Average Salaries in Fort Smith, AR-OK
Explore salaries across 303 occupations in Fort Smith, AR-OK. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $53.7K, -18.3% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 303 occupations and 89,090 total jobs in Fort Smith, AR-OK.
How the metro compares
Fort Smith, AR-OK is among the lower-paying metros. Most occupations here earn less than their national averages, though cost of living is typically lower too.
Fort Smith, AR-OK is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Physicians, All Other. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Fort Smith, AR-OK
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in Fort Smith, AR-OK
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $258.1K | 170 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, And Flight Engineers | $171K | 40 |
| Dentists, General | $165.1K | 100 |
| Pharmacists | $133.5K | 160 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $131.1K | 100 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $129.3K | 270 |
| Purchasing Managers | $125.3K | 60 |
| Physician Assistants | $119.8K | 70 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $114.8K | 190 |
| Chief Executives | $114.6K | 210 |
Largest occupations in Fort Smith, AR-OK
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 2,880 | $28.4K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 2,760 | $23.8K |
| General And Operations Managers | 2,320 | $70.3K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 2,240 | $28.4K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 2,240 | $32.1K |
| Registered Nurses | 2,180 | $79.9K |
| Cashiers | 2,180 | $27.5K |
| Meat, Poultry, And Fish Cutters And Trimmers | 2,080 | $37.5K |
| Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 2,030 | $47.6K |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,900 | $37.1K |
What Fort Smith, AR-OK specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Fort Smith, AR-OK than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Fort Smith, AR-OK
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Meat, Poultry, And Fish Cutters And Trimmers | 23.22 | $37.5K |
| Tool Grinders, Filers, And Sharpeners | 9.85 | $38.4K |
| Cutting And Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 8.83 | $45K |
| Machine Feeders And Offbearers | 8.81 | $37.7K |
| Slaughterers And Meat Packers | 7.09 | $38.8K |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 5.67 | $43.2K |
| Helpers--Production Workers | 5.42 | $34.9K |
| Therapists, All Other | 4.46 | $70.5K |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, And Aquacultural Animals | 4.17 | $34.5K |
| Gas Plant Operators | 4.17 | $74.2K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Fort Smith, AR-OK
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.