BLS metro-level wage data places Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists pay in Fort Smith, AR-OK at a median of $28,090 per year ($13.51/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $35,790, Fort Smith pays 22% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 70 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologistss are employed across the Fort Smith MSA in SOC 39-5012.

The Fort Smith pay distribution spans from $23,640 at the 10th percentile to $46,110 at the 90th — a 2.0× 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 $23,950 and the 75th at $32,520, so half of Fort Smith-based hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologistss 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.