Ship Engineers Salary
The median pay for a ship engineers in Anchorage, AK is $109,990/year ($52.88/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $52K at the entry level to $161K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.42), so that salary is closer to $104,335 in real purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,376/month, or 18.7% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $110K get you in Anchorage?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Anchorage’s Regional Price Parity (105.42). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About ship engineers
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What this looks like in Anchorage
Ship engineers pay in Anchorage tracks closely to the national median, $110K locally vs. $110K nationwide, a 0% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,376/month, 19.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost-of-living overall is 5% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.42), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Anchorage, AK
Entry-level ship engineers (10th percentile) start around $52K. Mid-career wages sit at $110K. Top earners bring in $161K or more, a $109K spread from bottom to top.
Ship Engineers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Ship Engineers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $134K | +22% | 550 |
| Hawaii | $132K | +20% | 70 |
| Florida | $130K | +19% | 1,260 |
| Texas | $128K | +17% | 660 |
| Massachusetts | $123K | +12% | 150 |
| Indiana | $122K | +12% | 210 |
| Kentucky | $121K | +10% | N/A |
| Rhode Island | $119K | +9% | 50 |
| Connecticut | $119K | +9% | 50 |
| New Jersey | $118K | +8% | 170 |
| Illinois | $115K | +5% | 110 |
| Washington | $108K | -1% | 730 |
| Louisiana | $103K | -6% | 610 |
| Mississippi | $98K | -10% | 140 |
| South Carolina | $98K | -11% | 80 |
| California | $98K | -11% | 610 |
| Alabama | $96K | -12% | 50 |
| Oregon | $89K | -19% | 80 |
| Alaska | $88K | -19% | 420 |
| Virginia | $82K | -25% | 1,450 |
| Pennsylvania | $80K | -27% | 90 |
| Michigan | $79K | -28% | 100 |
| Maine | $77K | -30% | 30 |
| North Carolina | $65K | -41% | 90 |
Showing 1–10 of 24 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track ship engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Anchorage numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a ship engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Anchorage?
Yes — at the median salary of $110K, rent takes 19.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,376/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for ship engineers in Anchorage?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new ship engineers typically earn — is $52K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,097/month. At HUD’s $1,376/month FMR, rent would take 44% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is ship engineer a high-paying job in Anchorage?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $110K locally vs. $110K nationally, a 0% difference.
How does Anchorage compare to the national average for ship engineers?
Anchorage pays $110K median vs. the U.S. average of $110K — that’s +0%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $104K — below the national median.
How much do ship engineers make in Anchorage, AK?
The median is $109,990 a year, that works out to about $53 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,610, and experienced ship engineers can clear $160,690. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $110K enough to live in Anchorage?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,147/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,376/month, which eats 19.3% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a ship engineers salary go in Anchorage?
Anchorage has a Regional Price Parity of 105.42 (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 ship engineers salary is worth about $104,335 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do ship engineers 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.