State salary profile · Arkansas

Arkansas Salaries

Arkansas wages where BEA prices sit below the national average (RPP 86.9), from BLS OEWS May 2025. Published local OEWS areas include East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR, Fort Smith, AR-OK, Hot Springs, AR, Jonesboro, AR, Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR, then North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area.

$150,840
Mean of top 50 medians
671
Occupations
9
Local wage areas
57,490
Estimated jobs (top tier)

The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians in Arkansas is $150,840.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, The May 2025 release has a published median for 671 occupations in Arkansas; percentile boundaries and local-area rows are available only where BLS publishes them. The highest-paying reported occupation, Dermatologists, earns $422,060, versus $23,140 for Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary at the bottom of the range. Detail is available for 5 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas. Published local OEWS areas include East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR, Fort Smith, AR-OK, Hot Springs, AR, Jonesboro, AR, Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR, then North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area.

Arkansas · employment ≠ wage

In Arkansas, Fast Food and Counter Workers lead by published employment (35,660 jobs, #1 of 657) but rank #652 of 657 on median wage ($26,250), while Dermatologists top the wage list at $422,060 (#1 of 657) with 40 jobs (#640 of 657). The largest payroll is not the highest published median.

35,660
Fast Food and Counter Work... employment #1
$422,060
Dermatologists wage #1
#640
Employment rank of wage leader
#652
Wage rank of employment leader

Employment is OEWS tot_emp inside this state; pay is the occupation median. Same detailed-occupation pool, two rankings.

Employment of Arkansas's #1 occupations by headcount vs median wage

Same unit (published jobs) for both named leaders. BLS OEWS May 2025.

jobs

What this shows Fast Food and Counter Workers lead Arkansas by employment; Dermatologists lead on median wage at $422,060.

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

Arkansas, the picture in one line

Arkansas ranks #50 of 54 states and territories by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage; its highest published occupation median is Dermatologists at $422,060. Published local OEWS areas include East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR, Fort Smith, AR-OK, Hot Springs, AR, Jonesboro, AR, Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR, then North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area.

#50
of 54 states by published mean wage
$422,060
top-paying: Dermatologists
7th
percentile among all states
East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area
local OEWS: East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area and Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR

The state rank uses BLS's All Occupations mean. Occupation rows below use occupation-specific medians; the two statistics are not interchangeable. Start local checks in East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area.

Where Arkansas already employs the upper wage tier

Financial Managers and Software Developers lead Arkansas's published employment inside this top-pay sample, order follows OEWS job counts, not median wage.

  1. 1. Financial Managers 7,120 jobs · $116,570
  2. 2. Software Developers 6,050 jobs · $104,490
  3. 3. Physicians, All Other 4,290 jobs · $136,880
  4. 4. Nurse Practitioners 3,970 jobs · $125,660
  5. 5. Sales Managers 3,710 jobs · $108,330
  6. 6. Chief Executives 3,550 jobs · $119,990
  7. 7. Computer and Information Systems Managers 3,420 jobs · $127,220
  8. 8. Pharmacists 2,900 jobs · $136,060
  9. 9. Industrial Production Managers 2,560 jobs · $118,120
  10. 10. Occupational Therapists 2,160 jobs · $106,360
  11. 11. Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary 2,080 jobs · $124,890
  12. 12. Marketing Managers 1,860 jobs · $136,520
  13. 13. Human Resources Managers 1,290 jobs · $108,580
  14. 14. Architectural and Engineering Managers 1,220 jobs · $140,600
  15. 15. Dentists, General 1,210 jobs · $178,930
  16. 16. Computer Programmers 1,050 jobs · $111,840
  17. 17. Purchasing Managers 930 jobs · $156,450
  18. 18. Computer Network Architects 910 jobs · $110,400
  19. 19. Physician Assistants 850 jobs · $118,430
  20. 20. Statisticians 570 jobs · $105,720

Local BLS wage areas inside Arkansas

Published local OEWS areas include East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR, Fort Smith, AR-OK, Hot Springs, AR, Jonesboro, AR, Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR, then North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area.

East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR Fort Smith, AR-OK Hot Springs, AR Jonesboro, AR Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area

Observed statewide pay change

What changed, BLS OEWS 2024–2025

May 2024 → May 2025
  • BLS's published All Occupations median in Arkansas moved from $41,020 in May 2024 to $43,630 in May 2025 (+6.4%).
  • Across the 54 states and territories priced in both releases, the median place changed +2.7%.
  • Arkansas sits +3.6 pp ahead of that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.

Managers, All Other shows the widest statewide vs national median gap in Arkansas

Managers, All Other publishes $87,520 here versus $141,900 nationally (-38.3%; 5,690statewide jobs). Next is Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers at $47,670 locally versus $76,210 nationally (-37.4%).

  1. Managers, All Other$87,520 in Arkansas sits 38.3% below the national Managers, All Other median of $141,900 (5,690 published local jobs).
  2. Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers$47,670 in Arkansas sits 37.4% below the national Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers median of $76,210 (5,710 published local jobs).
  3. Financial Managers$116,570 in Arkansas sits 30.0% below the national Financial Managers median of $166,570 (7,120 published local jobs).
  4. General and Operations Managers$74,050 in Arkansas sits 30.0% below the national General and Operations Managers median of $105,770 (34,570 published local jobs).

Managers, All Other and the other occupations above are descriptive OEWS endpoints for Arkansas; they are not findings about taxes, employers, or worker experience.

· Source: BLS OEWS May 2025

The Arkansas OEWS table has a published median for 671 occupations. The displayed top 50 rows have summed published employment of approximately 57,490; that sum does not include the bottom table or rows whose employment is suppressed. BLS publishes means and percentile boundaries only where the corresponding estimate meets its publication standards. Averaging the medians of the top 50 highest-paying occupations gives $150,840 per year. That is only a mean of the displayed upper-tier occupation medians; it is not the BLS All Occupations mean or median and does not describe a typical worker. Published local OEWS areas include East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR, Fort Smith, AR-OK, Hot Springs, AR, Jonesboro, AR, Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR, then North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area. Local OEWS areas in this extract include East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR, Fort Smith, AR-OK, Hot Springs, AR, Jonesboro, AR, Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR, North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area.

At the top of the ranking, Dermatologists pays a Arkansas median of $422,060, the highest-paying reported occupation in the state. The number-two spot goes to Neurologists at $317,880, followed by Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric at $262,470. At the bottom of the published range, Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary has a median of $23,140, making the displayed endpoint ratio 18.2×. The endpoints do not establish a cause or career stage. WageDex has BLS occupation rows for 5 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas assigned to Arkansas, allowing comparisons below the statewide estimate without treating nonmetropolitan areas as MSAs.

Arkansas's lower BEA price level (RPP 86.9) lifts the national-price reading of the published mean to about $63,165. Even then, compare Dermatologists and Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary inside a local OEWS area before treating either median as an offer. Published local OEWS areas include East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR, Fort Smith, AR-OK, Hot Springs, AR, Jonesboro, AR, Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR, then North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area. Local OEWS area names are state-specific; statewide means are not metro offers.

Top-Tier Sample

75

occupations shown below

Avg. Median Salary

$150,840

top 50 occupations

Top Salary

$422,060

Dermatologists

Where Arkansas ranks by published mean wage

BLS All Occupations annual mean vs. 54 states & territories; local OEWS includes East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area and Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR, Fort Smith, AR-OK

$54,890 Bottom 7% higher than 7% of 54 states & territories

$0–$5,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 3 states & territories (6%). This entry sits in this band. $55,000–$60,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Above this entry. $60,000–$65,000: 16 states & territories (30%). Above this entry. $65,000–$70,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Above this entry. $70,000–$75,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Above this entry. $75,000–$80,000: 4 states & territories (7%). Above this entry. $80,000–$85,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Above this entry. $85,000–$90,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. $90,000–$95,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $95,000–$100,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $100,000–$105,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $105,000–$110,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $110,000–$115,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. This state $0 $115,000 every state & territory, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
Band Count Share
$0–$5,000 0 states & territories 0%
$5,000–$10,000 0 states & territories 0%
$10,000–$15,000 0 states & territories 0%
$15,000–$20,000 0 states & territories 0%
$20,000–$25,000 0 states & territories 0%
$25,000–$30,000 0 states & territories 0%
$30,000–$35,000 0 states & territories 0%
$35,000–$40,000 1 states & territories 2%
$40,000–$45,000 0 states & territories 0%
$45,000–$50,000 1 states & territories 2%
$50,000–$55,000 (this entry) 3 states & territories 6%
$55,000–$60,000 8 states & territories 15%
$60,000–$65,000 16 states & territories 30%
$65,000–$70,000 8 states & territories 15%
$70,000–$75,000 8 states & territories 15%
$75,000–$80,000 4 states & territories 7%
$80,000–$85,000 3 states & territories 6%
$85,000–$90,000 1 states & territories 2%
$90,000–$95,000 0 states & territories 0%
$95,000–$100,000 0 states & territories 0%
$100,000–$105,000 0 states & territories 0%
$105,000–$110,000 0 states & territories 0%
$110,000–$115,000 1 states & territories 2%

$54,890 · 7th percentile of 54 states & territories

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

Arkansas ranks #50 of 54 by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage ($54,890). It is not the median wage or a prediction for a particular worker.

National-price-equivalent mean: dividing the $54,890 BLS All Occupations mean by the BEA state RPP gives $63,165. Inputs: BEA Regional Price Parity for Arkansas (RPP 86.9, 2024; 100 = national average, all items, table SARPP). The division is a WageDex calculation, not an after-tax or household-income measure.

Largest OEWS footprints in Arkansas

Published employment among the top-pay sample, top 15 by jobs

jobs
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

BLS publishes wage data for 671 distinct occupations in Arkansas. The table below shows the top 50 by median annual wage, reordered by published employment for this reading. Drill into the full top-100 ranking or the fastest-growing list for deeper coverage.

Top-pay occupations in Arkansas, by employment

View all 100 →

Same top-pay sample as the salary ranking, sorted by published Arkansas jobs so the title sequence follows the local OEWS mix.

# Occupation Median Salary
1 Financial Managers $116,570
2 Software Developers $104,490
3 Physicians, All Other $136,880
4 Nurse Practitioners $125,660
5 Sales Managers $108,330
6 Chief Executives $119,990
7 Computer and Information Systems Managers $127,220
8 Pharmacists $136,060
9 Industrial Production Managers $118,120
10 Occupational Therapists $106,360
11 Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary $124,890
12 Marketing Managers $136,520
13 Human Resources Managers $108,580
14 Architectural and Engineering Managers $140,600
15 Dentists, General $178,930
16 Computer Programmers $111,840
17 Purchasing Managers $156,450
18 Computer Network Architects $110,400
19 Physician Assistants $118,430
20 Statisticians $105,720
21 Veterinarians $107,710
22 Data Scientists $109,390
23 Database Architects $104,070
24 Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric $262,470
25 Natural Sciences Managers $119,430
26 Public Relations Managers $104,170
27 Optometrists $124,470
28 General Internal Medicine Physicians $233,130
29 Family Medicine Physicians $215,820
30 Chemical Engineers $105,270
31 Surgeons, All Other $254,940
32 Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers $168,970
33 Power Distributors and Dispatchers $117,370
34 Computer Hardware Engineers $120,290
35 Psychiatrists $124,750
36 Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $109,830
37 Physicians, Pathologists $214,100
38 Psychologists, All Other $114,340
39 Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary $104,210
40 Pediatricians, General $160,440
41 Materials Engineers $103,900
42 Air Traffic Controllers $109,760
43 Neurologists $317,880
44 Physicists $135,820
45 Dermatologists $422,060
46 Dentists, All Other Specialists $232,730
47 Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric $259,320
48 Medical Dosimetrists $138,260
49 Sales Engineers $130,760
50 Nurse Anesthetists $224,280

Lowest Paying Jobs in Arkansas

Occupation Median Salary
Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary $23,140
Sailors and Marine Oilers $23,960
Waiters and Waitresses $24,680
Bartenders $25,090
Barbers $25,640
Fast Food and Counter Workers $26,250
Sales and Related Workers, All Other $26,490
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop $26,760
Amusement and Recreation Attendants $26,850
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers $27,000
Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants $27,180
Dishwashers $27,540
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant $27,600
Food Preparation Workers $27,660
Home Health and Personal Care Aides $27,660
Cashiers $27,670
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers $27,670
Manicurists and Pedicurists $27,690
Cooks, Fast Food $27,710
Recreation Workers $27,770
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $27,960
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers $28,050
School Bus Monitors $28,260
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks $28,300
Gambling Dealers $28,380

Fastest Growing Jobs

View all 50 →

See national growth projections alongside the published OEWS state employment estimates for each occupation in Arkansas. Based on BLS employment projections 2024-2034.

Metro and Nonmetropolitan Wage Areas in Arkansas

East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR Fort Smith, AR-OK Hot Springs, AR Jonesboro, AR Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area

Salary Guides

Best States for Salaries

Which states pay the most and why

Salary vs. Cost of Living

Compare local wage and price-level benchmarks

Fastest Growing Occupations

Where the job growth is heading

Nationwide states with similar All Occupations pay or employment scale

Two BLS OEWS peer sets outside Arkansas. Local metro cards below stay inside this state; these neighborhoods are cross-state nearest neighbors on published All Occupations mean wage ($54,890 here) and reported employment (1,303,630 jobs here).

Similar mean wage

Nearest other states by BLS All Occupations annual mean wage.

Similar employment scale

Nearest headcount peers (floor 250,000 All Occupations jobs), distinct from the mean-wage column.

Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS All Occupations mean annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude states already listed in the mean-wage column so the two link sets stay distinct.

Local OEWS areas and related Arkansas pages

Published local OEWS areas include East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR, Fort Smith, AR-OK, Hot Springs, AR, Jonesboro, AR, Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR, then North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area.

East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area

Local OEWS wage area

Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR

Local OEWS wage area

Fort Smith, AR-OK

Local OEWS wage area

Hot Springs, AR

Local OEWS wage area

Jonesboro, AR

Local OEWS wage area

Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR

Local OEWS wage area

Highest Paying in Arkansas

Top 100 by median salary

Fastest Growing in Arkansas

Projected 2024-2034 growth

Dermatologists

National occupation profile

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average of the top 50 occupation medians in Arkansas? ▼
The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians is $150,840/year (BLS OEWS May 2025). It is not the statewide mean or median and does not describe the wage of a typical worker.
What is the average salary in Arkansas? ▼
BLS publishes an All Occupations annual mean wage of $54,890/year for Arkansas in the May 2025 OEWS release, which ranks 50th among the 54 states and territories with a published mean. Published local OEWS areas include East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR, Fort Smith, AR-OK, Hot Springs, AR, Jonesboro, AR, Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR, then North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area. This is an occupational wage estimate, not a household-income statistic or a prediction for one worker.
What is the highest paying job in Arkansas? ▼
The highest paying occupation in Arkansas is Dermatologists with a median salary of $422,060/year according to BLS data. The second highest is Neurologists at $317,880/year.
What jobs pay the least in Arkansas? ▼
The lowest published occupation median in this Arkansas ranking is Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary at $23,140/year. The table does not classify that occupation as entry-level or explain why its median is lowest.
How many local BLS wage areas are shown for Arkansas? ▼
WageDex has occupation-level wage rows for 5 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas assigned to Arkansas. Published local OEWS areas include East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR, Fort Smith, AR-OK, Hot Springs, AR, Jonesboro, AR, Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR, then North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area. Nonmetropolitan reporting areas are not MSAs. Compare the same occupation and statistic across areas; published coverage can differ by occupation and geography.
How many occupations are shown for Arkansas? ▼
BLS publishes wage data for 671 distinct occupations in Arkansas. The 50 occupations in the displayed upper tier have a combined OEWS employment estimate of approximately 57,490 jobs in covered establishments.

Price-level sources for Arkansas

BLS OEWS state wage tables → BEA Regional Price Parities → BLS LAUS unemployment → BEA personal income by state →

What to do with this data

How to use Arkansas wage data in a real decision

  • Arkansas prices sit below the national BEA average (RPP 86.9), so the published $54,890 mean is closer to $63,165 nationally; still re-check Dermatologists inside East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area and Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR before relocating. Compare states
  • Inside Arkansas, re-check Dermatologists in East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR, Fort Smith, AR-OK, Hot Springs, AR or Jonesboro, AR before treating the statewide median as a metro offer. East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area
  • Open Dermatologists for percentile bands and local-area rows; Arkansas's statewide median of $422,060 uses a different geography than any single metro estimate. Dermatologists
  • The published Arkansas range runs from Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary at $23,140 to Dermatologists at $422,060; an offer still depends on the exact role and employer. Salary calculator

BLS OEWS estimates reflect the May 2025 reference period and exclude self-employed workers; some small occupation-area cells are suppressed.

Last updated: May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

State-level employment totals and local-area breakouts from BLS OEWS State and Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, May 2025. Local areas can be metropolitan or nonmetropolitan.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. State wage figures are computed directly from BLS OEWS state-level data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Statewide figures are estimates and may not reflect pay in your specific local wage area or employer.