Cost of hiring in Anchorage, AK
Office Manager is the largest of these 17 jobs in Anchorage, with about 3,070 people1. Medians run from $39,440 a year for e-commerce order specialists to $99,580 for project coordinators.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Anchorage
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Receptionist | +17.4% | 890 | |
| HR Assistant | +8.5% | 130 | |
| Sales Development Representative | +8.4% | 590 | |
| Bookkeeper | +6.8% | 2,300 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +6.3% | 190 | |
| Paralegal | +5.3% | 390 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +2.5% | 1,680 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +1.3% | 2,560 | |
| Recruiter | -0.1% | 820 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -0.5% | 1,600 | |
| Office Manager | -1.3% | 3,070 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -1.5% | 110 | |
| Accountant | -1.8% | 1,160 | |
| Project Coordinator | -2.7% | 1,270 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -12.7% | 380 | |
| Executive Assistant | -13.7% | 650 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -14.6% | 40 |
The employer pays more than the wage: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, so a $68,620 median for office managers, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $88,542 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Anchorage against the US
Anchorage pays above the US median for 8 of the 17 roles, most of all for virtual receptionists (+17.4%) and HR assistants (+8.5%), and below it for 7, furthest for e-commerce order specialists (-14.6%). For recruiters and customer support specialists it is within 1% of the US figure. The middle gap across all 17 is -0.1%: overall, pay here is close to the US level. Its best national standing is for virtual receptionists, #19 of 521 areas by median pay; its lowest is for e-commerce order specialists, #230 of 287.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Anchorage has more office managers (17.2% of these jobs here, against 9.1% nationally) and medical administrative assistants (9.4% against 6.1%), and fewer marketing specialists (2.1% against 5.7%) and sales development representatives (3.3% against 7.9%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Mankato, MN is nearest, at -0.2%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bismarck, ND | +0.1% | 15 | 6,080 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | -0.0% | 17 | 22,320 |
| Anchorage, AK | -0.1% (this area) | 17 | 17,830 |
| Mankato, MN | -0.2% | 15 | 4,700 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | -0.2% | 17 | 461,960 |
| Carson City, NV | -0.3% | 14 | 3,620 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, project coordinators in Anchorage span $51,360–$160,730, the widest band (3.1×); e-commerce order specialists the narrowest, $32,850–$49,640. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 13 of 17 roles, marketing specialists most ($43,390–$155,480 across the US). Budget from the median for data entry specialists, paralegals and accountants: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($46,960 against a $40,700 median for data entry specialists).
Anchorage against Alaska
Against Alaska as a whole, Anchorage pays more for 3 of 17 roles, led by sales development representatives (+8.9%) and e-commerce order specialists (+4.9%), and less for 8, most of all bookkeepers (-4.1%). It has the highest median in Alaska for sales development representatives and marketing specialists, and the lowest for accountants, recruiters and office managers and 8 more roles.
Other areas in Alaska
By jobs in these roles, Anchorage is #1 of 3 areas in Alaska. The table shows the other 2.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska (Nonmetro) | 10,230 | 16 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | 3,260 | 14 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Anchorage?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $99,580 a year, about $128,490 with benefits; the lowest is E-commerce Order Specialist, $39,440.
Is hiring in Anchorage cheaper than the US median?
For 7 of the 17 roles, yes, most of all e-commerce order specialists (-14.6%). 8 pay more than the US median, led by virtual receptionists (+17.4%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.