Accountant salary in Anchorage, AK
Anchorage is the least expensive place in Alaska to hire an accountant. The median is $82,150 a year1, 1.6% below the Alaska statewide median of $83,460 and 1.8% below the US median of $83,680. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#92 of 521). It is the largest market for the job in Alaska: about 1,160 people, 53% of the Alaska total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Anchorage, AK. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Anchorage against Alaska and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage, AK | $59,550 | $82,150 | $123,450 | |
| Alaska | $57,690 | $83,460 | $125,810 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Anchorage earns $69,800–$100,850. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $123,450, only 2.1 times the bottom tenth, against 2.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($88,850) is 8% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $31,050 wide, between the figure for Alaska ($30,230) and the US figure ($42,790).
What to budget for an accountant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $59,550 | $4,962 | $28.63 | $76,839 |
| 25th percentile | $69,800 | $5,817 | $33.56 | $90,065 |
| Median | $82,150 | $6,846 | $39.50 | $106,000 |
| 75th percentile | $100,850 | $8,404 | $48.49 | $130,129 |
| 90th percentile | $123,450 | $10,288 | $59.35 | $159,290 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $18,700 over the median, the 25th only $12,350 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $24,129 a year in employer cost. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $83,680 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Anchorage, and the Alaska statewide median of $83,460 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Anchorage
At the $82,150 median, a local hire costs about $106,000 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $23,850 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for accountants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Anchorage
Of the 17 roles we track in Anchorage, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($99,580); recruiters come next at $75,850.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +21.2% | 1,270 | |
| Accountant | this role | 1,160 | |
| Recruiter | -7.7% | 820 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -7.7% | 590 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -16.3% | 380 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #13 of the 17 roles we track in Anchorage (-1.8%), between data entry specialists (-1.5%) and project coordinators (-2.7%). The typical role here is at -0.1%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 6.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Anchorage, 6.9% across Alaska and 9.1% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Alaska
Across the 3 areas of Alaska with data for this job, the median runs from $82,150 in Anchorage to $85,850 in the Alaska nonmetro area, a gap of $3,700 a year. No other area in Alaska has as many accountants, and none of the others pays less.
| Area | Median | vs Anchorage | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska (Nonmetro) | +4.5% | 750 | |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | +0.4% | 170 | |
| Anchorage, AK | this area | 1,160 |
Anchorage against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Anchorage is #161 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Alaska, Syracuse and Chicago-Naperville pay just above Anchorage and Buffalo-Cheektowaga and Salt Lake City-Murray just below. All four are within $210 a year of the median in Anchorage. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Anchorage | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greeley, CO | +6.2% | 1,160 | jobs | |
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN | +0.3% | 41,360 | pay | |
| Syracuse, NY | +0.1% | 2,710 | pay | |
| Anchorage, AK | this area | 1,160 | ||
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | -0.0% | 4,870 | pay | |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | -0.1% | 8,660 | pay | |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | -3.3% | 1,170 | jobs | |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass, FL | -7.0% | 1,170 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Anchorage, AK?
About $106,000 a year at the median, or $8,833 a month: $82,150 in pay plus about $23,850 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for accountants in Anchorage?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $82,150 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $59,550, the 90th $123,450, and the middle half earned $69,800 to $100,850.
Is Anchorage the cheapest area in Alaska for accountants?
Yes. Its median of $82,150 is the lowest of 3 areas in Alaska. Fairbanks-College is next at $82,500.
How many accountants work in Anchorage?
BLS counts about 1,160 in the May 2025 survey. That is 53% of the Alaska total of 2,190. No other area in Alaska has as many.
Does an accountant cost more than a recruiter in Anchorage?
Yes: $6,300 a year more at the median. The medians are $82,150 and $75,850.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.