Alaska RN Salary 2026
Last reviewed: by Jayson Minagawa, BSN, RN
What RNs actually earn in Alaska
The mean registered nurse salary in Alaska is $114,870 a year, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. That puts Alaska 13% above the national RN mean of $101,420, and 6th of 51 states and DC.
That mean covers every RN in the state — new graduates and thirty-year charge nurses, day shift and nights, bedside and management. In practice new-graduate wages in Alaska land around $86,152, and experienced specialty or supervisory nurses reach roughly $160,818. If you are comparing a specific offer, the ladder below is more useful than the all-RN average.
Alaska pay across the nursing ladder
Six roles, all Alaska figures, each against its national anchor:
| Role | Mean annual | vs national | State rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurse (all RNs) | $114,870 | 13% above national | 6th |
| ICU / critical care RN | $119,019 | 40% above national | 10th |
| Emergency department RN | $93,411 | — | 5th |
| Travel nurse (posted base) | $108,913 | 8% above national | 5th |
| CRNA | $274,100 | 10% above national | 3rd |
RN, NP and CRNA figures are BLS May 2025 OEWS unless the state note says otherwise. ICU, ER and travel figures are 2026 aggregator data (ZipRecruiter, Vivian, TheCRNA) — those specialties have no separate federal SOC code, so no BLS series exists for them.
What that salary is actually worth
Alaska's regional price parity is 105.2 against a national average of 100, so goods and services here cost 5.2% more than the national norm. Run the $114,870 mean through that and it carries the purchasing power of $109,192 anywhere else in the country.
Alaska ranks 6th on nominal pay and 6th once cost of living is taken out, so the headline number is roughly honest here — what you are offered is close to what it is worth.
What is driving Alaska pay right now
Highest projected RN vacancy rate in the US (~22.7%); remote/frontier pay differentials and heavy reliance on travel contracts.
Staffing-ratio law: Alaska has no statutory nurse-to-patient ratios, so how many patients you carry is set by hospital policy and unit budget rather than by law. That makes the ratio a question to settle in the interview, not after you start — ask what the unit actually runs on nights and weekends, not what the policy says.
Who you are competing with
Because Alaska is not a Nurse Licensure Compact state, every nurse working here needs a Alaska licence specifically. That slows down out-of-state hiring and travel placements, and in a shortage it tends to push rates up faster than in compact states, because the supply of nurses who can legally take the shift is smaller. Full detail on requirements and timelines is in the Alaska licensure guide.
Where the jobs are in Alaska
The largest RN employment markets in Alaska are Anchorage, Fairbanks. Metro wages generally run 5-15% above the state mean, and rural postings 5-10% below — though rural and critical-access hospitals often close part of that gap with sign-on bonuses and loan repayment, because they compete for a much smaller pool of applicants. ANCC Magnet-designated hospitals typically pay 8-12% more than non-Magnet facilities for the same role.
Tax and take-home in Alaska
Alaska state income tax: none. With no state income tax, a given gross goes further here than the same gross in a high-tax state — worth several thousand dollars a year at RN salaries, and one reason this state stays competitive for travellers. Federal brackets and FICA (6.2% Social Security plus 1.45% Medicare) apply the same everywhere. The pay calculator models federal and Alaska state tax together, and the cost-of-living calculator compares two states on take-home rather than headline pay.
Differentials and premium pay
Base rate is rarely the whole story. Most Alaska hospitals pay a night differential of roughly $2-7/hr, weekends $1-3/hr, holidays at $1-3/hr or time-and-a-half, and charge-nurse pay of $2-5/hr on top. A nurse working a permanent night rotation with every third weekend can add several thousand a year over the base figures above. The shift differential calculator works out what a given rotation is actually worth.
Common questions
What is the average RN salary in Alaska?
The mean registered nurse salary in Alaska is $114,870 per year, per the BLS May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. That is 13% above the national RN mean of $101,420, and ranks 6th of 51 states and DC.
Is $114,870 a good RN salary in Alaska?
Adjusted for Alaska's cost of living (BEA regional price parity 105.2, where 100 is the national average), $114,870 has the purchasing power of about $109,192 nationally — 6th among the 51 states and DC. Compare offers on the adjusted figure, not the headline one.
Which Alaska nursing roles pay the most?
CRNAs lead at $274,100, followed by nurse practitioners at not separately reported. Within bedside nursing, ICU and critical care ($119,019) typically pays above the all-RN mean.
Related Alaska guides
See nursing licensure in Alaska for Board of Nursing requirements and compact status, and travel nursing in Alaska for contract rates and stipend detail. National context: pay and data, highest-paying RN specialties.