Jobs, pay and daily life in Anchorage, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 09/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Anchorage is a city in Alaska with 288,976 residents. The median household earns $103,284 a year and the median rent is $1,489 a month, which is 17.3% of the median household income. It is part of the Anchorage, AK metropolitan area, where BLS counts 177,050 jobs.
How Anchorage compares. Among the 30 largest places in Alaska, Anchorage is #1 by population, #5 for college degrees (#1 = most), #21 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #10 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Anchorage Municipality, is #7 of 30 counties for average pay ($74,666).
Anchorage has 288,976 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 39.3% of the population of Alaska. It covers 1707 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 169 people per square mile. The median age is 35.2, about the same as the state median (35.2 against 35.8).
The median gross rent is $1,489 a month (rent plus utilities), 5% above the state median ($1,489 against $1,419). Over a year that is 17.3% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $395,900, which is 3.8 times the median household income ($103,284); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 63.9% of households own their home, 4% below the state average (63.9% against 66.8%).
The Anchorage, AK metropolitan area has 177,050 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $60,200 a year, 18% above the national median ($60,200 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (21,740 jobs, median $51,330); transportation and material moving (17,980 jobs, median $49,240); food preparation and serving related (16,180 jobs, median $35,490). The area is most specialised in construction and extraction (1.4 times) and installation, maintenance, and repair (1.3 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($124,600) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($104,640). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Anchorage Municipality was 3.4%. 65.1% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Anchorage Municipality; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 69.9% drive alone, 1.4% use public transit, 2.6% walk, 10.9% work from home. 5.1% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 40% below the state average (5.1% against 8.4%).
38.6% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 22% above the state share (38.6% against 31.7%). 10.9% of residents were born outside the United States, 41% above the state share (10.9% against 7.7%). The poverty rate is 8.9%, 12% below the state rate (8.9% against 10.1%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 53°F (11.6°C), and the coolest is Jan at 15°F (-9.6°C). About 1,190 mm (47 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Sep is the wettest month (161 mm) and Mar the driest (64 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Knik-Fairview (26 miles, rent 7% higher); Butte (27 miles, rent 8% higher); Gateway (27 miles, rent 17% higher); South Lakes (29 miles, rent 21% lower). Rent differences are against Anchorage; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Alaska (319) →State guide: AlaskaCountry guideAnchorage MunicipalityAlaska rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 319 federal postings open in Alaska (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 4,990 | 1.30 | $115,290 | $85,840 | $155,150 | +18% |
| Retail Salespersons | 4,710 | 1.06 | $37,520 | $30,890 | $51,200 | +6% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 4,440 | 0.91 | $39,140 | $29,660 | $45,310 | +9% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 4,070 | 1.26 | $40,310 | $35,720 | $55,230 | +8% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 3,600 | 0.82 | $33,280 | $24,810 | $45,070 | +7% |
| General and Operations Managers | 3,290 | 0.82 | $120,030 | $65,050 | $223,230 | +13% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 3,070 | 1.88 | $68,620 | $47,990 | $98,550 | -1% |
| Cashiers | 2,890 | 0.82 | $36,350 | $31,600 | $47,770 | +11% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 2,780 | 1.10 | $40,510 | $28,160 | $51,830 | +10% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 2,620 | 0.78 | $44,510 | $37,240 | $75,070 | +11% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 2,560 | 1.32 | $48,150 | $35,250 | $64,480 | +1% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 2,340 | 0.90 | $26,080 | $24,770 | $65,840 | -26% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 2,300 | 1.47 | $54,100 | $38,910 | $75,290 | +7% |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,920 | 0.69 | $53,550 | $38,390 | $72,820 | +19% |
| Construction Laborers | 1,860 | 1.49 | $56,160 | $42,680 | $83,530 | +19% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,720 | 1.09 | $79,270 | $62,750 | $97,090 | +24% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,680 | 0.96 | $57,390 | $37,190 | $83,270 | +16% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 1,680 | 1.32 | $57,310 | $38,730 | $78,560 | +18% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 1,680 | 1.53 | $47,080 | $36,240 | $59,270 | +3% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,620 | 0.69 | $66,190 | $48,650 | $88,880 | +13% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 1,270 | 10.80 | $232,240 | $59,130 | $369,150 | +0% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 590 | 2.35 | $161,800 | $113,790 | $236,490 | -6% |
| Lawyers | 780 | 0.91 | $153,590 | $89,910 | $336,190 | -4% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 550 | 0.72 | $137,990 | $92,960 | $201,870 | -21% |
| Construction Managers | 900 | 2.08 | $137,980 | $96,310 | $228,330 | +20% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 900 | 1.33 | $133,620 | $81,630 | $308,170 | +8% |
| Managers, All Other | 1,000 | 1.41 | $132,210 | $76,510 | $195,190 | -7% |
| Financial Managers | 1,200 | 1.26 | $129,220 | $85,780 | $209,590 | -22% |
| General and Operations Managers | 3,290 | 0.82 | $120,030 | $65,050 | $223,230 | +13% |
| Registered Nurses | 4,990 | 1.30 | $115,290 | $85,840 | $155,150 | +18% |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | 570 | 0.75 | $115,020 | $80,240 | $132,370 | +51% |
| Civil Engineers | 1,110 | 2.66 | $112,740 | $78,940 | $159,320 | +12% |
| Sales Managers | 530 | 0.74 | $100,940 | $70,190 | $174,570 | -32% |
| Commercial Pilots | 590 | 10.94 | $99,920 | $58,570 | $163,530 | -19% |
| Project Management Specialists | 1,270 | 1.04 | $99,580 | $51,360 | $160,730 | -3% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | 1,370 | 1.95 | $97,830 | $59,700 | $135,180 | +23% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | 1,230 | 1.33 | $96,000 | $61,360 | $130,690 | +20% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 1,200 | 0.97 | $94,740 | $65,890 | $135,030 | +14% |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 640 | 1.21 | $93,600 | $53,730 | $116,790 | +47% |
| Buyers and Purchasing Agents | 510 | 0.92 | $86,380 | $61,290 | $134,640 | +11% |
These figures are for the whole Anchorage, AK metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $60,200 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.6% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 25.6% |
| Public administration | 10.9% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 10.5% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 10.5% |
| Retail trade | 9.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 9.1% |
| Construction | 5.6% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.1% |
| Other services | 4.6% |
| Manufacturing | 2.4% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 2.4% |
| Information | 1.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.7% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Anchorage lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage Municipality | 288,976 | $32,113 million | $111,128 | 147,256 | 8,829 | $74,666 | +1.7% | 3.4% | 148,471 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 25,930 | 21.5% | $72,291 | 1.23 |
| Retail trade | 15,177 | 12.6% | $44,303 | 1.03 |
| Accommodation and food services | 14,231 | 11.8% | $34,358 | 1.06 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 12,644 | 10.5% | $98,578 | 2.03 |
| Professional and technical services | 8,964 | 7.4% | $98,683 | 0.88 |
| Construction | 8,371 | 6.9% | $104,369 | 1.08 |
| Administrative and waste services | 6,686 | 5.5% | $57,837 | 0.77 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 4,991 | 4.1% | $54,753 | 1.13 |
| Wholesale trade | 4,711 | 3.9% | $74,915 | 0.81 |
| Finance and insurance | 3,770 | 3.1% | $93,121 | 0.63 |
| Information | 2,569 | 2.1% | $96,182 | 0.93 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 2,487 | 2.1% | $29,728 | 1.00 |
| Real estate and rental | 2,317 | 1.9% | $59,229 | 1.01 |
| Management of companies | 1,978 | 1.6% | $120,850 | 0.80 |
| Manufacturing | 1,877 | 1.6% | $58,396 | 0.16 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 1,704 | 1.4% | $249,489 | 3.06 |
| Educational services | 1,298 | 1.1% | $46,582 | 0.43 |
| Utilities | 863 | 0.7% | $129,662 | 1.54 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 278 | 0.2% | $37,759 | 0.23 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 69.9% |
| Public transit | 1.4% |
| Walk | 2.6% |
| Work from home | 10.9% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 5.1% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $103,284 |
| Income per person | $51,144 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,489 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 17.3% |
| Median home value | $395,900 |
| Homeowners | 63.9% |
| Poverty rate | 8.9% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 105.4 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $60,200 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: No state tax on wages.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 35.2 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 94.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 38.6% |
| Born abroad | 10.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 65.1% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -9.6 | 15 | 80 |
| Feb | -8.2 | 17 | 76 |
| Mar | -7.5 | 18 | 64 |
| Apr | -2.0 | 28 | 64 |
| May | 3.9 | 39 | 69 |
| Jun | 8.8 | 48 | 83 |
| Jul | 11.6 | 53 | 113 |
| Aug | 10.5 | 51 | 150 |
| Sep | 6.0 | 43 | 161 |
| Oct | -0.2 | 32 | 126 |
| Nov | -7.3 | 19 | 104 |
| Dec | -8.4 | 17 | 100 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knik-Fairview | AK | 26 mi | 19,972 | $96,437 | $1,588 |
| Butte | AK | 27 mi | 4,085 | $101,042 | $1,610 |
| Gateway | AK | 27 mi | 6,845 | $137,772 | $1,741 |
| South Lakes | AK | 29 mi | 6,180 | $98,141 | $1,178 |
| Wasilla | AK | 29 mi | 9,720 | $67,234 | $1,153 |
| Palmer | AK | 30 mi | 6,268 | $72,201 | $1,125 |
| North Lakes | AK | 31 mi | 10,223 | $101,679 | $1,441 |
| Tanaina | AK | 34 mi | 9,646 | $105,536 | $1,398 |
| Meadow Lakes | AK | 34 mi | 8,689 | $81,699 | $1,377 |
| Fishhook | AK | 38 mi | 5,819 | $111,375 | $1,837 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
288,976 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,489 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 17.3% of the median household income.
$103,284 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.4% (BLS county, Anchorage Municipality (latest month 2026M09)).
Alaska. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.