By Alyssa Burr
Alaska Independent, June 9, 2026
Alaska workers will see their minimum hourly wage increase from $13 to $14 on July 1. The boost in hourly pay stems from a 2024 ballot measure approved by roughly 58% of Alaska voters. The measure amended Alaska labor law to phase in annual minimum wage increases until the state’s pay for hourly workers reaches $15 in July 2027. The minimum wage will increase to adjust for inflation in the years thereafter. This July also marks one year since employers were required to provide paid sick time under the law.
The Alaska Business for Better Jobs coalition, a group of over 130 businesses throughout the state that supported the proposal, said following the ballot measure’s passage two years ago that raising the minimum wage would be good for the state’s economy, would reduce employee turnover, and would improve staff productivity.
“Small businesses are the vital heart of our local economy,” Derrick Green, owner of Waffles and Whatnot in Anchorage, said in a November 2024 statement. “I hear from business owners all the time who know that for their business to succeed, they need a solid customer base. More income circulating throughout our communities strengthens our customer base and our economy. And I know as a restaurant owner, it makes more sense to have better wages and low employee turnover than low wages and high turnover. Enacting Ballot Measure 1 will help our businesses and communities thrive.” ...