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What does a Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators 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 Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators earning $60,160 in Alaska has the equivalent purchasing power of $58,980 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) | $35,200 | $34,509 | $-690 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $46,800 | $45,882 | $-917 |
| Median (P50) | $60,160 | $58,980 | $-1,179 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $83,700 | $82,058 | $-1,641 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $99,840 | $97,882 | $-1,957 |
Alaska's cost of living is close to the national average, so $60,160 keeps most of its value at $58,980 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 Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators 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, $60,160 nominal nets out to $58,980 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 Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators.
Alaska's rank of #30 of 50 states means real purchasing power for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators trails the national half-way line.
Where does Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Alaska ranks #30 out of 50 states for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators take-home pay in Alaska after taxes →
A Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators in Alaska earns a median salary of $60,160 per year. After adjusting for Alaska's cost of living (RPP=102.0), the real purchasing power is $58,980 — 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 Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators in Alaska: $60,160 x (100 / 102.0) = $58,980. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
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