How much does an RN make in Alaska?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $110,690 for RNs in Alaska as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $90,510 and the 75th-percentile is $130,010.

What does the top of the RN pay scale look like in Alaska?

The 90th percentile lands at $137,400. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $130,010.

Where does Alaska rank for RN pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, Alaska ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.

How wide is the wage spread in Alaska?

P10 to P90 spans $82,400 to $137,400. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

Is Alaska a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for RNs?

No — Alaska's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.

Is Alaska an NLC compact state for RN licensure?

No — Alaska is not an NLC compact member as of the most recent NCSBN list. RNs moving to Alaska need to apply for a Alaska-issued license through endorsement; an NLC multistate license alone is not sufficient.

Travel RN vs staff RN in Alaska — which earns more on a real basis?

Travel RN gross weekly is usually higher, but the real comparison nets out housing stipends (which are tax-advantaged but state-dependent), per-diem premiums, and the lack of staff-side benefits and pension accrual. In Alaska, the real-wage gap is narrower than the headline contract numbers suggest.

How Much Do Registered Nurses Make in Alaska? $111K (2026 BLS + BEA)

TL;DR

Alaska pays RNs a BLS median of $110,690 — the more useful number is $107,157, what that paycheck buys after rent and services.
BLS percentile breakdown: P10 $82,400 · P25 $90,510 · P75 $130,010 · P90 $137,400.
Mid-band cost of living: real and nominal wage are within a few percent of each other.
On a real-wage basis, this state sits at #4 of 51; nominal rank is #5.
Alaska is not in the NLC compact; RNs need a state-specific license here, no multistate shortcut.

Wage breakdown — Alaska

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$82,400	$79,770
P25 (lower quartile)	$90,510	$87,621
P50 (median)	$110,690	$107,157
P75 (upper quartile)	$130,010	$125,860
P90 (top tier)	$137,400	$133,015
Mean	$112,040	$108,464
Employment	7,040 RNs in Alaska

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Alaska index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	103.3
Goods	103.7
Services	113.3
Rents	96.7

Alaska's overall RPP (103.3) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.

After-tax take-home — Alaska (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (RN)	$110,690	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$15,599	14.1% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	$0	no state income tax
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$8,468	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$86,623	78.3% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$83,859	÷ (103.3 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Alaska state-tax burden means for RN take-home

Alaska levies no state income tax on wages, which is worth roughly $5,535 a year for a RN at the BLS median compared with the national-average state burden (≈5%). After cost of living, real take-home is $83,859 — lower than the nominal after-tax figure because RPP exceeds 100.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $93,600 for RNs with mean pay of $98,430 and total employment of 3,282,010. Alaska sits at #5 on nominal pay and #4 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Alaska climbs 1 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Licensure — Alaska (NLC)

Alaska is not currently a NLC member. RNs moving to Alaska must apply for a Alaska-issued license through endorsement; a multistate license from a Compact state alone is not sufficient. Endorsement timelines and fees are set by the Alaska Board of Nursing.

Legislative status (2026-05): No active legislation.

Source: NCSBN compact implementation tracker — re-synced quarterly. See NLC reciprocity hub for the cross-state matrix and changelog for status changes.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an RN make in Alaska?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $110,690 for RNs in Alaska as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $90,510 and the 75th-percentile is $130,010.
What does the top of the RN pay scale look like in Alaska?: The 90th percentile lands at $137,400. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $130,010.
Where does Alaska rank for RN pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, Alaska ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.
How wide is the wage spread in Alaska?: P10 to P90 spans $82,400 to $137,400. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
Is Alaska a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for RNs?: No — Alaska's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.
Is Alaska an NLC compact state for RN licensure?: No — Alaska is not an NLC compact member as of the most recent NCSBN list. RNs moving to Alaska need to apply for a Alaska-issued license through endorsement; an NLC multistate license alone is not sufficient.
Travel RN vs staff RN in Alaska — which earns more on a real basis?: Travel RN gross weekly is usually higher, but the real comparison nets out housing stipends (which are tax-advantaged but state-dependent), per-diem premiums, and the lack of staff-side benefits and pension accrual. In Alaska, the real-wage gap is narrower than the headline contract numbers suggest.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 29-1141, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-05.

Cross-comparison: see how Alaska RN pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.