Arkansas Average Salary 2026
Average pay, top-paying occupations, and cost of living across Arkansas.
The average salary in Arkansas is $86,488 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS 2025 data aggregated across 1 metropolitan areas (Little Rock). The highest-paying tracked occupation in the state is Family Medicine Physician at $205,910 median; 21 occupations pay six-figure ($100K+) medians. Adjusted for the state's average cost-of-living index of 88, the average median equates to $98,282 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
Arkansas has 1 metropolitan areas in our BLS OEWS coverage. Wages within the state vary substantially by metro — large coastal cities typically pay materially more than smaller inland ones, though the cost-of-living gap closes a lot of the apparent difference. BLS OEWS data captures every metropolitan statistical area (MSA) above a population threshold. Cities below that threshold roll up to non-metropolitan areas, which are not represented in the per-metro view but are captured in state-level rollups.
For workers comparing Arkansas job markets, the per-metro pages give the role-specific breakdown that headline state averages obscure. The role-specific ranking pages — which list the highest-paying cities for a single occupation — are particularly useful when geographic flexibility is real and the role is the constraint.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs in Arkansas
Family Medicine Physician
Healthcare · 0 jobs in state · top metro: Little Rock ($205,910)
Dentist
Healthcare · 240 jobs in state · top metro: Little Rock ($172,250)
Pharmacist
Healthcare · 1,020 jobs in state · top metro: Little Rock ($136,700)
Computer and Information Systems Manager
Technology · 1,290 jobs in state · top metro: Little Rock ($129,700)
Nurse Practitioner
Healthcare · 1,360 jobs in state · top metro: Little Rock ($126,680)
Computer Network Architect
Technology · 330 jobs in state · top metro: Little Rock ($124,820)
Financial Manager
Finance · 2,320 jobs in state · top metro: Little Rock ($119,360)
Optometrist
Healthcare · 70 jobs in state · top metro: Little Rock ($114,360)
Physician Assistant
Healthcare · 340 jobs in state · top metro: Little Rock ($109,110)
Electrical Engineer
Engineering · 370 jobs in state · top metro: Little Rock ($108,700)
Cities in Arkansas
Frequently Asked Questions
The average salary in Arkansas is $86,488 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release aggregated across 1 BLS-tracked metros. The figure is employment-weighted, so larger occupations contribute proportionally more to the average. The top-paying role in the state is Family Medicine Physician at $205,910 median.
The top five highest-paying occupations in Arkansas, ranked by employment-weighted median across all tracked metros, are Family Medicine Physician ($205,910), Dentist ($172,250), Pharmacist ($136,700), Computer and Information Systems Manager ($129,700), Nurse Practitioner ($126,680). See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/state/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.
Little Rock, AR leads Arkansas with an average median salary of $86,488 across 63 BLS-tracked occupations.
The average cost-of-living index across Arkansas's tracked metros is 88 (national avg = 100). The state average median of $86,488 translates to $98,282 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. Low COL means nominal pay translates to better-than-average buying power.
State aggregates are employment-weighted across the BLS-tracked metros in Arkansas, using the OEWS 2025 reference period.
63 data points · BLS OEWS 2025 · last refreshed 2026-05-21
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2026.