SOC 29-1141 · Fort Smith, AR-OK metro

Registered Nurses Salary in Fort Smith, AR

The average salary for registered nurses in Fort Smith, Arkansas is $77,970 a year ($37.49 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $79,870: half of the 2,180 people in this job in the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 24% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($102,761).

$77,970average per year

$37.49 / hourMedian $79,870Take-home ≈ $61,285

  • $59K10th
  • $68K25th
  • $80KMedian
  • $83K75th
  • $98K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

2,180people in this job
-24%vs U.S. metro average
#5 of 5Arkansas metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Registered Nurses pay range in Fort Smith

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $58,540 a year or less, while the top 10% make $98,500 or more. The middle half of registered nurses in Fort Smith earn between $68,140 and $82,930.

  • $59K10th
  • $68K25th
  • $80KMedian
  • $83K75th
  • $98K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$77,970$6,498$37.49
Median$79,870$6,656$38.40
Entry level (25th percentile)$68,140$5,678$32.76
Experienced (75th percentile)$82,930$6,911$39.87

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

Registered Nurses salary after taxes in Fort Smith

On the average salary of $77,970, a single filer in Fort Smith takes home about $61,285 a year, or $5,107 a month and $2,357 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% 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$61,285$5,107
Working in OK$60,719$5,060

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 registered nurses? 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 $77,970 buys what about $90,781 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Fort Smith ($39,560). A typical home costs $205,554, or 2.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $77,970 is worth in another city

Registered Nurses salary in other Arkansas cities

Fort Smith ranks 5th of 5 Arkansas metro areas for this job; Little Rock pays the most ($85,890).

All Registered Nurses salaries in Arkansas

Highest-paying cities for registered nurses

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($194,950).

Registered Nurses salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Registered Nurses in Fort Smith, AR.

Registered Nurses salary in Fort Smith: questions

How much do registered nurses make an hour in Fort Smith?

$37.49 an hour on average, and $38.40 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level registered nurses salary in Fort Smith?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $58,540 a year and the 25th percentile is $68,140, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the registered nurses take-home pay in Fort Smith?

About $61,285 a year ($5,107 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $77,970. Arkansas tax is estimated with the Department of Finance and Administration's 2026 withholding formula.

Do registered nurses earn more in Fort Smith than elsewhere?

The average here is 24% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($102,761).

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 29-1141; area Fort Smith, AR-OK (22900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.6%.
  • 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 1.05, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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