Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
63 Highest Paying Jobs in Arkansas (2026)
The highest-paying job in Arkansas is Family Medicine Physician with a state-aggregated median salary of $205,910 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data weighted across the state's 1 BLS-tracked metro. Across all 63 occupations the average median is $86,488, with 21 occupations paying a six-figure ($100K+) median. Arkansas's average cost-of-living index is 88, so the average median equates to $98,282 of buying power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
The 63 occupations below are ranked by median wage across Arkansas — rolling up wage data across all metropolitan areas in the state. State-level rollups smooth over the substantial intra-state wage variation typical of larger states. For state-level wage comparisons, BLS OEWS state files aggregate across MSAs and non-MSA areas. The aggregation hides legitimate within-state differences: a job in Arkansas's primary metro often pays substantially more (and costs substantially more to live near) than the same job in smaller cities.
Use the per-metro pages for the geographic-specific view. The state-level ranking is most useful for comparing Arkansas to other states, not for comparing within-state options.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs in Arkansas
Ranked by state-aggregated median (50th percentile) salary, employment-weighted across Arkansas's single tracked metro.
State median $205,910 · 0 jobs · top metro: Little Rock ($205,910)
Family Medicine Physicians in Arkansas earn $205,910 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Little Rock) pays $205,910 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $172,250 · 240 jobs · top metro: Little Rock ($172,250)
Dentists in Arkansas earn $172,250 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Little Rock) pays $172,250 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $136,700 · 1,020 jobs · top metro: Little Rock ($136,700)
Pharmacists in Arkansas earn $136,700 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Little Rock) pays $136,700 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $129,700 · 1,290 jobs · top metro: Little Rock ($129,700)
Computer and Information Systems Managers in Arkansas earn $129,700 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Little Rock) pays $129,700 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $126,680 · 1,360 jobs · top metro: Little Rock ($126,680)
Nurse Practitioners in Arkansas earn $126,680 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Little Rock) pays $126,680 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $124,820 · 330 jobs · top metro: Little Rock ($124,820)
Computer Network Architects in Arkansas earn $124,820 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Little Rock) pays $124,820 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $119,360 · 2,320 jobs · top metro: Little Rock ($119,360)
Financial Managers in Arkansas earn $119,360 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Little Rock) pays $119,360 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $114,360 · 70 jobs · top metro: Little Rock ($114,360)
Optometrists in Arkansas earn $114,360 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Little Rock) pays $114,360 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $109,110 · 340 jobs · top metro: Little Rock ($109,110)
Physician Assistants in Arkansas earn $109,110 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Little Rock) pays $109,110 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $108,700 · 370 jobs · top metro: Little Rock ($108,700)
Electrical Engineers in Arkansas earn $108,700 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Little Rock) pays $108,700 median, materially above the state aggregate.
Full Ranking: All 63 Tracked Occupations
| Rank | Role | Category | State Median | Top Metro | Top Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $205,910 | Little Rock | $205,910 | 0 |
| 2 | Dentist | Healthcare | $172,250 | Little Rock | $172,250 | 240 |
| 3 | Pharmacist | Healthcare | $136,700 | Little Rock | $136,700 | 1,020 |
| 4 | Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $129,700 | Little Rock | $129,700 | 1,290 |
| 5 | Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $126,680 | Little Rock | $126,680 | 1,360 |
| 6 | Computer Network Architect | Technology | $124,820 | Little Rock | $124,820 | 330 |
| 7 | Financial Manager | Finance | $119,360 | Little Rock | $119,360 | 2,320 |
| 8 | Optometrist | Healthcare | $114,360 | Little Rock | $114,360 | 70 |
| 9 | Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $109,110 | Little Rock | $109,110 | 340 |
| 10 | Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $108,700 | Little Rock | $108,700 | 370 |
| 11 | Veterinarian | Healthcare | $107,330 | Little Rock | $107,330 | 120 |
| 12 | Marketing Manager | Management | $105,050 | Little Rock | $105,050 | 440 |
| 13 | Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $104,680 | Little Rock | $104,680 | 760 |
| 14 | Software Developer | Technology | $104,070 | Little Rock | $104,070 | 1,590 |
| 15 | Data Scientist | Technology | $103,510 | Little Rock | $103,510 | 130 |
| 16 | Human Resources Manager | Management | $103,060 | Little Rock | $103,060 | 400 |
| 17 | Sales Manager | Management | $102,300 | Little Rock | $102,300 | 1,060 |
| 18 | Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $101,590 | Little Rock | $101,590 | 360 |
| 19 | Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $101,280 | Little Rock | $101,280 | 2,630 |
| 20 | Statistician | Technology | $100,620 | Little Rock | $100,620 | 110 |
| 21 | Computer Programmer | Technology | $100,070 | Little Rock | $100,070 | 350 |
| 22 | Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $99,940 | Little Rock | $99,940 | 1,040 |
| 23 | Audiologist | Healthcare | $98,120 | Little Rock | $98,120 | 40 |
| 24 | Lawyer | Legal | $97,870 | Little Rock | $97,870 | 1,670 |
| 25 | Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $94,370 | Little Rock | $94,370 | 540 |
| 26 | Information Security Analyst | Technology | $94,070 | Little Rock | $94,070 | 460 |
| 27 | Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $93,800 | Little Rock | $93,800 | 330 |
| 28 | Database Architect | Technology | $89,990 | Little Rock | $89,990 | 210 |
| 29 | Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $89,160 | Little Rock | $89,160 | 490 |
| 30 | Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $88,610 | Little Rock | $88,610 | 450 |
| 31 | Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $86,380 | Little Rock | $86,380 | 810 |
| 32 | Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $83,530 | Little Rock | $83,530 | 200 |
| 33 | Network Architect | Technology | $83,090 | Little Rock | $83,090 | 530 |
| 34 | Civil Engineer | Engineering | $83,030 | Little Rock | $83,030 | 580 |
| 35 | Financial Analyst | Finance | $81,320 | Little Rock | $81,320 | 410 |
| 36 | Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $81,070 | Little Rock | $81,070 | 11,550 |
| 37 | Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $78,560 | Little Rock | $78,560 | 1,490 |
| 38 | General and Operations Manager | Management | $76,080 | Little Rock | $76,080 | 9,330 |
| 39 | Management Analyst | Management | $75,750 | Little Rock | $75,750 | 1,820 |
| 40 | Architect | Engineering | $75,600 | Little Rock | $75,600 | 230 |
| 41 | Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $74,870 | Little Rock | $74,870 | 80 |
| 42 | Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $72,400 | Little Rock | $72,400 | 280 |
| 43 | Pediatrician | Healthcare | $71,000 | Little Rock | $71,000 | 30 |
| 44 | Accountant | Finance | $65,810 | Little Rock | $65,810 | 2,620 |
| 45 | Market Research Analyst | Management | $62,790 | Little Rock | $62,790 | 1,400 |
| 46 | Loan Officer | Finance | $62,720 | Little Rock | $62,720 | 660 |
| 47 | Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $61,710 | Little Rock | $61,710 | 330 |
| 48 | Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $61,510 | Little Rock | $61,510 | 560 |
| 49 | Secondary School Teacher | Education | $60,480 | Little Rock | $60,480 | 2,920 |
| 50 | Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $60,160 | Little Rock | $60,160 | 100 |
| 51 | Web Designer | Technology | $60,010 | Little Rock | $60,010 | 120 |
| 52 | Elementary School Teacher | Education | $58,580 | Little Rock | $58,580 | 3,210 |
| 53 | Financial Examiner | Finance | $57,590 | Little Rock | $57,590 | 330 |
| 54 | Web Developer | Technology | $54,990 | Little Rock | $54,990 | 90 |
| 55 | Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $52,120 | Little Rock | $52,120 | 1,110 |
| 56 | Plumber | Trades | $49,190 | Little Rock | $49,190 | 890 |
| 57 | Electrician | Trades | $48,200 | Little Rock | $48,200 | 1,870 |
| 58 | Carpenter | Trades | $48,050 | Little Rock | $48,050 | 1,080 |
| 59 | Paralegal | Legal | $47,690 | Little Rock | $47,690 | 680 |
| 60 | Welder | Trades | $47,440 | Little Rock | $47,440 | 1,190 |
| 61 | Writer/Author | Creative | $47,210 | Little Rock | $47,210 | 100 |
| 62 | Graphic Designer | Creative | $46,620 | Little Rock | $46,620 | 370 |
| 63 | Automotive Technician | Trades | $46,130 | Little Rock | $46,130 | 2,160 |
Why These Roles Pay the Most in Arkansas
Arkansas's pay distribution reflects its mix of regional employers and industries, plus the local cost of living that affects nominal salary levels in the BLS data.
$Arkansas tracks $1 BLS-published metros covering approximately $69,650 workers across the $63 occupations on this page. State-aggregated medians are employment-weighted across metros, which is the right way to read "state pay" when BLS publishes by metro. The Family Medicine Physician top spot reflects Little Rock pulling the upper end of the distribution; smaller metros in Arkansas typically pay 10–25% less for the same role.
Metro-by-Metro Detail
For salary data specific to one metro within Arkansas, see:
Frequently Asked Questions
The highest paying job in Arkansas is Family Medicine Physician with a state median salary of $205,910. The top-paying metro for this role is Little Rock at $205,910 median. The role employs roughly 0 workers across Arkansas.
21 of the 63 BLS-tracked occupations in Arkansas have a state-aggregated median salary of $100,000 or higher. That places this state in the upper tier nationally for high-paying occupations.
Across 63 BLS-tracked occupations, the average median salary in Arkansas is $86,488. The figure is employment-weighted across 1 metros, so larger occupations and larger metros contribute proportionally more. Cost-of-living-adjusted to a national-average baseline, it equates to $98,282.
BLS OEWS publishes wage data by Metropolitan Statistical Area. For Arkansas, this page aggregates Little Rock. Some non-MSA areas (small towns, rural counties) are excluded from OEWS metro tables but covered in BLS state-level summaries; we use metro-level data to preserve the percentile granularity.
Every wage figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal survey data covering about 1.2 million U.S. employers. State aggregates are computed by employment-weighting metro-level percentile wages across the BLS-tracked metros in Arkansas.
State aggregates are employment-weighted across the BLS-tracked metros in Arkansas, using OEWS 2025 data.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2026.