A good number of the people who live in the Alaska Mat-Su area are what we call “slopers.” Slopers work for the oil related industries on the north slope (Prudhoe Bay, etc). Work can range from electrical, machine operator, plumbing, HVAC, laborer, etc. They typically work 2 weeks on/two weeks off, or 3 weeks on/three weeks off rotations. Plenty of free time with family, to build cabins, etc. If you can manage working on the north slope where it’s dark and very cold during the winters, you can make a great living and enjoy life. These are all almost all union jobs, so benefits are superb.
I saw a report a few weeks ago presented on this legislative session that the average annual wage for slopers living in the Mat-Su in 2023 was $119,000. Since that average includes a lot of lower skilled laborers, highly skilled laborers are bringing in much more than average.