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What does a Chefs and Head Cooks 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 Chefs and Head Cooks earning $52,190 in Alaska has the equivalent purchasing power of $51,166 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) | $39,170 | $38,401 | $-768 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $41,390 | $40,578 | $-811 |
| Median (P50) | $52,190 | $51,166 | $-1,023 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $73,120 | $71,686 | $-1,433 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $91,520 | $89,725 | $-1,794 |
Alaska's cost of living is close to the national average, so $52,190 keeps most of its value at $51,166 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 Chefs and Head Cooks 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, $52,190 nominal nets out to $51,167 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 Chefs and Head Cooks.
Alaska ranks #50 of 51 — bottom quartile for Chefs and Head Cooks real purchasing power. Relocation, employer negotiation, or remote roles at higher-paying markets tend to generate the biggest ROI.
Where does Chefs and Head Cooks salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Alaska ranks #50 out of 51 states for Chefs and Head Cooks after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Chefs and Head Cooks take-home pay in Alaska after taxes →
A Chefs and Head Cooks in Alaska earns a median salary of $52,190 per year. After adjusting for Alaska's cost of living (RPP=102.0), the real purchasing power is $51,166 — 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 Chefs and Head Cooks in Alaska: $52,190 x (100 / 102.0) = $51,166. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
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