EconomyAnchorage · June 29, 2026
a raise lands july first
Your paycheck math changes on July 1, and here's exactly how much.
Daily Alaska staff · June 29, 2026 · Anchorage
Alaska's minimum wage rises from $13 an hour to $14 starting July 1, 2026, under a ballot measure voters approved in 2024, affecting workers across Anchorage, the Mat-Su Valley, Fairbanks, and other communities statewide.
The increase works out to about a 7.5 percent raise, outpacing the roughly 4 percent rise in the cost of living in Anchorage this year, meaning paychecks are growing faster than prices for the first time in a while.
The same ballot measure raises the minimum wage again to $15 an hour in July 2027. After that increase, the wage floor will adjust automatically to keep pace with inflation.
Tips do not count toward the state minimum wage, so tipped workers still receive the full base wage in addition to tips. Alaska law also requires school bus drivers to be paid at least double the state minimum wage.
The federal minimum wage has remained at $7.25 an hour since 2009, and 20 states still use that federal floor as their own minimum. Alaska's wage sits well above that level.
In Nome, a group of students is organizing a push to raise their city's minimum wage to as much as $25 an hour, a local measure separate from the statewide increase.
In this story
Questions people ask
When does Alaska's minimum wage go up
Alaska's minimum wage rises from 13 to 14 dollars an hour on July 1, 2026, a 7.5 percent raise.
How much will Alaska's minimum wage increase after 2026
It rises to 15 dollars an hour in July 2027, then adjusts automatically with inflation.
Do tips count toward Alaska's minimum wage
No, tips don't count toward the minimum, so tipped workers still earn the full base wage on top of tips.
What is happening with wages in Nome
Students in Nome are organizing a push for a local measure to raise their city's minimum wage to as much as 25 dollars an hour, separate from the statewide increase.
Evidence
Sources
Claims and where they come from
- Alaska's minimum wage rises from $13 to $14 an hour on July 1, 2026. · akbizmag.com
- The wage increase stems from a ballot measure voters approved in 2024 and will raise the minimum to $15 an hour in July 2027 before indexing to inflation. · akbizmag.com
- The federal minimum wage has remained $7.25 an hour since 2009, and 20 states still use that rate. · akbizmag.com
- Students in Nome are organizing a push to raise their local minimum wage to as much as $25 an hour. · akbizmag.com
Produced with AI assistance, narrated with Slav Lund's voice clone with his consent, and reviewed by a person before publishing. How we use AI →