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What does a Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas 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 Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas earning $85,470 in Alaska has the equivalent purchasing power of $83,794 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) | $64,540 | $63,274 | $-1,265 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $77,640 | $76,117 | $-1,522 |
| Median (P50) | $85,470 | $83,794 | $-1,675 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $107,870 | $105,754 | $-2,115 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $115,270 | $113,009 | $-2,260 |
Alaska's cost of living is close to the national average, so $85,470 keeps most of its value at $83,794 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 Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas 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, $85,470 nominal nets out to $83,794 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 Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas.
Ranked on COL-adjusted median pay for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas, Alaska places #3 of 26 states — top quartile. Either nominal wages run high, cost of living runs low, or both.
Where does Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Alaska ranks #3 out of 26 states for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas take-home pay in Alaska after taxes →
A Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas in Alaska earns a median salary of $85,470 per year. After adjusting for Alaska's cost of living (RPP=102.0), the real purchasing power is $83,794 — 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 Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas in Alaska: $85,470 x (100 / 102.0) = $83,794. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
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