BLS metro-level wage data places Food Preparation Workers pay in Fort Smith, AR-OK at a median of $26,900 per year ($12.93/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $35,320, Fort Smith pays 24% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 320 food preparation workerss are employed across the Fort Smith MSA in SOC 35-2021.

The Fort Smith pay distribution spans from $23,460 at the 10th percentile to $36,460 at the 90th — a 1.6× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $25,510 and the 75th at $30,720, so half of Fort Smith-based food preparation workerss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Fort Smith, AR-OK covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide AR data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.