In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Alaska earned $34.92 an hour against $32.00 in the private sector, a gap of +9%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $64.47 against $75.21 privately (-14%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
Sample sizes by occupation in Alaska are small; read the domain rows as indicative.
Public vs private pay in Alaska by occupation, 2023
| Occupation domain | Government median $/hr | Private median $/hr | Gap at median | Government 90th pct | Private 90th pct | Gap at 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All occupations | $34.92 | $32.00 | +9% | $64.47 | $75.21 | -14% |
| Admin and clerical * | $24.83 | $24.61 | +1% | $48.64 | $42.60 | +14% |
| Education * | $33.24 | $24.82 | +34% | $48.31 | $51.04 | -5% |
| Engineering * | $60.80 | $80.59 | -25% | $83.91 | $105.39 | -20% |
| Finance * | $39.79 | $40.83 | -3% | $66.39 | $78.98 | -16% |
| Healthcare * | $53.72 | $44.42 | +21% | $88.14 | $86.17 | +2% |
| Legal * | $58.54 | $49.43 | +18% | $82.85 | $171.56 | -52% |
| Management * | $50.14 | $44.05 | +14% | $88.79 | $85.89 | +3% |
| Protective service * | $40.84 | $10.66 | +283% | $69.84 | $26.38 | +165% |
| Skilled trades * | $32.23 | $37.61 | -14% | $53.15 | $71.39 | -26% |
| Software and IT * | $34.76 | $45.71 | -24% | $53.43 | $86.72 | -38% |
How to read this
Raw medians compare different people: government employs more teachers, nurses, and degree-holders than the private sector does. The parent piece adjusts for education and experience nationally (federal pay 7% above comparable private workers, state pay 17% below, local pay 17% below) and shows the gap opening at the top of the ladder, where private pay in software, law, finance, and engineering has pulled away. This state table is the unadjusted view; the methodology appendix explains both.