BuildTotals

Estimated — not yet source-verified.Estimated - not yet source-verified. This cost range is a general knowledge estimate we have not yet confirmed against current regional pricing data. Treat it as a rough guide only and get local contractor quotes.

Contractor costs in Alaska

Regional labor cost ranges for common DIY projects in Alaska. These are estimates for planning purposes - always get multiple quotes from licensed local contractors.

Construction labor wages in Alaska

Official BLS data · OEWS 2024

The actual pay range for 16 building trades in Alaska — 10th percentile, median, and 90th percentile hourly wages straight from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is the verified labor-cost floor behind the project estimates below, not a national average.

Scroll the table horizontally to compare all wage columns. Keyboard: focus the table, then use the arrow keys.

Trade 10th %ile Median /hr 90th %ile Employed in AK
Construction supervisors $29.80 $47.61 $68.71 3,040
Carpenters $23.00 $31.32 $59.52 2,700
Cement masons & concrete finishers $27.17 $45.65 $52.78 100
Drywall & ceiling-tile installers $21.57 $36.13 $41.59 120
Floor layers (non-carpet) $24.76 $48.32 $57.54 80
Floor sanders & finishers $19.63 $23.17 $29.02 30
Carpet installers $21.58 $29.35 $35.45 40
Painters $21.34 $31.54 $45.48 400
Glaziers $17.24 $28.19 $48.15 160
Insulation workers $11.73 $19.39 $39.63 110
Roofers $24.14 $30.35 $41.80 310
Electricians $23.95 $39.36 $55.04 1,820
Plumbers & pipefitters $29.62 $39.95 $50.87 870
HVAC technicians $22.75 $40.22 $50.05 790
Equipment operators $28.09 $36.06 $49.78 3,170
Construction laborers $20.00 $27.87 $41.10 3,110

How building-trade pay has moved since 2019

Median hourly wage by year for Alaska's headline trades — a 6-year OEWS series (2019–2024) that deepens with each annual BLS release.

Carpenters +0% since 2019
$31.32/hr

$31.32 in 2019 → $31.32 in 2024

Electricians +5% since 2019
$39.36/hr

$37.35 in 2019 → $39.36 in 2024

Plumbers & pipefitters +5% since 2019
$39.95/hr

$38.02 in 2019 → $39.95 in 2024

Construction laborers +14% since 2019
$27.87/hr

$24.44 in 2019 → $27.87 in 2024

State-specific BLS wage signals

These comparisons are calculated from the same official OEWS 2024 rows above, so they vary by Alaska's actual trade mix instead of repeating a national average. These are worker wages, not contractor billing rates - a contractor's quote adds overhead, insurance, equipment, and margin.

Highest median wage in state

Floor layers (non-carpet)

$48.32/hr

Source: BLS OEWS 2024

Largest reported construction trade

Equipment operators

3,170 employed

Source: BLS OEWS 2024

Biggest premium vs trade median

Floor layers (non-carpet)

+$24.78/hr vs $23.54

Median across states with this BLS trade row, OEWS 2024

Fastest median-wage growth

Cement masons & concrete finishers

+ 68% since 2019

Source: BLS OEWS 2019-2024

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS 2019–2024. These are worker wages, not contractor billing rates — a contractor's quote adds overhead, insurance, equipment, and margin (commonly 1.5–3× the base wage).

Concrete labor (per cu yd installed) $130 - $220
Interior painting (per sq ft) $3.50 - $6.00
6ft privacy fence (per linear ft) $38 - $75
LVP/laminate flooring install (per sq ft) $4.50 - $8.00
Drywall hang+tape+mud (per sq ft) $3.50 - $6.50

Find a contractor in Alaska

When a project is beyond DIY scale, get quotes from licensed local contractors. Always verify contractor license status with Alaska's contractor licensing board.