The Alaska wage gauge.

• Author: Steffens, Michelle
• Position: Alaska Trends - Report - Brief article

Wages in Alaska tend to vary greatly across industries when compared to national wage estimates. The accompanying graph shows median hourly wages (MHW) within 21 occupational classifications at both state and national levels. The median represents the middle value of a sample set. Thus, 50 percent of employees for a given occupation earn an hourly wage greater than the median value and 50 percent earn less. Data was collected through Bureau of Labor Statistics surveys in May 2007 and does not include self-employed individuals.

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On average, all Alaska occupations have an MHW of $18.45 which is above the national estimate of $15.10. Top Alaska MHW earners are found in legal ($34.17), architecture/engineering ($33.72), management ($32.78) and healthcare practitioner ($32.00) careers. Lowest Alaska wage earners are represented in food preparation ($9.86), sales ($12.05), personal care ($12.46) and cleaning/maintenance ($12.61) industries,

As a percentage of the national MHW, several...