Work in Alaska?

PMFB-RN, RN · Apr 26, 2012

wow! that was not my experience coming to ak. my salary offer here was 33% higher than in the midwest.

*** well i guess it depends on where you had chosen to work previously. i make well over six figures here as a regular (non advanced practice) rn not including ot. providence only offered me around $80k.

according to the best places web site: http://www.bestplaces.net/col/ i would have to make $163k to have a compairable lifestyle in or near anchorage as we do now were we live. according to that website anchorage is 47% more expensive place to live than where i live currently and housing is 120% higher in anchorage.

it is true that it is more expensive to live here, everything from housing, to gas, to milk.

*** we bought a 10 year old 4 bed, 2 bath house on 23 acres with fields, a wooded creek bottom and some woods for $120k here 4 years ago. we were unable to find any nice houses in the anchorage area $120k. we searched up to an hours drive away.

wasn't it beautiful in that area though? oh wait, what time of year did you visit?

*** yes! alaska was beautiful! i loved it and to be honest if i didn't have children i would take the pay cut and move there anyway. i loved it. please understand i am not saying that alaska is not a great and interesting place, only that the pay vs cost of living didn't work out for us. while i only applied for a job in anchorage we did travel to other parts of the the state. i have continued to keep my eye on rn jobs there and continue to be disapointed at the relitivly low pay offered there. we were there from the last two weeks of august through the first two weeks of september.

tewdles, RN · May 4, 2012

Nice time of year to visit...end of the tourist season. Was it rainy and wet?

yeah...$120k is not going to go far in AK for housing

Kuyafern · Sep 2, 2012

Hi guys, i'm planning to get a license in Alaska, I'm from California and just want to move to a state with a great start and avoid the awful smog pollution here. I've read this article saying Alaskan's are prioritized first before other applicants. Well it does make sense to me since their within the state. But would I really need to live there for a year before applying for a job?

Any feedback would be great.

tewdles, RN · Sep 5, 2012

I came to AK without an AK nursing license, started my job and got my license within one month of my move.

Some areas of AK do not have adequate access to health professionals who are educated and live in AK, so they seek staff from the lower 48 and use travelors (sp).

Kuyafern · Sep 7, 2012

Thank you for the response tewdles, Would you say it's difficult to get a job in Alaska this year? I've read a couple of posts from people saying it's so difficult getting a job, but then i've spoken to couple of friends who live in Anchorage and they said it's not that hard if you try(i'm talking about retail jobs, and other non nursing jobs). I've been told that in order to work in hospitals I have to at least have 2 years experience or know someone inside. Would any of you recommend a hospital(s), outside big cities is alright, accepting new grads? Thank you guys in advance.

I came to AK without an AK nursing license, started my job and got my license within one month of my move.
Some areas of AK do not have adequate access to health professionals who are educated and live in AK, so they seek staff from the lower 48 and use travelors (sp).

blueberry POP tart:) · Jan 31, 2013

I lived in the south when I got an Alaska license, it took a little time & I thought it was pretty expensive. My hospital seems to always have positions available, both nursing & non-nursing. I would not want to live in Anchorage, I prefer a smaller, gentler town:)

mariebailey, MSN, RN · Jan 31, 2013

AK is not part of the compact agreement. I was able to get a temp license issued within 10 days of applying when I moved here last Fall, but it was expensive. I love it here so far. It's weird how your body adjusts to the weather (I grew up in the Deep South)! The people are incredibly hospitable. I will not say specifically where I live or who I work for in this forum, but I will say the pay compensates for the higher cost of living.

mariebailey, MSN, RN · Jan 31, 2013

Oh my...zombie thread.

PMFB-RN, RN · Jan 31, 2013

I will say the pay compensates for the higher cost of living.

*** I am happy you found that to be true. I looked into several jobs in AK. Anchorage and Bethel. I found the pay about 25% less than I make here in the upper midwest and the cost of living dramaticaly higher.

blueberry POP tart:) · Jan 31, 2013

*** I am happy you found that to be true. I looked into several jobs in AK. Anchorage and Bethel. I found the pay about 25% less than I make here in the upper midwest and the cost of living dramaticaly higher.

Wow that's incredible! I think i am paid like royalty, and I find the cost of living to be much the same! Maybe cause I'm in a smaller town?!

PMFB-RN, RN · Feb 1, 2013

Wow that's incredible! I think i am paid like royalty, and I find the cost of living to be much the same! Maybe cause I'm in a smaller town?!

While I only interviewed for two positions I did an extensive search for jobs and pay rates in AK. This was about 2 years ago. I didn't find any place in AK paying more than $80-90K for experienced RNs. Most paid less.

rotteluvr31, ADN, RN · Feb 1, 2013

Interesting, like another poster, I found the pay to be a 33% increase from where I was in the mid-west. But the housing here is much more expensive than what we had in the mid-west. For what I paid for my house in the city, I could be living on waterfront property with my boat tied to my dock. Oh well.