SOC 29-1127 · Fort Smith, AR-OK metro

Speech-Language Pathologists Salary in Fort Smith, AR

The average salary for speech-language pathologists in Fort Smith, Arkansas is $82,740 a year ($39.78 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $81,300: half of the 150 people in this job in the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 17% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($99,493).

$82,740average per year

$39.78 / hourMedian $81,300Take-home ≈ $64,464

  • $51K10th
  • $69K25th
  • $81KMedian
  • $97K75th
  • $125K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

150people in this job
-17%vs U.S. metro average
#5 of 5Arkansas metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Speech-Language Pathologists pay range in Fort Smith

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $50,810 a year or less, while the top 10% make $124,830 or more. The middle half of speech-language pathologists in Fort Smith earn between $69,450 and $96,670.

  • $51K10th
  • $69K25th
  • $81KMedian
  • $97K75th
  • $125K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$82,740$6,895$39.78
Median$81,300$6,775$39.09
Entry level (25th percentile)$69,450$5,788$33.39
Experienced (75th percentile)$96,670$8,056$46.48

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

Speech-Language Pathologists salary after taxes in Fort Smith

On the average salary of $82,740, a single filer in Fort Smith takes home about $64,464 a year, or $5,372 a month and $2,479 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% 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$64,464$5,372
Working in OK$63,860$5,322

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.

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Is Fort Smith a good place for speech-language pathologists? 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 $82,740 buys what about $96,335 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Fort Smith ($39,560). A typical home costs $205,554, or 2.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $82,740 is worth in another city

Speech-Language Pathologists salary in other Arkansas cities

Fort Smith ranks 5th of 5 Arkansas metro areas for this job; Little Rock pays the most ($93,260).

All Speech-Language Pathologists salaries in Arkansas

Highest-paying cities for speech-language pathologists

El Centro, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($139,700).

Speech-Language Pathologists salary by city

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Speech-Language Pathologists salary in Fort Smith: questions

How much do speech-language pathologists make an hour in Fort Smith?

$39.78 an hour on average, and $39.09 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level speech-language pathologists salary in Fort Smith?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $50,810 a year and the 25th percentile is $69,450, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the speech-language pathologists take-home pay in Fort Smith?

About $64,464 a year ($5,372 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $82,740. Arkansas tax is estimated with the Department of Finance and Administration's 2026 withholding formula.

Do speech-language pathologists earn more in Fort Smith than elsewhere?

The average here is 17% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($99,493).

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 29-1127; area Fort Smith, AR-OK (22900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 6.0%.
  • 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 1.32, this job is 1.3 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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