What do the trades pay in Alaska?
Median hourly pay, May 20251. Pick a trade for training, pay and the license.
Electrician
Wiring, panels and fixtures
$43.00/hrAlaska median
Plumber
Water, drain and gas lines
$45.15/hrAlaska median
HVAC tech
Heating, cooling and ductwork
$37.23/hrAlaska median
Roofer
New roofs and repairs
$32.09/hrAlaska median
General contractor
Runs the job and the crews
$49.10/hrAlaska median, construction supervisors
Is there work in Alaska?
Construction jobs in Alaska, September 2026: 17,700, down 5.3% from a year earlier.
BLS Current Employment Statistics, Sep 2026New homes permitted in Alaska, September 2026: 59, down 28.9% from a year earlier.
Census Building Permits Survey, Sep 2026People working in these five trades in Alaska: 6,680.
BLS OEWS, May 2025Who licenses contractors in Alaska?
Alaska has no statewide license for these five trades. General contractors, electrical contractors, plumbing contractors, HVAC contractors and roofers register with the state.2
- ElectricalState registrationDept of Labor
- PlumbingState registrationDept of Labor
- HVACState registrationDiv. of Corporations, Business & Professional Licensing
- RoofingState registrationDiv. of Corporations, Business & Professional Licensing
- General contractorState registrationDiv. of Corporations, Business & Professional Licensing
Check an Alaska contractor
Search the license on the board's own site.
Training near you
Apprentices are hired first and paid while they learn on the job and in class. Trade school comes first and charges tuition.
Where to train and find work near you
Union locals take apprenticeship applications and send members out to union contractors. Open-shop chapters run apprenticeship classes for the people their member contractors hire.
IBEW union locals
- IBEW Local 1547Anchorage(907) 272-6571
Electrical training centers (JATCs)
- Alaska AJEATT5800 B. Street, Anchorage(907) 337-9508
IEC chapters (open shop)
No IEC chapter lists an office in Alaska. Chapters cover several states; the finder shows each one's area. IEC chapter finder
UA union locals
- UA Local 262Juneau(907) 586-2874
- UA Local 367Anchorage(907) 562-2810
- UA Local 375Fairbanks(907) 479-6221
Training
UA apprenticeships run through a joint committee of the local and union contractors. Call the local for the next application date.
PHCC chapters
No PHCC chapter lists an office in Alaska. PHCC chapter finder
SMART union locals
- SMART Local 1787Skagway
Sheet metal training centers
- Alaska Metal & Mechanical Apprenticeship1307 E. 75th Ave. #4, Anchorage(907) 277-5367
- Fairbanks Area SMW JATC1260 Aurora Drive, Fairbanks(907) 452-3864
PHCC chapters (heating, cooling, plumbing)
No PHCC chapter lists an office in Alaska. ACCA member contractors near you
Pipefitters and HVAC service techs also apprentice through the UA: UA locals in Alaska.
Carpenters union locals
- Carpenters Local 1243Fairbanks
- Carpenters Local 1281Anchorage
- Carpenters Local 2520Anchorage
Training
Union carpentry apprenticeships run through the regional council's training centers. Carpenters regional council finder
Home builder associations
- HBA of AlaskaPO Box 285, Soldotna(907) 229-8403
- HBA of Anchorage301 Arctic Slope Ave Ste 102, Anchorage(907) 522-3605
- Interior Alaska BAPO Box 80412, Fairbanks(907) 455-6650
- Northern Southeast Alaska BIA612 W Willoughby Ave Ste A, Juneau(907) 523-2333
- Kenai Peninsula BAPO Box 1753, Kenai(907) 740-0176
- Southern Southeast Alaska BIA2417 Tongass Ave, Ste 213A, Ketchikan(907) 247-4903
1 more chapters
- Mat-Su HBA609 S KNIK GOOSE BAY RD, Wasilla(907) 376-2620
Roofers union locals
No Roofers local has its office in Alaska. Search the Roofers union website.
Training
Roofers locals run their apprenticeship through a joint committee with union contractors.
Contractor associations
The national trade group for roofing contractors is the National Roofing Contractors Association.
Trade schools: where to apply
- Charter College2221 East Norhtern Lights Boulevard, Suite 120, AnchorageHVAC program
- University of Alaska Anchorage3211 Providence Drive, Anchorage
- Ilisagvik College100 Stevenson Street, BarrowConstruction program
- University of Alaska Fairbanks1731 South Chandalar Drive, FairbanksConstruction program
- Alaska Vocational Technical CenterPO Box 889, SewardHVAC program
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Alaska, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)
- Div. of Corporations, Business & Professional Licensing - Construction Contractors (commerce.alaska.gov)
- Alaska lien law: AS 34.35.068; AS 34.35.070 (akleg.gov)
- U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeship.gov registered apprenticeship partners (apprenticeship.gov)
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (field of study and institution data) (collegescorecard.ed.gov)
- BLS Current Employment Statistics, Sep 2026 (bls.gov)
- Census Building Permits Survey, Sep 2026 (census.gov)
- Dept of Labor - Mechanical Inspection (electrical administrators, plumbers/electricians) (labor.alaska.gov)