Average Salary in Arkansas
What workers in Arkansas earn: mean and median wages, monthly and hourly pay, the full wage distribution, household income and cost-of-living context. Wage data: BLS OEWS May 2025.
- Mean annual wage$54,890Rank #50 of 51 · US $69,770
- Median annual wage$43,630Rank #50 of 51 · US $50,980
- Mean hourly wage$26.39Median $20.98/hour
- Median monthly pay$3,636Mean $4,574/month
- Median household income$62,106ACS 2024 · rank #48
- Price level (RPP)86.9US = 100 · BEA 2024
What is the average salary in Arkansas?
The average (mean) annual wage across all occupations in Arkansas is $54,890, and the median annual wage is $43,630, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 OEWS estimates. The mean is 21.3% below the national mean of $69,770; the median is 14.4% below the national median of $50,980. Arkansas ranks #50 of the 50 states and DC for mean wage and #50 for median wage.
The mean is $11,260 (26%) higher than the median. That gap is normal: a minority of very high earners pulls the average up, so the median is the better guide to what a typical worker in Arkansas earns. Why mean and median differ →
The estimates cover 1,303,630 wage and salary jobs in Arkansas (self-employed workers are not included).
Monthly, weekly and hourly pay in Arkansas
Gross pay before taxes. Monthly = annual ÷ 12, bi-weekly = annual ÷ 26, weekly = annual ÷ 52. Hourly figures are published by BLS.
| Pay period | Mean (average) | Median (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual | $54,890 | $43,630 |
| Monthly | $4,574 | $3,636 |
| Bi-weekly paycheck | $2,111 | $1,678 |
| Weekly | $1,056 | $839 |
| Hourly | $26.39 | $20.98 |
Estimate take-home pay on the Arkansas median wage (2026 tax year) →
What is a good salary in Arkansas?
“Good” depends on your household and where in the state you live, but the wage distribution shows where a salary stands relative to other workers in Arkansas:
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $27,020 | $2,252 | 90% of workers earn more |
| 25th | $31,880 | $2,657 | 75% earn more |
| 50th (median) | $43,630 | $3,636 | half earn more, half less |
| 75th | $61,850 | $5,154 | top 25% earn more than this |
| 90th | $94,740 | $7,895 | top 10% earn more than this |
In practice, a salary above $43,630 beats more than half of Arkansas workers, about $61,850 puts you in the top quarter, and $94,740 or more puts you in the top 10%. These are individual wages, not household income. Compare percentiles across states →
Household income and earnings in Arkansas
| Measure (ACS 2024) | Arkansas | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,106 | $81,604 |
| Median family income | $79,037 | $101,265 |
| Per-capita income | $34,812 | $45,256 |
| Median earnings, all workers with earnings | $40,734 | $46,949 |
| Median earnings, men working full-time year-round | $55,242 | $66,965 |
| Median earnings, women working full-time year-round | $45,145 | $55,678 |
Household income adds up the income of everyone in a household — often two earners, plus Social Security, investment and self-employment income — so it is higher than any per-worker wage figure. Women working full-time year-round in Arkansas have median earnings equal to 82% of men’s. Household income in every state →
Salary vs. cost of living in Arkansas
Prices in Arkansas are about 13.1% below the national average (BEA regional price parity 86.9; housing 58.2). Adjusted for that, the median wage of $43,630 is worth $50,207 at national-average prices (rank #44), and the mean wage is worth $63,165 (rank #47). Cost-of-living adjusted ranking →
Arkansas taxes wage income, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures above by federal tax, FICA and state income tax.
Arkansas vs. neighboring states
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | RPP | Adjusted median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | $54,890 | $43,630 | 86.9 | $50,207 |
| Louisiana | $56,600 | $45,520 | 88.2 | $51,610 |
| Mississippi | $50,810 | $40,120 | 87.0 | $46,115 |
| Missouri | $62,160 | $47,800 | 90.8 | $52,643 |
| Oklahoma | $56,950 | $45,600 | 87.8 | $51,936 |
| Tennessee | $60,800 | $47,380 | 91.9 | $51,556 |
| Texas | $65,750 | $48,620 | 97.1 | $50,072 |
Highest-paying occupations in Arkansas
Detailed occupations with at least 300 jobs in the state, ranked by mean annual wage. “$239,200+” means BLS reports only that the wage is at or above that level.
| Occupation | Mean wage | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $332,090 | $262,470 | 350 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $205,560 | $124,890 | 2,080 |
| Physicians, All Other | $194,980 | $136,880 | 4,290 |
| Dentists, General | $174,280 | $178,930 | 1,210 |
| Chief Executives | $164,930 | $119,990 | 3,550 |
| Purchasing Managers | $159,840 | $156,450 | 930 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $148,470 | $140,600 | 1,220 |
| Marketing Managers | $148,230 | $136,520 | 1,860 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $138,910 | $127,220 | 3,420 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $137,590 | $119,430 | 340 |
Most common jobs in Arkansas and what they pay
| Occupation | Employment | Median wage | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 35,660 | $26,250 | $12.62 |
| Retail Salespersons | 35,510 | $29,270 | $14.07 |
| General and Operations Managers | 34,570 | $74,050 | $35.60 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 32,220 | $51,550 | $24.79 |
| Office Clerks, General | 29,940 | $37,050 | $17.81 |
| Registered Nurses | 29,400 | $78,940 | $37.95 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 28,350 | $34,700 | $16.68 |
| Cashiers | 28,270 | $27,670 | $13.30 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 21,430 | $35,920 | $17.27 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 20,680 | $37,840 | $18.19 |
The largest occupation in Arkansas is fast food and counter workers, with 35,660 jobs and a median wage of $26,250. Many of the most common jobs pay well below the state median, which is one reason the overall median sits far below the mean.
Salaries for 54 common occupations in Arkansas
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Arkansas?
The average (mean) annual wage in Arkansas is $54,890, or $26.39 per hour, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The median wage — what a typical worker earns — is $43,630 a year ($20.98 per hour).
What is the average monthly salary in Arkansas?
Dividing the annual figures by 12, the mean wage in Arkansas works out to about $4,574 per month and the median wage to about $3,636 per month, before taxes.
What is considered a good salary in Arkansas?
Earning more than the median of $43,630 puts you above half of all workers in Arkansas. A salary of $61,850 or more is in the top 25%, and $94,740 or more is in the top 10% of wage earners in the state.
What is the median household income in Arkansas?
Median household income in Arkansas was $62,106 in the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, compared with $81,604 nationally. Household income combines all earners and income sources in a home.
Does Arkansas have a state income tax on wages?
Yes. Arkansas taxes wage income, so state income tax is deducted from paychecks in addition to federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.