Jobs, pay and daily life in Butte, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Butte is a city in Alaska with 4,085 residents. The median household earns $101,042 a year and the median rent is $1,610 a month, which is 19.1% of the median household income. It is part of the Anchorage, AK metropolitan area, where BLS counts 177,050 jobs.
How Butte compares. Among the 30 largest places in Alaska, Butte is #30 by population, #4 for remote work (#1 = most), #26 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #25 for rent (#1 = cheapest). Its county, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, is #19 of 30 counties for average pay ($58,329).
Butte has 4,085 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.6% of the population of Alaska. It covers 34 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 121 people per square mile. The median age is 42.2, 18% older than the state median (42.2 against 35.8). It is a census-designated place: a community the Census Bureau counts as a unit, without a city government of its own, so services such as police, roads and zoning usually come from the county.
The median gross rent is $1,610 a month (rent plus utilities), 13% above the state median ($1,610 against $1,419). Over a year that is 19.1% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $374,600, which is 3.7 times the median household income ($101,042); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 82.9% of households own their home, 24% above the state average (82.9% against 66.8%).
The Anchorage, AK metropolitan area has 177,050 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $60,200 a year, 18% above the national median ($60,200 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (21,740 jobs, median $51,330); transportation and material moving (17,980 jobs, median $49,240); food preparation and serving related (16,180 jobs, median $35,490). The area is most specialised in construction and extraction (1.4 times) and installation, maintenance, and repair (1.3 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($124,600) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($104,640). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Matanuska-Susitna Borough was 4.1%. 62.8% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Matanuska-Susitna Borough; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 68.3% drive alone, 0.2% use public transit, 4.8% walk, 13.5% work from home. 33.3% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 294% above the state average (33.3% against 8.4%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
33.7% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 6% above the state share (33.7% against 31.7%). 2.1% of residents were born outside the United States, 73% below the state share (2.1% against 7.7%). The poverty rate is 6.7%, 34% below the state rate (6.7% against 10.1%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 49°F (9.2°C), and the coolest is Jan at 9°F (-12.9°C). About 1,243 mm (49 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Aug is the wettest month (158 mm) and Mar the driest (65 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Palmer (6 miles, rent 30% lower); Gateway (8 miles, rent 8% higher); South Lakes (11 miles, rent 27% lower); North Lakes (12 miles, rent 10% lower). Rent differences are against Butte; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Alaska (324) →State guide: AlaskaCountry guideMatanuska-Susitna BoroughAlaska rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 324 federal postings open in Alaska (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 4,990 | 1.30 | $115,290 | $85,840 | $155,150 | +18% |
| Retail Salespersons | 4,710 | 1.06 | $37,520 | $30,890 | $51,200 | +6% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 4,440 | 0.91 | $39,140 | $29,660 | $45,310 | +9% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 4,070 | 1.26 | $40,310 | $35,720 | $55,230 | +8% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 3,600 | 0.82 | $33,280 | $24,810 | $45,070 | +7% |
| General and Operations Managers | 3,290 | 0.82 | $120,030 | $65,050 | $223,230 | +13% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 3,070 | 1.88 | $68,620 | $47,990 | $98,550 | -1% |
| Cashiers | 2,890 | 0.82 | $36,350 | $31,600 | $47,770 | +11% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 2,780 | 1.10 | $40,510 | $28,160 | $51,830 | +10% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 2,620 | 0.78 | $44,510 | $37,240 | $75,070 | +11% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 2,560 | 1.32 | $48,150 | $35,250 | $64,480 | +1% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 2,340 | 0.90 | $26,080 | $24,770 | $65,840 | -26% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 2,300 | 1.47 | $54,100 | $38,910 | $75,290 | +7% |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,920 | 0.69 | $53,550 | $38,390 | $72,820 | +19% |
| Construction Laborers | 1,860 | 1.49 | $56,160 | $42,680 | $83,530 | +19% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,720 | 1.09 | $79,270 | $62,750 | $97,090 | +24% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,680 | 0.96 | $57,390 | $37,190 | $83,270 | +16% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 1,680 | 1.32 | $57,310 | $38,730 | $78,560 | +18% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 1,680 | 1.53 | $47,080 | $36,240 | $59,270 | +3% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,620 | 0.69 | $66,190 | $48,650 | $88,880 | +13% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 1,270 | 10.80 | $232,240 | $59,130 | $369,150 | +0% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 590 | 2.35 | $161,800 | $113,790 | $236,490 | -6% |
| Lawyers | 780 | 0.91 | $153,590 | $89,910 | $336,190 | -4% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 550 | 0.72 | $137,990 | $92,960 | $201,870 | -21% |
| Construction Managers | 900 | 2.08 | $137,980 | $96,310 | $228,330 | +20% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 900 | 1.33 | $133,620 | $81,630 | $308,170 | +8% |
| Managers, All Other | 1,000 | 1.41 | $132,210 | $76,510 | $195,190 | -7% |
| Financial Managers | 1,200 | 1.26 | $129,220 | $85,780 | $209,590 | -22% |
| General and Operations Managers | 3,290 | 0.82 | $120,030 | $65,050 | $223,230 | +13% |
| Registered Nurses | 4,990 | 1.30 | $115,290 | $85,840 | $155,150 | +18% |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | 570 | 0.75 | $115,020 | $80,240 | $132,370 | +51% |
| Civil Engineers | 1,110 | 2.66 | $112,740 | $78,940 | $159,320 | +12% |
| Sales Managers | 530 | 0.74 | $100,940 | $70,190 | $174,570 | -32% |
| Commercial Pilots | 590 | 10.94 | $99,920 | $58,570 | $163,530 | -19% |
| Project Management Specialists | 1,270 | 1.04 | $99,580 | $51,360 | $160,730 | -3% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | 1,370 | 1.95 | $97,830 | $59,700 | $135,180 | +23% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | 1,230 | 1.33 | $96,000 | $61,360 | $130,690 | +20% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 1,200 | 0.97 | $94,740 | $65,890 | $135,030 | +14% |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 640 | 1.21 | $93,600 | $53,730 | $116,790 | +47% |
| Buyers and Purchasing Agents | 510 | 0.92 | $86,380 | $61,290 | $134,640 | +11% |
These figures are for the whole Anchorage, AK metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $60,200 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.6% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 22.2% |
| Retail trade | 12.4% |
| Public administration | 10.3% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 9.9% |
| Construction | 9.9% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 9.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 7.9% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 6.5% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 3.3% |
| Other services | 3.2% |
| Information | 2.5% |
| Manufacturing | 1.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.0% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Butte lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 112,988 | $4,465 million | $39,520 | 29,515 | 2,824 | $58,329 | +3.3% | 4.1% | 52,005 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 5,685 | 23.7% | $59,532 | 1.34 |
| Retail trade | 4,350 | 18.1% | $40,584 | 1.48 |
| Construction | 3,509 | 14.6% | $96,570 | 2.26 |
| Accommodation and food services | 3,146 | 13.1% | $28,385 | 1.17 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 988 | 4.1% | $44,342 | 1.11 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 911 | 3.8% | $63,394 | 0.73 |
| Administrative and waste services | 902 | 3.8% | $47,914 | 0.52 |
| Professional and technical services | 826 | 3.4% | $68,715 | 0.40 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 556 | 2.3% | $26,741 | 1.12 |
| Finance and insurance | 533 | 2.2% | $68,890 | 0.44 |
| Manufacturing | 508 | 2.1% | $50,957 | 0.21 |
| Information | 437 | 1.8% | $90,452 | 0.79 |
| Educational services | 392 | 1.6% | $38,758 | 0.64 |
| Utilities | 366 | 1.5% | $108,567 | 3.26 |
| Real estate and rental | 276 | 1.1% | $41,673 | 0.60 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 235 | 1.0% | $33,450 | 0.98 |
| Wholesale trade | 211 | 0.9% | $71,654 | 0.18 |
| Management of companies | 122 | 0.5% | $51,096 | 0.25 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 83 | 0.3% | $92,535 | 0.74 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 68.3% |
| Public transit | 0.2% |
| Walk | 4.8% |
| Work from home | 13.5% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 33.3% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $101,042 |
| Income per person | $42,934 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,610 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 19.1% |
| Median home value | $374,600 |
| Homeowners | 82.9% |
| Poverty rate | 6.7% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 105.4 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $60,200 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: No state tax on wages.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 42.2 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 96.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 33.7% |
| Born abroad | 2.1% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 62.8% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -12.9 | 9 | 77 |
| Feb | -11.4 | 11 | 69 |
| Mar | -10.7 | 13 | 65 |
| Apr | -4.4 | 24 | 66 |
| May | 1.2 | 34 | 78 |
| Jun | 6.7 | 44 | 120 |
| Jul | 9.2 | 49 | 136 |
| Aug | 7.8 | 46 | 158 |
| Sep | 3.3 | 38 | 158 |
| Oct | -3.8 | 25 | 122 |
| Nov | -10.8 | 13 | 98 |
| Dec | -11.6 | 11 | 96 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palmer | AK | 6 mi | 6,268 | $72,201 | $1,125 |
| Gateway | AK | 8 mi | 6,845 | $137,772 | $1,741 |
| South Lakes | AK | 11 mi | 6,180 | $98,141 | $1,178 |
| North Lakes | AK | 12 mi | 10,223 | $101,679 | $1,441 |
| Wasilla | AK | 16 mi | 9,720 | $67,234 | $1,153 |
| Fishhook | AK | 17 mi | 5,819 | $111,375 | $1,837 |
| Tanaina | AK | 17 mi | 9,646 | $105,536 | $1,398 |
| Knik-Fairview | AK | 21 mi | 19,972 | $96,437 | $1,588 |
| Meadow Lakes | AK | 22 mi | 8,689 | $81,699 | $1,377 |
| Anchorage | AK | 27 mi | 288,976 | $103,284 | $1,489 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
4,085 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,610 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 19.1% of the median household income.
$101,042 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.1% (BLS county, Matanuska-Susitna Borough (latest month 2026M09)).
Alaska. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.