Resource for Finding Alaska Construction Jobs in Heavy Civil

Welcome to AlaskaConstructionJobs.com

Heavy Civil Construction in Alaska

I created this site to be a resource for people looking for Alaska construction jobs. The construction industry is a great place to spend a career, and doing it in Alaska is even better. I've spent 15 years in the heavy civil construction industry in Alaska and each summer there tends to be more job opportunities than there are people to fill those positions. In addition, the wages tend to be really good. On public works projects, they're outstanding. If you're open to working remote, there's a potential that you can earn a daily per-diem as well. There are opportunities for people with all types of experience and education as well which I'll detail more in the "Opportunities" section of the Alaska Construction Jobs page below.

Working construction in Alaska isn't for the faint of heart. You should be ok with being out in weather that's not always ideal and with working long hours as 10 to 12 hour days (or sometimes more), 6 to 7 days a week are really common. The nice thing is Alaska's overtime rules require that you get paid overtime after 8 hours in a day or 40 in a week and then your rate goes to "time and a half" or 1.5 your hourly wage (Check the AK DOL page for more details). While Alaska is known for having cold weather, summers are actually pretty awesome with average temperatures in the 50's/60's/70's in Southcentral. In places like Fairbanks which is considered the Interior, can get even warmer.

The heavy civil construction season in Alaska typically runs May through Sept/October or not much longer after the snow flies. There are times where a project can last a bit longer or through the winter such as certain dirt hauling type operations or tunnel work but for the most part, construction shuts down for the winter season. Most of the craft workforce in Alaska is used to that and most are laid off for the winter. Some work other jobs in the winter or head to the north-slope, some go south for the winter and some take the winters off as it's not uncommon for a person to work 1600 hours or more in a summer construction season so if you're looking for a construction jobs in Alaska, you should start reaching out before the season starts. Hit me up below if you're interested.

Types of Opportunities

Craft / Field Positions

Field based positions are aplenty. In the Heavy Civil Industry, most of the large contractors who have a majority of the jobs are signatory to Unions so for many of the opportunities, you'll need to join the Operating Engineers, the Laborers or the Teamsters. If you're already a member down south and want to work in Alaska, you may be able to transfer your books to the Alaska locals. Some of these positions are in high demand like Grade Checkers, Finish Blade, Dozer w/GPS, Pavers and Foreman (if you have any experience, shoot me a message below as my company is always looking for these positions). The halls tend to be mostly cleared out by June each year so if you've got some experience in any of the crafts, you should have a real shot at getting work.

Here's what the 2021 wages look like on a public works project (from Alaska DOL Pamphlet 600):

Equipment Operators: $34.83 - $45.29 p.h.

Laborers: $32.10 - $41.07 p.h

Teamsters: $38.52 - 43.21 p.h

Per-Diem: $100 per day - Check the Alaska DOL Pamphlet 600 for more details

Most Unions offer apprenticeship programs so if you are new to construction, checking their websites is the best place to start. These are great places to start your career in Construction.

Project Management

If you're interested in being responsible for the overall performance of a construction project (financial, schedule, owner relations etc.), you'll want to look for Project Manager, Superintendent and Project Engineer positions and Alaska always seems to be in short supply. For many of these roles, companies will be looking either for a Bachelor's degree in Construction Management / Civil Engineering or past experience as a Foreman / General Foreman. If you have a resume, make sure you take the time to list out project specific experiences that are relevant to the company you are applying for. Attaching a list of projects to your resume along with the scope of work and major responsibilities really helps.

A great way to get your foot in the door is through a paid Internship. Many contractors offer summer internships to students enrolled in a Bachelor's degree program. Typically employers are looking for students at a junior level however, past experience, attitude and self motivation can get you there earlier.

Support & Functional Roles

There are all sorts of support/functional roles in the Construction Industry such as Payroll Processors, AP/AR, Contracts, Controllers, Office Managers, Safety Professionals, Dispatchers, Environmental Managers and Technicians, Quality Control, HR, Equipment Managers etc., and the skillset required for these positions runs the gamut from entry level to experienced. There can be great career opportunities that pay well and provide really good benefits in these functional areas.

Work Locations

There are opportunities to work in Construction all over Alaska. The question is whether or not you want to work in or near a city/town. If you choose to work in heavy civil/highway construction or public works projects, there may be an opportunity for per-diem if you work at least 65 road miles from the international airports in Anchorage, Fairbanks or Juneau (See AK DOL pamphlet 600 for more details). A large portion of work tends to be near Anchorage / Mat-Su Valley or within a couple of hours drive of the two locations as it is the largest population center in the state. There’s roughly 400k people or more between the two areas (around 700k total in the state). Work happens around the clock in Alaska as there’s a small window to finish before the snow flies. If you’re working in or near town, there’s a greater chance of working more nights though you could end up working days or nights anywhere.

For housing, if you end up in a city, it can be spendy to rent a place in the summer. It’s not a bad time to start looking in the March/April timeframe as people tend to move more often in the spring / summer than winter. On the road system but out of town and depending on the area, people will rent cabins or rooms for the summer. Many locations throughout our state are setup for a seasonal rental business. In some areas, contractors will work with a campsite or large gravel pit owner to secure space where you can setup a travel trailer. Sometimes there are electrical hookups, but you’ll likely want to have a generator. There are certain areas in AK where the contractor has to setup a camp such as on the Dalton Hwy.

Alaska Construction Jobs

Alaska Construction Jobs

Resource for Finding Alaska Construction Jobs in Heavy Civil

Resource for Finding Alaska Construction Jobs in Heavy Civil

Welcome to AlaskaConstructionJobs.com

Heavy Civil Construction in Alaska

Types of Opportunities

Craft / Field Positions

Project Management

Support & Functional Roles

Work Locations

Contact Me

If you're interested in finding work in the construction industry in Alaska, send me a message about what type of position you're looking for and I'll help you if I can.

Resource for Finding Alaska Construction Jobs in Heavy Civil

Resource for Finding Alaska Construction Jobs in Heavy Civil

Welcome to AlaskaConstructionJobs.com

Heavy Civil Construction in Alaska

Types of Opportunities

Craft / Field Positions

Project Management

Support & Functional Roles

Work Locations

Contact Me

If you're interested in finding work in the construction industry in Alaska, send me a message about what type of position you're looking for and I'll help you if I can.

This website uses cookies.