What does a Petroleum Engineers salary really buy you in Alaska?
Alaska is 2.0% pricier than the US averageData: BLS OEWS 2024 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-03-31
Alaska's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 102.0, meaning prices are 2.0% higher the national average. A Petroleum Engineers earning $200,750 in Alaska has the equivalent purchasing power of $196,813 in an average-cost US state.
Alaska's cost of living is close to the national average, so $200,750 keeps most of its value at $196,813 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
Where does Petroleum Engineers salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Alaska ranks #1 out of 23 states for Petroleum Engineers after cost-of-living adjustment.
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A Petroleum Engineers in Alaska earns a median salary of $200,750 per year. After adjusting for Alaska's cost of living (RPP=102.0), the real purchasing power is $196,813 — 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 Petroleum Engineers in Alaska: $200,750 x (100 / 102.0) = $196,813. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.