Alaska's Pay Exceeding National Average.

• Position: Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

Annual pay in Alaska averaged $33,839 in 1998, an increase of 2.1 percent over the year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Alaska's pay level exceeded the national average of $31,908, but its pay growth rate continues to be the smallest of any state in the nation, remaining well below the nationwide rise of 5.1 percent.

Alaska has reported the lowest wage increase every year since 1995.

Annual pay data is compiled from reports submitted by employers subject to state and federal unemployment insurance laws, covering more than 124 million full- and part-time workers. Pay differences among states...