Tax arbitrage

Alaska take-home pay

Ranked against every other state and DC for the same salary, filing status, dependents, retirement savings, and pay frequency.

Alaska at $85,000

Alaska ranks 8 of 51 on a $85,000 salary, leaving an estimated $68,357 a year — $271 less than the highest-ranked jurisdiction. The full spread between first and last is $7,196.

Take-home pay at $85,000,Alaska against the highest and lowest ranked jurisdictions
RankJurisdictionTake-homeBehind first
1Florida$68,628—
8Alaska$68,357$271
51Oregon$61,432$7,196

Alaska takes no income tax on this

Alaska levies no individual income tax on wages, so nothing is withheld for state income tax and the whole $85,000 is reduced by federal income tax and FICA alone. What Alaska does collect is $271 of state payroll assessments, which are not an income tax and do not scale the same way brackets do.

Where a move from Alaska gains most

Ranked by what each would add to take-home pay against Alaska's $68,357, on the same salary and profile. This is before cost of living, which routinely reverses the order — the highest-ranked jurisdictions here are not the cheapest places to live.

The five largest take-home gains against Alaska at $85,000
JurisdictionRankTake-homeGained a year
Florida1$68,628$271
Nevada2$68,628$271
New Hampshire3$68,628$271
South Dakota4$68,628$271
Tennessee5$68,628$271

A single filer paid biweekly, no dependents and no 401(k) contribution, on 2026 federal, FICA and state rules reviewed through 2026-08-09. State income tax only — local and municipal taxes are excluded, as is cost of living.

Common questions

Where does Alaska rank for take-home pay in 2026?

Alaska ranks 8 of 51 US jurisdictions on an $85,000 single-filer salary, keeping an estimated $68,357 a year after federal tax, FICA and state tax. The spread between the highest- and lowest-ranked jurisdiction on that same salary is $7,196.

How much more would I keep in Florida than in Alaska?

About $271 a year on an $85,000 salary. Florida ranks first of 51 and Alaska ranks 8. That figure is before cost of living, which routinely reverses the order — the jurisdictions that keep the most of a paycheck are not generally the cheapest places to spend it.

Is it worth moving out of Alaska to pay less tax?

Not on this figure alone. The whole national spread on an $85,000 salary is $7,196 a year, and a difference in rent or mortgage of a few hundred dollars a month erases most of that. This ranking is a starting point for the tax question, not an answer to the moving question.