SOC 31-2021 · Fort Smith, AR-OK metro

Physical Therapist Assistants Salary in Fort Smith, AR

The average salary for physical therapist assistants in Fort Smith, Arkansas is $64,790 a year ($31.15 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $63,210: half of the 140 people in this job in the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 6% less than the U.S. average for this job ($68,730).

$64,790average per year

$31.15 / hourMedian $63,210Take-home ≈ $52,329

  • $38K10th
  • $55K25th
  • $63KMedian
  • $76K75th
  • $80K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

140people in this job
-6%vs U.S. average
#3 of 5Arkansas metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Physical Therapist Assistants pay range in Fort Smith

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,500 a year or less, while the top 10% make $79,550 or more. The middle half of physical therapist assistants in Fort Smith earn between $55,380 and $76,450.

  • $38K10th
  • $55K25th
  • $63KMedian
  • $76K75th
  • $80K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$64,790$5,399$31.15
Median$63,210$5,268$30.39
Entry level (25th percentile)$55,380$4,615$26.62
Experienced (75th percentile)$76,450$6,371$36.75

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

Physical Therapist Assistants pay in Fort Smith vs. Arkansas and the U.S.

Physical therapist assistants in Fort Smith earn about the same as the Arkansas average ($64,500) and 6% less than the U.S. average ($68,730). At the median the gap is -8% against the U.S. median of $68,380.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Fort Smith$64,790$63,210$37,500$79,550140
Arkansas$64,500$64,520$31,540$85,2801,620
United States$68,730$68,380$47,750$89,510112,430

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Physical Therapist Assistants salary after taxes in Fort Smith

On the average salary of $64,790, a single filer in Fort Smith takes home about $52,329 a year, or $4,361 a month and $2,013 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% 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$52,329$4,361
Working in OK$51,869$4,322

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.

Arkansas paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Fort Smith a good place for physical therapist assistants? 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 $64,790 buys what about $75,435 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Fort Smith ($39,560). A typical home costs $205,554, or 3.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $64,790 is worth in another city

Physical Therapist Assistants salary in other Arkansas cities

Fort Smith ranks 3rd of 5 Arkansas metro areas for this job; Fayetteville pays the most ($68,900).

All Physical Therapist Assistants salaries in Arkansas

Highest-paying cities for physical therapist assistants

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($94,690).

Physical Therapist Assistants salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Physical Therapist Assistants in Fort Smith, AR.

Physical Therapist Assistants salary in Fort Smith: questions

How much do physical therapist assistants make an hour in Fort Smith?

$31.15 an hour on average, and $30.39 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level physical therapist assistants salary in Fort Smith?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,500 a year and the 25th percentile is $55,380, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the physical therapist assistants take-home pay in Fort Smith?

About $52,329 a year ($4,361 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $64,790. Arkansas tax is estimated with the Department of Finance and Administration's 2026 withholding formula.

Do physical therapist assistants earn more in Fort Smith than elsewhere?

The average here is 6% less than the U.S. average for this job ($68,730).

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 31-2021; area Fort Smith, AR-OK (22900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.0%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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 2.03, this job is 2.0 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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