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What does a Conservation Scientists 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 Conservation Scientists earning $79,260 in Alaska has the equivalent purchasing power of $77,705 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) | $53,830 | $52,774 | $-1,055 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $66,080 | $64,784 | $-1,295 |
| Median (P50) | $79,260 | $77,705 | $-1,554 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $103,110 | $101,088 | $-2,021 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $135,120 | $132,470 | $-2,649 |
Alaska's cost of living is close to the national average, so $79,260 keeps most of its value at $77,705 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 Conservation Scientists 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, $79,260 nominal nets out to $77,706 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 Conservation Scientists.
Alaska sits at #20 of 51 states for Conservation Scientists COL-adjusted salary — comfortably above the national midpoint.
Where does Conservation Scientists salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Alaska ranks #20 out of 51 states for Conservation Scientists after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Conservation Scientists take-home pay in Alaska after taxes →
A Conservation Scientists in Alaska earns a median salary of $79,260 per year. After adjusting for Alaska's cost of living (RPP=102.0), the real purchasing power is $77,705 — 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 Conservation Scientists in Alaska: $79,260 x (100 / 102.0) = $77,705. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
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