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What does a Economists 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 Economists earning $111,040 in Alaska has the equivalent purchasing power of $108,862 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) | $80,110 | $78,539 | $-1,570 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $90,530 | $88,754 | $-1,775 |
| Median (P50) | $111,040 | $108,862 | $-2,177 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $141,090 | $138,323 | $-2,766 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $141,270 | $138,500 | $-2,770 |
Alaska's cost of living is close to the national average, so $111,040 keeps most of its value at $108,862 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 Economists 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, $111,040 nominal nets out to $108,863 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 Economists.
Alaska's rank of #21 of 40 states means real purchasing power for Economists trails the national half-way line.
Where does Economists salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Alaska ranks #21 out of 40 states for Economists after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Economists take-home pay in Alaska after taxes →
A Economists in Alaska earns a median salary of $111,040 per year. After adjusting for Alaska's cost of living (RPP=102.0), the real purchasing power is $108,862 — 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 Economists in Alaska: $111,040 x (100 / 102.0) = $108,862. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
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