Alaska Paycheck Calculator (2026)

How the Alaska Paycheck Calculator: Take-Home Pay Works

This Alaska paycheck calculator estimates your take-home pay in Alaska using the 2026 federal brackets, Social Security, Medicare and the fact that Alaska does not tax wages. Alaska has no state income tax and no state sales tax, pays residents an annual Permanent Fund Dividend, and is one of the few states that charge employees for unemployment insurance. Enter your salary, pay frequency, filing status and any pre-tax deduction to see net pay per paycheck and per year.

How Alaska taxes wages

Alaska has no personal income tax on wages and has not had one since 1980, when the state repealed it thanks to oil revenue. The state also has no state sales tax, though many cities and boroughs levy local sales taxes. Alaska funds its government mostly from oil and gas production taxes and royalties, earnings of the Alaska Permanent Fund and federal funds, and pays eligible residents an annual Permanent Fund Dividend, which has ranged from about $1,000 to over $3,000 in recent years.

The calculator therefore shows federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, plus a small employee unemployment insurance contribution. A single worker earning $65,000 keeps about 79% of gross pay. The dividend is taxable federal income but is not part of a paycheck.

How this calculator estimates your Alaska paycheck

The calculator starts with your gross pay, subtracts the pre-tax deduction you enter, and applies the 2026 federal standard deduction of $16,100 for single filers or $32,200 for married couples filing jointly. Federal income tax comes from the seven 2026 brackets, Social Security is 6.2% up to $184,500 and Medicare is 1.45% with a 0.9% surcharge above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (joint). There is no state income tax on wages to subtract, so the result is federal tax plus FICA only. The optional payroll deduction field covers alaska unemployment insurance. Results are estimates; your employer's payroll system and your tax return are final. See the US paycheck guide for the full method.

What jobs pay in Alaska

About 325,570 people worked in Alaska in May 2025. The median annual wage across all of them was $61,000 ($29.33 an hour), 20% above the national median of $50,980. The average wage was higher, at $74,720, because a smaller number of high earners pull the average up; the median is the better guide to a typical paycheck.

After federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare (Alaska has no state income tax), a single worker on that $61,000 median takes home about $50,950 a year, or $4,246 a month and $1,959.60 every two weeks.

Wage figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Alaska. Take-home pay: this page's 2026 calculator, single filer, no pre-tax deductions, default settings.

The biggest jobs in Alaska and what they take home

The largest occupations in Alaska by number of workers are below. Each row shows the median salary and what a single filer keeps after 2026 taxes in Alaska.

Most of the largest occupations sit near or below the middle of the pay range: 12 of these 15 pay less than the $61,000 median for all workers, which is why the overall median is lower than many people expect.

Worked example: $65,000 salary in Alaska, paid every two weeks

A single Alaska employee earning $65,000, paid every two weeks and contributing $100 per paycheck to a traditional 401(k), has gross pay of $2,500.00 per paycheck. After the $2,600 deferral and the $16,100 federal standard deduction, taxable income is $46,300 and federal income tax is about $5,308. Social Security is $4,030 and Medicare is $943. Alaska state income tax is $0. Estimated state payroll deductions add about $260.

Net pay is about $51,860 a year, or $1,994.60 per paycheck, which is 79.8% of gross pay. Change any input in the calculator above to test your own situation.

Married couple example: $110,000 combined pay

A married couple filing jointly in Alaska with $110,000 of combined wages and 6% ($6,600) going to traditional retirement plans has federal taxable income of $71,200 and pays about $8,048 in federal income tax and $8,415 in FICA. They owe no state income tax on wages. Estimated take-home pay is about $86,497 a year, or $3,326.81 per biweekly paycheck.

Well-paid occupations in Alaska

Among occupations with at least 500 workers in Alaska, these have the highest median pay. Federal tax takes a larger share at these salaries, so compare the take-home column rather than the salary when weighing offers.

Jobs that are unusually common in Alaska

A location quotient compares how common a job is locally with its share nationwide: 2.0 means twice as concentrated as the U.S. overall. These occupations stand out in Alaska and say a lot about which industries hire there.

Is pay higher in Alaska? Popular jobs compared

Median annual wages for well-known jobs in Alaska and the United States. Pay usually tracks living costs, so a higher wage does not always mean more money left over.

Starting wages in Alaska

The lowest-paid 10% of workers in Alaska earn under $16.79 an hour. Common hourly jobs pay the median rates below; a 40-hour week at that rate takes home the amount shown after 2026 taxes. Check the current Alaska minimum wage on the U.S. Department of Labor state minimum wage page, since several states raise it each year.

Which career fields pay most in Alaska

BLS groups every job into broad career fields. Here is how many people work in each across Alaska, the field's median salary and what that salary takes home in Alaska. Management pays the most at a median of $120,240; food preparation and serving related pays the least at $35,600.

Entry-level to top pay for Alaska jobs

The median hides a wide range. The lowest-paid 10% in a job are often new to it, while the top 10% are usually experienced, specialized or in management. The ranges below for common Alaska jobs show how much room there is to grow, with take-home pay at each level.

Alaska take-home pay at three salaries

These estimates assume a single filer, no pre-tax deductions, 0.4% of state payroll deductions and the 2026 federal standard deduction.

• $40,000: federal income tax about $2,620, FICA $3,060, other state and local deductions about $160, leaving roughly $34,160 a year ($1,313.85 per biweekly paycheck).
• $65,000: federal income tax about $5,620, FICA $4,973, other state and local deductions about $260, leaving roughly $54,148 a year ($2,082.60 per biweekly paycheck).
• $100,000: federal income tax about $13,170, FICA $7,650, other state and local deductions about $400, leaving roughly $78,780 a year ($3,030.00 per biweekly paycheck).

Use the calculator to add retirement deferrals, change your filing status or switch pay frequency. For comparisons, see the national paycheck calculator and the paycheck calculators by state hub.

Where the tax goes on a $65,000 Alaska paycheck

Of about $10,853 in total annual taxes for a single filer earning $65,000 with no pre-tax deductions, federal income tax is about 52%, Social Security and Medicare together are about 46%, state income tax is 0%, and other state and local payroll or income taxes are about 2%. Federal taxes dominate almost everywhere, which is why federal planning tools such as the federal income tax calculator and a correctly completed W-4 matter as much as the state rate.

Alaska local taxes and payroll deductions

Alaska is one of only a few states that require employees to contribute to unemployment insurance. The employee rate is about 0.5% of wages up to an annual wage base of roughly $50,000, which works out to about 0.4% of a $65,000 salary. The calculator's default of 0.4% approximates that, so check your stub for the exact figure. Alaska has no local income tax on wages and no state disability insurance.

Alaska employers also pay unemployment tax, and workers in remote areas may receive housing or per diem that is treated differently for tax purposes. Ask payroll how any non-cash benefits appear on your stub.

Retirement income, credits and special Alaska rules

Because Alaska has no income tax, there is no state tax on pensions, IRA and 401(k) distributions or Social Security, and no capital gains tax, inheritance tax or estate tax. Alaska also offers a senior property tax exemption for homeowners 65 and older and a property tax exemption for disabled veterans.

The Permanent Fund Dividend is subject to federal income tax and is reported on a Form 1099. Self-employed people, including commercial fishermen and seasonal workers, should estimate federal self-employment tax with the self-employment tax calculator.

Living and working in Alaska: how the tax burden compares

Alaska has no statewide sales tax, but Anchorage has no local sales tax while other communities charge 2% to 7.5%, and property taxes vary by borough. The cost of living is high, particularly for food, fuel and housing in remote areas, but wages are also above average in industries such as oil, fishing, construction and health care. Anchorage and Fairbanks are the main economic hubs.

Compare Alaska with Washington, Nevada and Wyoming, the other states with no wage income tax, using the calculators.

Alaska income tax at a glance

• State income tax: none on wages
• State pre-tax retirement treatment: not applicable
• Employee payroll programs: Alaska unemployment insurance, about 0.4% of wages
• Withholding form: federal Form W-4 (no separate state form required)
• Agency: the Alaska Department of Revenue and Department of Labor

These are the assumptions built into the calculator above. Rates, exemptions and payroll premiums change from year to year, so verify each item with the agency listed before making a large financial decision.

What a $100 pre-tax contribution really costs in Alaska

Contributing $100 per paycheck to a traditional 401(k) or HSA reduces your take-home pay by less than $100 because it lowers taxable income. In the $65,000 single-filer example for Alaska, the annual contribution of $2,600 cuts net pay by only about $2,288, or $88.00 per biweekly paycheck, so the true cost of each $100 contribution is roughly $88.00. The saving comes from federal income tax only, since there is no state wage tax. Use the 401(k) calculator to see how those contributions grow.

Alaska paycheck rules: pay frequency, minimum wage and final pay

Alaska's minimum wage is scheduled to reach $15 an hour in July 2026 under a 2024 ballot measure and to be indexed to inflation after that, so confirm the current rate with the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. State law requires employers to pay wages at least semi-monthly, and final wages are due within three working days of discharge, and on the next regular payday for resignations. Alaska requires daily overtime after 8 hours in a day and weekly overtime after 40 hours, and paid sick leave of one hour per 30 hours worked up to 56 hours a year for larger employers.

Common mistakes with Alaska paychecks

• Missing the unemployment insurance deduction. Alaska charges employees a small percentage.
• Forgetting the dividend is taxable. The Permanent Fund Dividend is federal income.
• Budgeting from gross pay. Plan with net pay per paycheck, about $1,994.60 in the $65,000 example.
• Forgetting FICA. Social Security and Medicare add 7.65% for most employees. See what is FICA tax.
• Not updating withholding. Review your W-4 after a move, marriage or new job, using the W-4 withholding calculator.

Key takeaways

• Alaska taxes wages with no tax on wages.
• Pre-tax retirement deferrals lower federal income tax but not FICA.
• A single worker earning $65,000 keeps about 80% of gross pay in the standard example.
• Compare states using total cost of living, not only income tax.
• Confirm current figures with the Alaska Department of Revenue and Department of Labor and IRS.gov.

What a typical Alaska paycheck covers

On the $61,000 median, the common guideline of spending no more than 30% of gross pay on housing allows rent of about $1,525 a month. Using the 50/30/20 rule on the $4,246 monthly take-home pay, that is about $2,123 for needs such as rent, food and transport, $1,274 for wants and $849 for savings and debt payments.

If rents run above $1,525 for the home you want, the usual fixes are a roommate, a longer commute or a second income in the household; the rent affordability calculator tests your own numbers.