Skilled Wages

Carpenter salary in Alaska

Median $35.51 an hour for 2,560 carpenters, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$35.51/hrMedian hourly wageAlaska, May data
$73,860/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$23.59 – $72.8510th to 90th percentilehourly range
2,560Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-09-28

Carpenter pay in Alaska: the full range

Wage percentiles, AlaskaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$0$20$40$60$80/hrAlaska: 10th $23.59 · 25th $28.74 · median $35.51 · 75th $45.26 · 90th $72.85Alaska$35.51$23.59$72.85United States: 10th $19.43 · 25th $23.32 · median $29.12 · 75th $36.94 · 90th $48.03United States$29.12
Hourly wage percentiles for carpenters: Alaska vs United States, May 2025.

Alaska ranks 6th of 51 states for median carpenter pay, and 3rd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $34.68). 2,560 carpenters work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$23.59 – $28.74$49,060 – $59,770roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$28.74 – $45.26$59,770 – $94,150the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$45.26 – $72.85$94,150 – $151,530the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Carpenter pay by metro in Alaska

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrFairbanks: $40.85Fairbanks$40.85Anchorage: $35.00Anchorage$35.00
Median hourly wage for carpenters by metro area in Alaska, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Fairbanks$25.70$40.85$73.2528015% above
Anchorage$23.38$35.00$71.791,4601% below

Carpenter wages in Alaska over time

Alaska, 1999-2025AlaskaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$35.51Alaska$29.12United States
Median hourly wage for carpenters, Alaska vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearAlaska $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$20.92$40.43$15.352,750
2000$21.98$41.09$15.693,260
2001$22.11$40.19$16.093,240
2002$22.38$40.05$16.443,520
2003$22.52$39.40$16.473,530
2004$23.21$39.56$16.783,390
2005$25.55$42.12$17.112,980
2006$24.83$39.65$17.573,240
2007$25.92$40.25$18.112,970
2008$26.22$39.21$18.723,230
2009$28.57$42.87$18.983,030
2010$29.99$44.28$19.003,020
2011$30.11$43.09$19.243,320
2012$30.06$42.15$19.203,190
2013$29.85$41.25$19.472,940
2014$31.56$42.92$19.632,780
2015$32.52$44.17$20.242,540
2016$33.36$44.75$20.962,350
2017$33.15$43.54$21.712,170
2018$31.42$40.28$22.402,110
2019$31.32$39.44$23.242,130
2020$30.61$38.08$23.812,010
2021$29.35$34.87$23.202,280
2022$31.40$34.54$24.712,710
2023$29.90$31.59$27.092,470
2024$31.32$32.14$28.512,700
2025$35.51$35.51$29.122,560

In today's dollars, the median carpenter wage in Alaska changed by -19.6% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for carpenters in Alaska

On federally funded construction in Alaska, contractors must pay carpenters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 30 of the 30 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $77.21 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $35.51.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, AKAleutians East: $77.21 (union)Aleutians West: $77.21 (union)Anchorage: $77.21 (union)Bethel: $77.21 (union)Bristol Bay: $77.21 (union)Chugach: $77.21 (union)Copper River: $77.21 (union)Denali: $77.21 (union)Dillingham: $77.21 (union)Fairbanks North Star: $77.21 (union)Haines: $77.21 (union)Hoonah-Angoon: $77.21 (union)Juneau: $77.21 (union)Kenai Peninsula: $77.21 (union)Ketchikan Gateway: $77.21 (union)Kodiak Island: $77.21 (union)Kusilvak: $77.21 (union)Lake and Peninsula: $77.21 (union)Matanuska-Susitna: $77.21 (union)Nome: $77.21 (union)North Slope: $77.21 (union)Northwest Arctic: $77.21 (union)Petersburg: $77.21 (union)Prince of Wales-Hyder: $77.21 (union)Sitka: $77.21 (union)Skagway: $77.21 (union)Southeast Fairbanks: $77.21 (union)Wrangell: $77.21 (union)Yakutat: $77.21 (union)Yukon-Koyukuk: $77.21 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for carpenters by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
Aleutians EastUnion CARP1281-001 2025-04-01$50.79$26.42$77.21AK20260001
Aleutians WestUnion CARP1281-001 2025-04-01$50.79$26.42$77.21AK20260001
AnchorageUnion CARP1281-001 2025-04-01$50.79$26.42$77.21AK20260001
BethelUnion CARP1281-001 2025-04-01$50.79$26.42$77.21AK20260001
Bristol BayUnion CARP1281-001 2025-04-01$50.79$26.42$77.21AK20260001
ChugachUnion CARP1281-001 2025-04-01$50.79$26.42$77.21AK20260001
Copper RiverUnion CARP1281-001 2025-04-01$50.79$26.42$77.21AK20260001
DenaliUnion CARP1281-001 2025-04-01$50.79$26.42$77.21AK20260001
DillinghamUnion CARP1281-001 2025-04-01$50.79$26.42$77.21AK20260001
Fairbanks North StarUnion CARP1281-001 2025-04-01$50.79$26.42$77.21AK20260001
HainesUnion CARP1281-001 2025-04-01$50.79$26.42$77.21AK20260001
Hoonah-AngoonUnion CARP1281-001 2025-04-01$50.79$26.42$77.21AK20260001
JuneauUnion CARP1281-001 2025-04-01$50.79$26.42$77.21AK20260001
Kenai PeninsulaUnion CARP1281-001 2025-04-01$50.79$26.42$77.21AK20260001
Ketchikan GatewayUnion CARP1281-001 2025-04-01$50.79$26.42$77.21AK20260001

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Alaska prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Alaska?

20.9kConstruction jobsAlaska, 2026-08
-1.9%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-20265k10k15k20k25k30k1990199520002005201020152020202521kAug 2026
Construction employment in Alaska (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Carpenter pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Alaska

Questions this page answers

How much do carpenters make in Alaska?

The median carpenter in Alaska earned $35.51 an hour ($73,860 a year) in May 2025, 22% above the national median of $29.12. The middle half earn $28.74–$45.26; the top 10% earn more than $72.85.

Where does Alaska rank for carpenter pay?

Alaska ranks 6th of 51 states for carpenter pay, with a median of $35.51 an hour, and 3rd after adjusting for Alaska's cost of living (BEA price parity 102.4, US = 100).

What is the union carpenter rate in Alaska?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for carpenters in 30 counties, with a typical package of $77.21 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many carpenters work in Alaska?

BLS counted 2,560 carpenters in Alaska in May 2025, 7.8 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.82; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Alaska and metro areas, SOC 47-2031.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.