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What does a Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors 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 Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors earning $80,770 in Alaska has the equivalent purchasing power of $79,186 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) | $58,240 | $57,098 | $-1,141 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $65,710 | $64,421 | $-1,288 |
| Median (P50) | $80,770 | $79,186 | $-1,583 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $97,960 | $96,039 | $-1,920 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $114,650 | $112,401 | $-2,248 |
Alaska's cost of living is close to the national average, so $80,770 keeps most of its value at $79,186 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 Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors 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, $80,770 nominal nets out to $79,186 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 Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors.
Ranked on COL-adjusted median pay for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, Alaska places #2 of 51 states — top quartile. Either nominal wages run high, cost of living runs low, or both.
Where does Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Alaska ranks #2 out of 51 states for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors take-home pay in Alaska after taxes →
A Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors in Alaska earns a median salary of $80,770 per year. After adjusting for Alaska's cost of living (RPP=102.0), the real purchasing power is $79,186 — 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 Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors in Alaska: $80,770 x (100 / 102.0) = $79,186. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
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