Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
What does a Carpenters salary really buy you in Alaska?
Alaska is 2.0% pricier than the US averageData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
Alaska's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 102.0, meaning prices are 2.0% higher the national average. A Carpenters earning $73,860 in Alaska has the equivalent purchasing power of $72,411 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Alaska's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $49,060 | $48,098 | $-961 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $59,770 | $58,598 | $-1,171 |
| Median (P50) | $73,860 | $72,411 | $-1,448 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $94,150 | $92,303 | $-1,846 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $151,530 | $148,558 | $-2,971 |
Alaska's cost of living is close to the national average, so $73,860 keeps most of its value at $72,411 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
With an RPP of 102.0, Alaska is within a few percent of the national cost-of-living baseline. Salary adjustment for Carpenters is therefore minor — what you earn is close to what you'd keep in real purchasing power.
After adjusting for Alaska's cost of living, $73,860 nominal nets out to $72,412 in real purchasing power — a small 2.0% loss. The state's cost profile is close enough to average that COL alone shouldn't drive location decisions for this Carpenters.
Ranked on COL-adjusted median pay for Carpenters, Alaska places #3 of 51 states — top quartile. Either nominal wages run high, cost of living runs low, or both.
Where does Carpenters salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Alaska ranks #3 out of 51 states for Carpenters after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Carpenters take-home pay in Alaska after taxes →
A Carpenters in Alaska earns a median salary of $73,860 per year. After adjusting for Alaska's cost of living (RPP=102.0), the real purchasing power is $72,411 — a -2.0% difference.
Alaska's cost of living is 2.0% higher than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Alaska is 102.0 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Carpenters in Alaska: $73,860 x (100 / 102.0) = $72,411. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
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