Salary comparison
Light Truck Drivers: Fairbanks vs Seattle
Fairbanks, AK pays about 1.8% more for light truck drivers on paper — $50,480 vs $49,590. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Fairbanks comes out ahead by $890 a year in real buying power.
Fairbanks, AK
$50,480
$38,530
$63,300
$24.27
100
$50,480/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Seattle, WA
$49,590
$47,760
$58,420
$23.84
100
$49,590/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $890 a year (1.8%) in favor of Fairbanks. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Fairbanks runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Seattle sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Fairbanks is the better deal by $890 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Seattle to Fairbanks for this role, the raise needs to beat 1.8% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do light truck drivers earn more, Fairbanks or Seattle?
Fairbanks pays $50,480 on median — about 1.8% more than Seattle ($49,590). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Fairbanks. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Fairbanks gives you roughly$50,480 of real buying power versus $49,590 in the other city.