SOC 23-1011 · Fort Smith, AR-OK metro

Lawyers Salary in Fort Smith, AR

The average salary for lawyers in Fort Smith, Arkansas is $125,870 a year ($60.52 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $88,100: half of the 170 people in this job in the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 33% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($188,323).

$125,870average per year

$60.52 / hourMedian $88,100Take-home ≈ $92,841

  • $46K10th
  • $62K25th
  • $88KMedian
  • $112K75th
  • $158K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

170people in this job
-33%vs U.S. metro average
#4 of 5Arkansas metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Lawyers pay range in Fort Smith

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $46,140 a year or less, while the top 10% make $157,730 or more. The middle half of lawyers in Fort Smith earn between $61,890 and $112,290.

  • $46K10th
  • $62K25th
  • $88KMedian
  • $112K75th
  • $158K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$125,870$10,489$60.51
Median$88,100$7,342$42.36
Entry level (25th percentile)$61,890$5,158$29.75
Experienced (75th percentile)$112,290$9,358$53.99

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

Lawyers salary after taxes in Fort Smith

On the average salary of $125,870, a single filer in Fort Smith takes home about $92,841 a year, or $7,737 a month and $3,571 every two weeks. Taxes take 26% 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$92,841$7,737
Working in OK$92,179$7,682

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.

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Is Fort Smith a good place for lawyers? 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 $125,870 buys what about $146,551 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Fort Smith ($39,560). A typical home costs $205,554, or 1.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $125,870 is worth in another city

Lawyers salary in other Arkansas cities

Fort Smith ranks 4th of 5 Arkansas metro areas for this job; Fayetteville pays the most ($155,630).

All Lawyers salaries in Arkansas

Highest-paying cities for lawyers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($288,980).

Lawyers salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Lawyers in Fort Smith, AR.

Lawyers salary in Fort Smith: questions

How much do lawyers make an hour in Fort Smith?

$60.52 an hour on average, and $42.36 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level lawyers salary in Fort Smith?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $46,140 a year and the 25th percentile is $61,890, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the lawyers take-home pay in Fort Smith?

About $92,841 a year ($7,737 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $125,870. Arkansas tax is estimated with the Department of Finance and Administration's 2026 withholding formula.

Do lawyers earn more in Fort Smith than elsewhere?

The average here is 33% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($188,323).

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 23-1011; area Fort Smith, AR-OK (22900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 14.4%.
  • 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 0.37, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.37).

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