SOC 25-9045 · Fort Smith, AR-OK metro

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary Salary in Fort Smith, AR

The average salary for teaching assistants (except postsecondary) in Fort Smith, Arkansas is $31,070 a year, according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $29,370: half of the 870 people in this job in the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 20% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($38,981).

$31,070average per year

Median $29,370Take-home ≈ $26,483

  • $23K10th
  • $25K25th
  • $29KMedian
  • $34K75th
  • $40K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

870people in this job
-20%vs U.S. metro average
#3 of 5Arkansas metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary pay range in Fort Smith

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $23,180 a year or less, while the top 10% make $39,560 or more. The middle half of teaching assistants (except postsecondary) in Fort Smith earn between $25,070 and $34,470.

  • $23K10th
  • $25K25th
  • $29KMedian
  • $34K75th
  • $40K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$31,070$2,589—
Median$29,370$2,448—
Entry level (25th percentile)$25,070$2,089—
Experienced (75th percentile)$34,470$2,872—

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year (BLS publishes this job's pay as annual only).

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salary after taxes in Fort Smith

On the average salary of $31,070, a single filer in Fort Smith takes home about $26,483 a year, or $2,207 a month and $1,019 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% 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$26,483$2,207
Working in OK$26,292$2,191

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 teaching assistants (except postsecondary)? 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 $31,070 buys what about $36,175 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Fort Smith ($39,560). A typical home costs $205,554, or 6.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $31,070 is worth in another city

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salary in other Arkansas cities

Fort Smith ranks 3rd of 5 Arkansas metro areas for this job; Fayetteville pays the most ($32,180).

All Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salaries in Arkansas

Highest-paying cities for teaching assistants (except postsecondary)

Seattle, WA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($54,720).

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salary by city

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Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salary in Fort Smith: questions

What is the entry-level teaching assistants (except postsecondary) salary in Fort Smith?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $23,180 a year and the 25th percentile is $25,070, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the teaching assistants (except postsecondary) take-home pay in Fort Smith?

About $26,483 a year ($2,207 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $31,070. Arkansas tax is estimated with the Department of Finance and Administration's 2026 withholding formula.

Do teaching assistants (except postsecondary) earn more in Fort Smith than elsewhere?

The average here is 20% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($38,981).

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 25-9045; area Fort Smith, AR-OK (22900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.0%.
  • 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 0.99, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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