Average Salaries in Anchorage, AK
Explore salaries across 429 occupations in Anchorage, AK. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $79.1K, +20.3% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 429 occupations and 169,830 total jobs in Anchorage, AK.
How the metro compares
Anchorage, AK is one of the higher-paying metros in the country. Average wages here run meaningfully above the national level, though local cost of living often offsets some of that premium.
Anchorage, AK is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Emergency Medicine Physicians. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Anchorage, AK
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in Anchorage, AK
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $472.1K | 70 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $366.7K | 80 |
| Neurologists | $354.8K | N/A |
| Physicians, All Other | $353.9K | 170 |
| Psychiatrists | $342.2K | 40 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $299.3K | 250 |
| Pediatricians, General | $251.8K | 50 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, And Flight Engineers | $232.2K | 1,270 |
| Dentists, General | $228K | 180 |
| Petroleum Engineers | $212.2K | 200 |
Largest occupations in Anchorage, AK
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 4,990 | $115.3K |
| Retail Salespersons | 4,710 | $37.5K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 4,440 | $39.1K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 4,070 | $40.3K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 3,600 | $33.3K |
| General And Operations Managers | 3,290 | $120K |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Office And Administrative Support Workers | 3,070 | $68.6K |
| Cashiers | 2,890 | $36.4K |
| Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners | 2,780 | $40.5K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 2,620 | $44.5K |
What Anchorage, AK specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Anchorage, AK than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Anchorage, AK
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Pile Driver Operators | 29.46 | $89.9K |
| Atmospheric And Space Scientists | 22.57 | $101.6K |
| Desktop Publishers | 17.02 | $35.7K |
| Gambling Service Workers, All Other | 12.92 | $38K |
| Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors | 11.65 | $58.2K |
| Mining And Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers | 11.22 | $141.1K |
| Commercial Pilots | 10.94 | $99.9K |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, And Flight Engineers | 10.80 | $232.2K |
| Air Traffic Controllers | 10.73 | $161K |
| Tour And Travel Guides | 10.19 | $44.4K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Anchorage, AK
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.