BLS metro-level wage data places Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators pay in Fort Smith, AR-OK at a median of $37,210 per year ($17.89/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $53,340, Fort Smith pays 30% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 30 paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operatorss are employed across the Fort Smith MSA in SOC 47-2071.

The Fort Smith pay distribution spans from $35,560 at the 10th percentile to $47,480 at the 90th — a 1.3× 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 $35,890 and the 75th at $46,130, so half of Fort Smith-based paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operatorss 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.