SOC 27-1024 · Fort Smith, AR-OK metro

Graphic Designers Salary in Fort Smith, AR

The average salary for graphic designers in Fort Smith, Arkansas is $45,610 a year ($21.93 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $39,590: half of the 80 people in this job in the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 36% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($71,400).

$45,610average per year

$21.93 / hourMedian $39,590Take-home ≈ $37,628

  • $31K10th
  • $38K25th
  • $40KMedian
  • $50K75th
  • $61K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

80people in this job
-36%vs U.S. metro average
#4 of 5Arkansas metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
Advertisement

Graphic Designers pay range in Fort Smith

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,530 a year or less, while the top 10% make $61,320 or more. The middle half of graphic designers in Fort Smith earn between $38,150 and $50,430.

  • $31K10th
  • $38K25th
  • $40KMedian
  • $50K75th
  • $61K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$45,610$3,801$21.93
Median$39,590$3,299$19.03
Entry level (25th percentile)$38,150$3,179$18.34
Experienced (75th percentile)$50,430$4,202$24.25

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Graphic Designers salary after taxes in Fort Smith

On the average salary of $45,610, a single filer in Fort Smith takes home about $37,628 a year, or $3,136 a month and $1,447 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.

The Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in AR$37,628$3,136
Working in OK$37,321$3,110

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Arkansas tax is estimated with the Department of Finance and Administration's 2026 withholding formula.

Advertisement

Is Fort Smith a good place for graphic designers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Fort Smith area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 85.9), so the average $45,610 buys what about $53,104 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Fort Smith ($39,560). A typical home costs $205,554, or 4.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $45,610 is worth in another city

Graphic Designers salary in other Arkansas cities

Fort Smith ranks 4th of 5 Arkansas metro areas for this job; Fayetteville pays the most ($64,750).

All Graphic Designers salaries in Arkansas

Highest-paying cities for graphic designers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($107,360).

Graphic Designers salary by city

Advertisement

Does this match what you are paid?

Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.

Share your pay anonymously

Reviewed before it counts. Graphic Designers in Fort Smith, AR.

Graphic Designers salary in Fort Smith: questions

How much do graphic designers make an hour in Fort Smith?

$21.93 an hour on average, and $19.03 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level graphic designers salary in Fort Smith?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,530 a year and the 25th percentile is $38,150, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the graphic designers take-home pay in Fort Smith?

About $37,628 a year ($3,136 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $45,610. Arkansas tax is estimated with the Department of Finance and Administration's 2026 withholding formula.

Do graphic designers earn more in Fort Smith than elsewhere?

The average here is 36% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($71,400).

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. SOC code 27-1024; area Fort Smith, AR-OK (22900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.5%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Arkansas tax is estimated with the Department of Finance and Administration's 2026 withholding formula.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.65, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.65).

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.