StateRates

Fort Smith salaries

The median worker in the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area earned $38,340 a year in 2024, about $18.43 an hour. That ranks #371 of the 391 metro areas published here, 22.5% below the national median.

Arkansas Oklahoma

Median pay $38,340 $18.43 per hour
Vs national -22.5% U.S. $49,500
Workers 96,450 wage and salary
Metro rank #371 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Fort Smith pays 6.5% less than Arkansas as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers 26.35× 2,330 $36,160
Industrial Machinery Mechanics 2.97× 780 $56,880
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers 2.64× 1,130 $57,840
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 2.56× 3,310 $60,190
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders 2.48× 600 $41,730
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria 2.14× 600 $29,800
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses 2.1× 830 $50,980
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers 1.88× 700 $38,350
Nursing Assistants 1.72× 1,500 $31,250
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators 1.66× 840 $37,530
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 1.49× 580 $56,780
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers 1.37× 510 $64,520

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Fort Smith
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Pharmacists $131,380 $63.16 200
Nurse Practitioners $111,910 $53.80 270
Financial Managers $105,140 $50.55 400
Sales Managers $103,270 $49.65 210
Industrial Production Managers $102,460 $49.26 200
Lawyers $102,280 $49.18 240
Managers, All Other $96,200 $46.25 340
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $87,440 n/a 200
Medical and Health Services Managers $85,230 $40.98 370
Registered Nurses $77,000 $37.02 2,110
Loan Officers $76,500 $36.78 200
Project Management Specialists $65,300 $31.39 290
Accountants and Auditors $65,180 $31.34 580
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $64,520 $31.02 510
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $62,760 n/a 780
General and Operations Managers $62,010 $29.81 2,560
Postal Service Mail Carriers $60,440 $29.06 210
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $60,190 $28.94 3,310
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians $59,240 $28.48 200
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $58,070 $27.92 460
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $57,840 $27.81 1,130
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $57,470 $27.63 410
Business Operations Specialists, All Other $57,010 $27.41 400
Industrial Machinery Mechanics $56,880 $27.34 780
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $56,850 $27.33 1,030
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $56,780 n/a 580
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $56,150 $27.00 270
Buyers and Purchasing Agents $55,470 $26.67 240
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators $54,790 $26.34 390
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists $51,910 $24.96 460
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors $51,790 $24.90 200
Training and Development Specialists $51,490 $24.75 220
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $50,980 $24.51 830
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $50,140 n/a 850
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $49,740 $23.91 970
Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers $49,570 $23.83 400
Electricians $49,510 $23.80 380
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters $49,440 $23.77 230
Machinists $48,340 $23.24 220
Human Resources Specialists $48,020 $23.09 470
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel $47,550 $22.86 410
Insurance Sales Agents $47,540 $22.86 210
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians $47,300 $22.74 210
Food Batchmakers $47,000 $22.60 350
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers $46,240 $22.23 420
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers $45,450 $21.85 470
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $45,270 $21.76 340
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders $42,680 $20.52 260
Food Processing Workers, All Other $41,840 $20.11 200
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders $41,830 $20.11 230
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders $41,730 $20.06 600
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics $40,930 $19.68 510
Bus Drivers, School $40,700 $19.57 260
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic $40,030 $19.25 200
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General $39,520 $19.00 990
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks $39,340 $18.92 850
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic $39,170 $18.83 210
Billing and Posting Clerks $39,120 $18.81 260
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators $38,880 $18.69 410
Carpenters $38,580 $18.55 220

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Fort Smith by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 3,310 $60,190 $28.94
Fast Food and Counter Workers 2,860 $24,610 $11.83
Retail Salespersons 2,590 $28,810 $13.85
General and Operations Managers 2,560 $62,010 $29.81
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 2,390 $27,570 $13.25
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers 2,330 $36,160 $17.38
Cashiers 2,230 $26,950 $12.96
Stockers and Order Fillers 2,230 $31,190 $15.00
Registered Nurses 2,110 $77,000 $37.02
Office Clerks, General 1,940 $35,960 $17.29
Customer Service Representatives 1,850 $37,410 $17.98
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 1,820 $32,810 $15.77
Nursing Assistants 1,500 $31,250 $15.02
Waiters and Waitresses 1,390 $25,960 $12.48
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 1,230 $35,150 $16.90
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 1,190 $30,590 $14.71
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers 1,130 $57,840 $27.81
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 1,030 $56,850 $27.33
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 990 $39,520 $19.00
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products 970 $49,740 $23.91

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.

Other Arkansas metro areas

Fort Smith pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Fort Smith?

The median across all occupations is $38,340, or $18.43 an hour, covering 96,450 wage and salary workers. The mean is $48,720, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Fort Smith pay more than the rest of Arkansas?

No. The metro median of $38,340 is 6.5% below the Arkansas median of $41,020. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.

Which jobs pay best in Fort Smith?

Pharmacists ($131,380), Nurse Practitioners ($111,910), Financial Managers ($105,140). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Fort Smith unusually full of?

Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers, at 26.35× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.