Highest-paying trades in Alaska
Updated September 27, 2026
Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay are the highest-paying skilled trade in Alaska, with a median of $125,260 a year, according to May 2025 BLS data. 42 of the 61 trades ranked here pay more than the $61,000 median for all jobs in Alaska.
All 61 trades by median pay in Alaska
| # | Trade | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay80 jobs · +22% vs U.S. | $125,260$60.22/hr |
| 2 | Precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other80 jobs · +65% vs U.S. | $113,670$54.65/hr |
| 3 | Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door30 jobs · +47% vs U.S. | $109,450$52.62/hr |
| 4 | Mechanical door repairers+86% vs U.S. | $103,550$49.79/hr |
| 5 | Construction and building inspectors270 jobs · +37% vs U.S. | $102,410$49.24/hr |
| 6 | Telecommunications line installers and repairers390 jobs · +31% vs U.S. | $97,450$46.85/hr |
| 7 | Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment160 jobs · +30% vs U.S. | $96,390$46.34/hr |
| 8 | Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers520 jobs · +50% vs U.S. | $95,850$46.08/hr |
| 9 | Avionics technicians50 jobs · +15% vs U.S. | $94,810$45.58/hr |
| 10 | Sheet metal workers240 jobs · +53% vs U.S. | $94,600$45.48/hr |
| 11 | Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters1,200 jobs · +47% vs U.S. | $93,920$45.15/hr |
| 12 | Cement masons and concrete finishers240 jobs · +63% vs U.S. | $92,960$44.69/hr |
| 13 | Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles70 jobs · +64% vs U.S. | $92,860$44.64/hr |
| 14 | Electrical power-line installers and repairers490 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $92,470$44.46/hr |
| 15 | Aircraft mechanics and service technicians1,470 jobs · +14% vs U.S. | $91,150$43.82/hr |
| 16 | Electricians1,870 jobs · +42% vs U.S. | $89,440$43.00/hr |
| 17 | Insulation workers, mechanical40 jobs · +45% vs U.S. | $84,410$40.58/hr |
| 18 | Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators80 jobs · +57% vs U.S. | $83,520$40.15/hr |
| 19 | Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines1,430 jobs · +26% vs U.S. | $82,670$39.75/hr |
| 20 | Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers790 jobs · +50% vs U.S. | $80,840$38.87/hr |
| 21 | Security and fire alarm systems installers110 jobs · +33% vs U.S. | $79,870$38.40/hr |
| 22 | Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers50 jobs · +24% vs U.S. | $79,050$38.01/hr |
| 23 | Medical equipment repairers160 jobs · +27% vs U.S. | $78,570$37.77/hr |
| 24 | Pile driver operators190 jobs · +7% vs U.S. | $78,080$37.54/hr |
| 25 | Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators3,050 jobs · +30% vs U.S. | $77,810$37.41/hr |
| 26 | Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers610 jobs · +27% vs U.S. | $77,430$37.23/hr |
| 27 | Industrial machinery mechanics860 jobs · +20% vs U.S. | $77,390$37.21/hr |
| 28 | Structural iron and steel workers120 jobs · +23% vs U.S. | $76,970$37.01/hr |
| 29 | Millwrights300 jobs · +17% vs U.S. | $76,940$36.99/hr |
| 30 | Carpet installers70 jobs · +53% vs U.S. | $76,790$36.92/hr |
| 31 | Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists860 jobs · +22% vs U.S. | $75,580$36.34/hr |
| 32 | Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other100 jobs · +53% vs U.S. | $75,360$36.23/hr |
| 33 | Carpenters2,560 jobs · +22% vs U.S. | $73,860$35.51/hr |
| 34 | Drywall and ceiling tile installers100 jobs · +25% vs U.S. | $73,690$35.43/hr |
| 35 | Motorboat mechanics and service technicians160 jobs · +26% vs U.S. | $72,520$34.86/hr |
| 36 | Roofers310 jobs · +20% vs U.S. | $66,750$32.09/hr |
| 37 | Fence erectors40 jobs · +35% vs U.S. | $64,600$31.06/hr |
| 38 | Home appliance repairers100 jobs · +25% vs U.S. | $63,950$30.74/hr |
| 39 | Glaziers270 jobs · +10% vs U.S. | $63,000$30.29/hr |
| 40 | Automotive body and related repairers270 jobs · +12% vs U.S. | $61,680$29.65/hr |
| 41 | Reinforcing iron and rebar workers+4% vs U.S. | $61,480$29.56/hr |
| 42 | Maintenance workers, machinery40 jobs · +1% vs U.S. | $61,290$29.47/hr |
| 43 | Painters, construction and maintenance440 jobs · +23% vs U.S. | $60,980$29.32/hr |
| 44 | Automotive service technicians and mechanics1,420 jobs · +20% vs U.S. | $60,840$29.25/hr |
| 45 | Hazardous materials removal workers140 jobs · +22% vs U.S. | $60,320$29.00/hr |
| 46 | Maintenance and repair workers, general4,590 jobs · +22% vs U.S. | $60,270$28.97/hr |
| 47 | Outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics50 jobs · +26% vs U.S. | $60,190$28.94/hr |
| 48 | Locksmiths and safe repairers80 jobs · +14% vs U.S. | $58,390$28.07/hr |
| 49 | Construction laborers3,690 jobs · +23% vs U.S. | $58,060$27.91/hr |
| 50 | Riggers40 jobs · −7% vs U.S. | $58,010$27.89/hr |
| 51 | Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners280 jobs · +16% vs U.S. | $57,720$27.75/hr |
| 52 | Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall170 jobs · +15% vs U.S. | $56,470$27.15/hr |
| 53 | Recreational vehicle service technicians120 jobs · +5% vs U.S. | $54,410$26.16/hr |
| 54 | Highway maintenance workers50 jobs · +8% vs U.S. | $54,090$26.01/hr |
| 55 | Automotive glass installers and repairers40 jobs · +10% vs U.S. | $52,260$25.12/hr |
| 56 | Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers60 jobs · +10% vs U.S. | $52,040$25.02/hr |
| 57 | Miscellaneous construction and related workers−6% vs U.S. | $46,730$22.47/hr |
| 58 | Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers170 jobs · −2% vs U.S. | $46,680$22.44/hr |
| 59 | Motorcycle mechanics220 jobs · −6% vs U.S. | $45,500$21.88/hr |
| 60 | Tire repairers and changers450 jobs · +15% vs U.S. | $43,330$20.83/hr |
| 61 | Bicycle repairers−1% vs U.S. | $42,330$20.35/hr |
Linked trades have full Alaska pay pages, with pay in each metro area. See also: highest-paying trades in the U.S.
How we ranked them
Ranked by median annual wage in Alaska, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics state estimates, May 2025. “vs U.S.” compares each trade with its own national median. Which occupations count as trades: Construction occupations and installation, maintenance, and repair occupations (BLS major groups 47 and 49), plus welders, excluding first-line supervisors, helpers, and mining and oil-and-gas extraction occupations. BLS doesn't publish a Alaska median for 27 of the 88 trades in the national ranking, usually because too few people do that work there to estimate; they're left out. Wages exclude self-employed workers. Methodology
Questions
- What is the highest-paying trade in Alaska?
- Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay, with a median of $125,260 a year ($60.22 an hour) in Alaska, per May 2025 BLS data.
- Which trades pay over $100,000 in Alaska?
- 5 trades have a median of $100,000 or more in Alaska: electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay ($125,260), precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other ($113,670), control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door ($109,450), mechanical door repairers ($103,550), construction and building inspectors ($102,410).
- How many trades pay more than the typical job in Alaska?
- 42 of the 61 trades ranked here have a median above $61,000, the median for all occupations in Alaska.
- Do trades pay more in Alaska than in the rest of the U.S.?
- 55 of the 61 trades have a higher median in Alaska than nationally. The biggest gap is mechanical door repairers: $103,550, 86% above the U.S. median of $55,720.
- Which trade employs the most people in Alaska?
- Maintenance and repair workers, general, with about 4,590 jobs and a median of $60,270 a year.