Alaska

Living wage in Anchorage, Alaska

Most of Anchorage is in Anchorage Municipality, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $35.74 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.

Pay needed, before taxes$35.74/hrAnchorage Municipality standard
At Anchorage's middle rent$32.89/hrstudio rent $1,100 a month
Check a job's pay hereAll the numbers for Anchorage Municipality

Across the 24 ZIP codes in Anchorage with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $760 to $1,520 a month. At the middle rent, $1,100, a full-time job would need to pay $32.89 an hour before taxes.

Parts of Anchorage are also in Lake and Peninsula Borough.

ZIP codes in Anchorage

What the standard would be at each ZIP code's own studio rent. The calculator and the official standard use the county figure.

ZIPCountyStudio rentPay needed
99501Anchorage Municipality$1,060/mo$31.65/hr
99502Anchorage Municipality$1,200/mo$36.27/hr
99503Anchorage Municipality$1,520/mo$47.64/hr
99504Anchorage Municipality$1,150/mo$34.49/hr
99507Anchorage Municipality$1,170/mo$35.20/hr
99508Anchorage Municipality$1,080/mo$32.27/hr
99509Anchorage Municipality$1,100/mo$32.89/hr
99510Anchorage Municipality$1,100/mo$32.89/hr
99511Anchorage Municipality$1,100/mo$32.89/hr
99513Anchorage Municipality$1,100/mo$32.89/hr
99514Anchorage Municipality$1,100/mo$32.89/hr
99515Anchorage Municipality$1,280/mo$39.11/hr
99516Anchorage Municipality$1,330/mo$40.89/hr
99517Anchorage Municipality$1,040/mo$31.02/hr
99518Anchorage Municipality$1,220/mo$36.98/hr
99519Anchorage Municipality$1,080/mo$32.27/hr
99520Anchorage Municipality$1,100/mo$32.89/hr
99521Anchorage Municipality$1,100/mo$32.89/hr
99522Anchorage Municipality$1,100/mo$32.89/hr
99523Anchorage Municipality$1,100/mo$32.89/hr
99524Anchorage Municipality$1,100/mo$32.89/hr
99530Anchorage Municipality$1,100/mo$32.89/hr
99599Anchorage Municipality$1,100/mo$32.89/hr
99695Lake and Peninsula Borough$760/mo$22.31/hr

Questions

How much do you need to make to live in Anchorage, Alaska?

Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Anchorage needs to pay at least $35.74 an hour before taxes, about $74,332 a year. That is the figure for Anchorage Municipality, where the typical studio rent is $1,185 a month.

Does it vary by neighborhood?

Yes. Across the 24 ZIP codes in Anchorage with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $760 to $1,520 a month. At the middle rent of $1,100, the pay needed would be $32.89 an hour.

How does that compare with the minimum wage?

The minimum wage in Anchorage Municipality is $14.00 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 2.6 times that.

The Four Times Rent standard: a month of full-time work (160 hours) should take home at least four times the typical rent on a studio apartment in the county where the work is done. Rents: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 federal and state income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent? · Method and data downloads