High paying jobs in Arkansas

Every occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Arkansas. The percentile range matters more than the median on its own: it shows what the bottom and top of each field actually earn, which a single average hides.

Cost of living: prices in Arkansas run 13.1% below the national average (2024), so a Arkansas salary is worth about 1.15× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order. To see where a job pays a real premium, use jobs that pay more in Arkansas.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find high paying jobs in Arkansas

OccupationMedian, Arkansas · Employed

1Dentists, General$178,930
Doctoral or professional degree
$99,010 – $223,0101,210
2Purchasing Managers$156,450
Bachelor's degree
$74,290 – $273,100930
3Architectural and Engineering Managers$140,600
Bachelor's degree
$98,520 – $209,3201,220
4Physicians, All Other$136,880
Doctoral or professional degree
$58,710 – $402,1904,290
5Marketing Managers$136,520
Bachelor's degree
$67,340 – $223,6801,860
6Pharmacists$136,060
Doctoral or professional degree
$105,560 – $164,9402,900
7Computer and Information Systems Managers$127,220
Bachelor's degree
$78,630 – $219,2503,420
8Nurse Practitioners$125,660
Master's degree
$99,420 – $205,8103,970
9Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary$124,890
Doctoral or professional degree
$51,480 – $394,8802,080
10Chief Executives$119,990
Bachelor's degree
$49,830 – $330,4803,550
11Physician Assistants$118,430
Master's degree
$88,160 – $159,080850
12Industrial Production Managers$118,120
Bachelor's degree
$74,970 – $201,5602,560
13Financial Managers$116,570
Bachelor's degree
$62,780 – $225,0107,120
14Computer Programmers$111,840
Bachelor's degree
$63,520 – $167,0201,050
15Computer Network Architects$110,400
Bachelor's degree
$80,930 – $166,780910
16Data Scientists$109,390
Bachelor's degree
$67,090 – $169,110530
17Human Resources Managers$108,580
Bachelor's degree
$62,370 – $218,8301,290
18Sales Managers$108,330
Bachelor's degree
$53,860 – $245,6403,710
19Veterinarians$107,710
Doctoral or professional degree
$38,870 – $153,370540
20Occupational Therapists$106,360
Master's degree
$65,160 – $144,2502,160
21Statisticians$105,720
Master's degree
$64,080 – $161,920570
22Software Developers$104,490
Bachelor's degree
$60,570 – $162,3806,050
23Information Security Analysts$103,490
Bachelor's degree
$59,410 – $140,9001,460
24Physical Therapists$99,010
Doctoral or professional degree
$73,050 – $127,2102,680
25Lawyers$98,880
Doctoral or professional degree
$49,900 – $220,6603,430
26Industrial Engineers$98,410
Bachelor's degree
$71,880 – $137,5201,710
27Electrical Engineers$96,860
Bachelor's degree
$67,920 – $136,770900
28Commercial Pilots$94,410
Postsecondary nondegree award
$43,290 – $171,500460
29Medical and Health Services Managers$94,340
Bachelor's degree
$55,390 – $155,2106,440
30Facilities Managers$89,810
Bachelor's degree
$53,750 – $168,000880
31Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers$89,200
High school diploma or equivalent
$52,620 – $174,9901,440
32Managers, All Other$87,520
Bachelor's degree
$49,230 – $171,9105,690
33Computer Occupations, All Other$86,940
Bachelor's degree
$45,770 – $135,1401,120
34Dental Hygienists$86,760
Associate's degree
$62,170 – $97,7301,740
35Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary$86,330
Master's degree
$68,090 – $107,4102,760
36Construction Managers$86,310
Bachelor's degree
$52,570 – $128,3202,280
37Civil Engineers$85,020
Bachelor's degree
$44,810 – $132,4601,870
38Administrative Services Managers$84,480
Bachelor's degree
$46,270 – $151,0501,110
39Speech-Language Pathologists$83,580
Master's degree
$56,250 – $134,4202,430
40Database Administrators$82,480
Bachelor's degree
$53,690 – $127,850420
41Computer Systems Analysts$81,760
Bachelor's degree
$29,750 – $136,2704,100
42Network and Computer Systems Administrators$81,590
Bachelor's degree
$52,190 – $131,1401,750
43Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$81,500
Associate's degree
$64,280 – $102,190640
44Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers$81,450
High school diploma or equivalent
$51,150 – $115,1201,510
45Financial and Investment Analysts$81,110
Bachelor's degree
$48,850 – $137,2101,390
46Mechanical Engineers$80,180
Bachelor's degree
$57,650 – $131,8401,410
47Personal Financial Advisors$79,420
Bachelor's degree
$36,710 – $207,5601,320
48Registered Nurses$78,940
Bachelor's degree
$60,780 – $103,66029,400
49Occupational Therapy Assistants$78,940
Associate's degree
$50,710 – $98,960730
50Locomotive Engineers$78,930
High school diploma or equivalent
$65,050 – $78,930620

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianArkansas	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$178,930	$99,010 – $223,010	1,210
2	Purchasing ManagersBachelor's degree	$156,450	$74,290 – $273,100	930
3	Architectural and Engineering ManagersBachelor's degree	$140,600	$98,520 – $209,320	1,220
4	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$136,880	$58,710 – $402,190	4,290
5	Marketing ManagersBachelor's degree	$136,520	$67,340 – $223,680	1,860
6	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$136,060	$105,560 – $164,940	2,900
7	Computer and Information Systems ManagersBachelor's degree	$127,220	$78,630 – $219,250	3,420
8	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$125,660	$99,420 – $205,810	3,970
9	Health Specialties Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$124,890	$51,480 – $394,880	2,080
10	Chief ExecutivesBachelor's degree	$119,990	$49,830 – $330,480	3,550
11	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$118,430	$88,160 – $159,080	850
12	Industrial Production ManagersBachelor's degree	$118,120	$74,970 – $201,560	2,560
13	Financial ManagersBachelor's degree	$116,570	$62,780 – $225,010	7,120
14	Computer ProgrammersBachelor's degree	$111,840	$63,520 – $167,020	1,050
15	Computer Network ArchitectsBachelor's degree	$110,400	$80,930 – $166,780	910
16	Data ScientistsBachelor's degree	$109,390	$67,090 – $169,110	530
17	Human Resources ManagersBachelor's degree	$108,580	$62,370 – $218,830	1,290
18	Sales ManagersBachelor's degree	$108,330	$53,860 – $245,640	3,710
19	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$107,710	$38,870 – $153,370	540
20	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$106,360	$65,160 – $144,250	2,160
21	StatisticiansMaster's degree	$105,720	$64,080 – $161,920	570
22	Software DevelopersBachelor's degree	$104,490	$60,570 – $162,380	6,050
23	Information Security AnalystsBachelor's degree	$103,490	$59,410 – $140,900	1,460
24	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$99,010	$73,050 – $127,210	2,680
25	LawyersDoctoral or professional degree	$98,880	$49,900 – $220,660	3,430
26	Industrial EngineersBachelor's degree	$98,410	$71,880 – $137,520	1,710
27	Electrical EngineersBachelor's degree	$96,860	$67,920 – $136,770	900
28	Commercial PilotsPostsecondary nondegree award	$94,410	$43,290 – $171,500	460
29	Medical and Health Services ManagersBachelor's degree	$94,340	$55,390 – $155,210	6,440
30	Facilities ManagersBachelor's degree	$89,810	$53,750 – $168,000	880
31	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution ManagersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$89,200	$52,620 – $174,990	1,440
32	Managers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$87,520	$49,230 – $171,910	5,690
33	Computer Occupations, All OtherBachelor's degree	$86,940	$45,770 – $135,140	1,120
34	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$86,760	$62,170 – $97,730	1,740
35	Education Administrators, Kindergarten through SecondaryMaster's degree	$86,330	$68,090 – $107,410	2,760
36	Construction ManagersBachelor's degree	$86,310	$52,570 – $128,320	2,280
37	Civil EngineersBachelor's degree	$85,020	$44,810 – $132,460	1,870
38	Administrative Services ManagersBachelor's degree	$84,480	$46,270 – $151,050	1,110
39	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$83,580	$56,250 – $134,420	2,430
40	Database AdministratorsBachelor's degree	$82,480	$53,690 – $127,850	420
41	Computer Systems AnalystsBachelor's degree	$81,760	$29,750 – $136,270	4,100
42	Network and Computer Systems AdministratorsBachelor's degree	$81,590	$52,190 – $131,140	1,750
43	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$81,500	$64,280 – $102,190	640
44	Electrical Power-Line Installers and RepairersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$81,450	$51,150 – $115,120	1,510
45	Financial and Investment AnalystsBachelor's degree	$81,110	$48,850 – $137,210	1,390
46	Mechanical EngineersBachelor's degree	$80,180	$57,650 – $131,840	1,410
47	Personal Financial AdvisorsBachelor's degree	$79,420	$36,710 – $207,560	1,320
48	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$78,940	$60,780 – $103,660	29,400
49	Occupational Therapy AssistantsAssociate's degree	$78,940	$50,710 – $98,960	730
50	Locomotive EngineersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$78,930	$65,050 – $78,930	620

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Arkansas. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

More for Arkansas

Metro areas in Arkansas

Pay varies more between metros than between states — the spread inside one state is often wider than the gap between two.

By field in Arkansas

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Arkansas to rank honestly.

High paying jobs in Arkansas

More for Arkansas

Metro areas in Arkansas

By field in Arkansas

Without a degree

By state