Graphic Designers salary in Anchorage, AK
Median pay for graphic designers in Anchorage, AK: $49,440/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $37,320 – $83,650 · about 140 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($50,005) by −$565 (-1%).
What it's really worth in Anchorage
With Anchorage's cost of living at 107 (US=100), that $49,440 has the buying power of about $46,305 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $93,016 · median home $422,103 · median rent $1,770/mo.
How Anchorage ranks for this job
On raw pay, Anchorage, AK is 107th of the 186 metros we hold graphic designers wages for. Once Anchorage's cost of living is applied, it ranks 172nd.
The headline number flatters Anchorage. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, graphic designers here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in Anchorage
A median home in Anchorage, AK costs $422,103 — about 8.5× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,770/mo works out at 43% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.
Where graphic designers earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Anchorage.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Anchorage | Rent vs Anchorage |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $96,260 | +95% | 2× |
| San Francisco, CA | $92,380 | +87% | 1.8× |
| Washington, DC | $80,100 | +62% | 1.4× |
| New York, NY | $75,900 | +54% | 2× |
Who hires graphic designers around Anchorage
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Carrs-Safeway · Retail
Other jobs in Anchorage
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 186 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.