BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $108,030
- Median hourly wage: $51.94
- Total employment: 130 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Anchorage
Despite recession fears and falling consumer confidence, the job market in the United States has remained relatively stable in 2025 thus far. According to May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics data, around 177,000 new jobs were added in April, a slight decrease from the 185,000 new jobs added in the month before, but an extension of the country's 52-month streak of job growth. Unemployment rates also held relatively steady between April 2024 and April 2025, coming in at around 4%.
Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean Americans have it easy in the workplace. A December 2024 Payscale report found that nearly half (47%) of business organizations struggle to balance fair pay practices with spend optimization, and 18% plan to reduce pay increases in 2025 as a result.
For context, median weekly earnings across all employees in the U.S. stood at $1,194 in the first quarter of 2025. This represents an increase of 4.8% from a year prior and exceeds the Consumer Price Index's 2.7% increase in the same time period. However, there's one caveat: Earnings go much further in some places than in others.
In fact, the very definition of a "high-paying" job varies by location, as well as other factors such as industry and benefits. Even a six-figure salary may be considered low-income in places with an unusually high cost of living. Meanwhile, technology, finance, and health care jobs lead in terms of salary, but benefits like remote work can make other lower-paying jobs more desirable.
Regardless, anyone seeking a high-paying job should start by looking at the numbers. Stacker used BLS data to find the 50 highest-paying jobs in Anchorage. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
You may also like: Highest-rated brunch restaurants in Anchorage
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $108,640
- Median hourly wage: $52.23
- Total employment: 390 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Audiologists
- Median annual wage: $109,700
- Median hourly wage: $52.74
- Total employment: Not available
pio3 // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $110,180
- Median hourly wage: $52.97
- Total employment: 570 people (3.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $110,690
- Median hourly wage: $53.22
- Total employment: 4,570 people (26.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated restaurants with outdoor seating in Anchorage by diners
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $110,800
- Median hourly wage: $53.27
- Total employment: 150 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $111,070
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,340 people (7.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $111,140
- Median hourly wage: $53.43
- Total employment: 590 people (3.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $115,120
- Median hourly wage: $55.34
- Total employment: 70 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Labor relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $115,830
- Median hourly wage: $55.69
- Total employment: 90 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated fine dining restaurants in the Anchorage area by diners
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $117,100
- Median hourly wage: $56.30
- Total employment: 240 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $118,510
- Median hourly wage: $56.97
- Total employment: 70 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $119,100
- Median hourly wage: $57.26
- Total employment: 170 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $120,130
- Median hourly wage: $57.75
- Total employment: 120 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Physical scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $120,700
- Median hourly wage: $58.03
- Total employment: 110 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Cheapest gas stations in Anchorage
fizkes // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $121,930
- Median hourly wage: $58.62
- Total employment: 3,330 people (19.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $122,780
- Median hourly wage: $59.03
- Total employment: 790 people (4.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $123,870
- Median hourly wage: $59.55
- Total employment: 270 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $124,250
- Median hourly wage: $59.73
- Total employment: 80 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $124,400
- Median hourly wage: $59.81
- Total employment: 90 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Cities with the most expensive homes in the Anchorage metro area
Petekub // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Economists
- Median annual wage: $124,590
- Median hourly wage: $59.90
- Total employment: Not available
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $125,360
- Median hourly wage: $60.27
- Total employment: 1,210 people (6.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $127,630
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 350 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $128,290
- Median hourly wage: $61.68
- Total employment: 1,000 people (5.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $128,530
- Median hourly wage: $61.80
- Total employment: 720 people (4.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: How much house $1 million buys you in Anchorage
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $129,780
- Median hourly wage: $62.39
- Total employment: 460 people (2.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $129,990
- Median hourly wage: $62.49
- Total employment: 400 people (2.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
antoniodiaz // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Nurse midwives
- Median annual wage: $130,030
- Median hourly wage: $62.52
- Total employment: 50 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $130,740
- Median hourly wage: $62.86
- Total employment: 370 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $131,250
- Median hourly wage: $63.10
- Total employment: 490 people (2.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Best public high schools in the Anchorage metro area
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $132,370
- Median hourly wage: $63.64
- Total employment: 150 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $136,080
- Median hourly wage: $65.42
- Total employment: 40 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $136,400
- Median hourly wage: $65.58
- Total employment: 780 people (4.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suwin // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $136,420
- Median hourly wage: $65.59
- Total employment: 40 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $136,960
- Median hourly wage: $65.85
- Total employment: 460 people (2.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Anchorage's 2025 housing market year in review
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $143,520
- Median hourly wage: $69.00
- Total employment: 110 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $145,140
- Median hourly wage: $69.78
- Total employment: 350 people (1.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Burben // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Air traffic controllers
- Median annual wage: $157,160
- Median hourly wage: $75.56
- Total employment: 280 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $159,450
- Median hourly wage: $76.66
- Total employment: 490 people (2.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $162,980
- Median hourly wage: $78.36
- Total employment: 40 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Top 25 songs in Anchorage on Shazam in the past week
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $163,200
- Median hourly wage: $78.46
- Total employment: 310 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $164,220
- Median hourly wage: $78.95
- Total employment: 100 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $166,350
- Median hourly wage: $79.98
- Total employment: 130 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $170,710
- Median hourly wage: $82.07
- Total employment: 470 people (2.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Another77 // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Petroleum engineers
- Median annual wage: $205,380
- Median hourly wage: $98.74
- Total employment: 220 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Where people in Anchorage are looking to buy homes
YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers
- Median annual wage: $226,490
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,540 people (8.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $233,910
- Median hourly wage: $112.46
- Total employment: 140 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. Obstetricians and gynecologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Pediatricians, general (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Family medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 280 people (1.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Cu Fleshman, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
You may also like: Best private high schools in the Anchorage metro area
