Bartenders Salary
In Alaska, bartenders earn $30,460 at the median, or about $14.65 an hour. The range runs from $25K at the entry level to $62K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 104.31), that's roughly $29,201 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,643/month, about 75% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Alaska. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $30K actually covers in Alaska, month by month
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What this looks like in Alaska
Pay for bartenders in Alaska runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $34K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,643/month, which is 74.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 104.31) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for bartenders.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Alaska
Entry-level bartenders (10th percentile) start around $25K. Mid-career wages sit at $30K. Top earners bring in $62K or more, a $37K spread from bottom to top.
Bartenders salary by metro in Alaska
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairbanks-College | $32K | +5% | 260 |
| Anchorage | $31K | +2% | 1,250 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Alaska numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a bartender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Alaska?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $30K, rent takes 74.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,643/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for bartenders in Alaska?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bartenders typically earn — is $25K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,832/month. At HUD’s $1,643/month FMR, rent would take 90% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is bartender a high-paying job in Alaska?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $30K here vs. $34K nationally.
How does Alaska compare to the national average for bartenders?
Alaska pays $30K median vs. the U.S. average of $34K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 104.31), the purchasing-power equivalent is $29K — below the national median.
How much do bartenders make in Alaska?
The median is $30,460 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $24,880, and experienced bartenders can clear $61,550. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $30K enough to live in Alaska?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,209/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,643/month, which eats 74.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a bartenders salary go in Alaska?
Alaska has a Regional Price Parity of 104.31 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median bartenders salary is worth about $29,201 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do bartenders get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.