Average salary by city in Arkansas
- Fayetteville$61,240
- Little Rock$58,000
- Jonesboro$52,610
- Fort Smith$50,300
- Hot Springs$48,190
Map of Arkansas metro areas
Loading map…
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Salary, take-home pay and cost of living by city
| City | Average | Median | Take-home* | Cost of living | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville | $61,240 | $46,610 | $49,608 | 91 | $368,497 |
| Little Rock | $58,000 | $45,790 | $47,125 | 89 | $231,039 |
| Jonesboro | $52,610 | $42,240 | $42,994 | 86 | $205,822 |
| Fort Smith | $50,300 | $39,560 | $41,223 | 86 | $205,554 |
| Hot Springs | $48,190 | $36,540 | $39,605 | 86 | $245,332 |
*Average salary after federal and state income tax and payroll taxes for a single filer. Cost of living: BEA price parity, U.S. = 100.
Highest-paying jobs in Arkansas
- Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric · Jonesboro$293,670
- Physicians, All Other · Jonesboro$274,620
- Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary · Little Rock$243,480
- Family Medicine Physicians · Little Rock$240,000
- Physicians, All Other · Fort Smith$239,000
- Physicians, All Other · Fayetteville$228,210
- Family Medicine Physicians · Fayetteville$227,700
- Animal Scientists · Fayetteville$225,270
- Chief Executives · Fayetteville$222,760
- Nurse Anesthetists · Little Rock$219,780
Most common jobs in Arkansas
| Job | Jobs in these metros | Highest city average |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 25,000 | $33,620 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 23,010 | $28,220 |
| Registered Nurses | 21,750 | $85,890 |
| General and Operations Managers | 21,210 | $108,510 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 18,980 | $63,160 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 18,150 | $37,430 |
| Office Clerks, General | 18,000 | $42,030 |
| Cashiers | 16,550 | $30,260 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 13,880 | $43,570 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 13,260 | $39,710 |
Arkansas income tax and take-home pay
Take-home figures on these pages apply Arkansas's 2026 income tax rules for a single filer with the standard deduction, plus federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security and Medicare. Arkansas tax is estimated with the Department of Finance and Administration's 2026 withholding formula.
Arkansas at a glance
Average salary in other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Salary in Arkansas: questions
What is the average salary in Arkansas?
$54,502 a year across all jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025), weighted by employment over the state's metro and nonmetro areas.
Which city in Arkansas pays the most?
Fayetteville, with an average of $61,240 a year among the metro areas we cover.
Is Arkansas expensive to live in?
BEA puts Arkansas prices 13% below the U.S. average (price parity 86.9). Within the state, Fayetteville 91, Little Rock 89, Fort Smith 86 are the most expensive metros.
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. State average: all occupations, employment-weighted over every OEWS metro and nonmetro area whose principal state is Arkansas.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Population and median household income: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2023.
- Crime: FBI Crime Data Explorer, violent and property crimes reported by agencies statewide, latest 12 months available.
Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.