less than Alaska as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.
Unusually concentrated here Occupations against their national share, 2024 Occupation Concentration Employed Median Commercial Pilots 22.74× 1,340 $111,070 Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers 13.67× 1,540 $226,490 Tour and Travel Guides 11.28× 630 $44,790 Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians 6.14× 950 $85,840 Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers 3.45× 600 $98,850 Medical Records Specialists 3.37× 720 $59,120 Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines 3.2× 650 $76,970 Cooks, Fast Food 2.65× 2,010 $35,820 Civil Engineers 2.59× 1,040 $105,830 Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers 2.45× 590 $111,140 Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers 2.29× 500 $44,410 Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators 2.19× 1,160 $73,940
Best paid occupations Highest median pay in Anchorage Occupation Median Hourly Employed Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers $226,490 n/a 1,540 Petroleum Engineers $205,380 $98.74 220 Chief Executives $170,710 $82.07 470 Pharmacists $163,200 $78.46 310 Architectural and Engineering Managers $159,450 $76.66 490 Air Traffic Controllers $157,160 $75.56 280 Nurse Practitioners $145,140 $69.78 350 Physician Assistants $136,960 $65.85 460 Construction Managers $136,400 $65.58 780 Computer and Information Systems Managers $131,250 $63.10 490 Natural Sciences Managers $130,740 $62.86 370 Mechanical Engineers $129,990 $62.49 400 Dental Hygienists $129,780 $62.39 460 Lawyers $128,530 $61.80 720 Managers, All Other $128,290 $61.68 1,000 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $127,630 n/a 350 Financial Managers $125,360 $60.27 1,210 Human Resources Managers $123,870 $59.55 270 Medical and Health Services Managers $122,780 $59.03 790 General and Operations Managers $121,930 $58.62 3,330 Software Developers $117,100 $56.30 240 Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $111,140 $53.43 590 Commercial Pilots $111,070 n/a 1,340 Registered Nurses $110,690 $53.22 4,570 Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $110,180 $52.97 570 Physical Therapists $108,640 $52.23 390 Facilities Managers $107,150 $51.52 380 Civil Engineers $105,830 $50.88 1,040 Electrical Engineers $105,570 $50.75 290 Management Analysts $104,770 $50.37 250 Project Management Specialists $104,040 $50.02 1,020 Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers $103,970 $49.98 210 Computer Occupations, All Other $102,230 $49.15 500 Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $101,900 $48.99 250 Administrative Services Managers $100,840 $48.48 420 Speech-Language Pathologists $100,180 $48.17 210 Occupational Therapists $100,120 $48.14 230 Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers $98,850 $47.52 600 Biological Scientists, All Other $98,220 $47.22 210 Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers $98,170 $47.20 270 Sales Managers $98,040 $47.14 570 First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $97,820 $47.03 1,410 First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $97,360 $46.81 1,080 Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers $96,610 $46.45 410 Logisticians $93,080 $44.75 250 Network and Computer Systems Administrators $91,200 $43.85 370 Business Operations Specialists, All Other $90,780 $43.65 1,280 Computer Programmers $90,260 $43.40 300 Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $86,630 $41.65 370 Computer Systems Analysts $85,970 $41.33 280 Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians $85,840 $41.27 950 Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other $85,380 $41.05 220 Social and Community Service Managers $84,140 $40.45 430 Compliance Officers $84,020 $40.39 460 Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters $84,020 $40.39 460 Food Service Managers $83,180 $39.99 300 Radiologic Technologists and Technicians $82,120 $39.48 220 Accountants and Auditors $81,680 $39.27 1,360 Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $80,110 $38.52 330 First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers $80,040 $38.48 300
Where most people work Largest occupations in Anchorage by employment Occupation Employed Median Hourly Retail Salespersons 4,700 $36,980 $17.78 Registered Nurses 4,570 $110,690 $53.22 Home Health and Personal Care Aides 4,280 $37,700 $18.13 Stockers and Order Fillers 4,010 $39,590 $19.04 General and Operations Managers 3,330 $121,930 $58.62 Fast Food and Counter Workers 3,040 $34,860 $16.76 First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 2,990 $67,580 $32.49 Cashiers 2,790 $36,110 $17.36 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 2,690 $38,810 $18.66 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 2,660 $44,630 $21.46 Office Clerks, General 2,560 $51,400 $24.71 Waiters and Waitresses 2,390 $29,280 $14.08 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 2,260 $54,070 $25.99 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 2,180 $44,360 $21.33 Cooks, Fast Food 2,010 $35,820 $17.22 Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 1,720 $76,290 n/a Customer Service Representatives 1,680 $43,490 $20.91 Medical Assistants 1,580 $52,520 $25.25 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers 1,570 $52,270 $25.13 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 1,570 $53,560 $25.75
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.
Anchorage pay: common questions What is the average salary in Anchorage? The median across all occupations is $59,060 , or $28.39 an hour, covering 174,740 wage and salary workers. The mean is $73,940, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.
Does Anchorage pay more than the rest of Alaska? No. The metro median of $59,060 is 0.6% below the Alaska median of $59,400. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.
Which jobs pay best in Anchorage? Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers ($226,490), Petroleum Engineers ($205,380), Chief Executives ($170,710). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.
What is Anchorage unusually full of? Commercial Pilots, at 22.74× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.