Highest-paying jobs in Arkansas
The highest published median in Arkansas is for dermatologists, at $422,060 a year. For 2 more occupations, BLS reports the median only as “$239,200 or more”; they are listed below the table. The median for all occupations in the state is $43,630, against $50,980 nationally.
Arkansas · all occupationsMay 2025
- Median / yr
- $43,630
- Mean / yr
- $54,890
- Price level (U.S.=100)
- 86.9
- Median, price-adjusted
- $50,186
- Adjusted rank
- 44 of 51
- Jobs
- 1,303,630
Price-adjusted = median ÷ (BEA 2024 regional price parity ÷ 100). Compare all states.
The 50 best-paid occupations in Arkansas
AR · Src BLS-OEWS · May 2025Top 50 of 671
| No. | Occupation | Median in AR | U.S. median | Employed in AR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dermatologists | $422,060 | $328,730 | 40 |
| 2 | Neurologists | $317,880 | $248,560 | 70 |
| 3 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $262,470 | $358,550 | 350 |
| 4 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $259,320 | $300,080 | 30 |
| 5 | Surgeons, All Other | $254,940 | $414,010 | 280 |
| 6 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $233,130 | $256,560 | 290 |
| 7 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $232,730 | $224,990 | 40 |
| 8 | Nurse Anesthetists | $224,280 | $236,590 | — |
| 9 | Family Medicine Physicians | $215,820 | $244,180 | 290 |
| 10 | Physicians, Pathologists | $214,100 | $312,400 | 130 |
| 11 | Dentists, General | $178,930 | $170,950 | 1,210 |
| 12 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $168,970 | $232,140 | 250 |
| 13 | Pediatricians, General | $160,440 | $210,040 | 100 |
| 14 | Purchasing Managers | $156,450 | $148,080 | 930 |
| 15 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $140,600 | $171,270 | 1,220 |
| 16 | Medical Dosimetrists | $138,260 | $147,470 | 30 |
| 17 | Physicians, All Other | $136,880 | $265,930 | 4,290 |
| 18 | Marketing Managers | $136,520 | $166,790 | 1,860 |
| 19 | Pharmacists | $136,060 | $140,910 | 2,900 |
| 20 | Physicists | $135,820 | $172,250 | 60 |
| 21 | Sales Engineers | $130,760 | $124,900 | 30 |
| 22 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $127,220 | $175,140 | 3,420 |
| 23 | Nurse Practitioners | $125,660 | $132,300 | 3,970 |
| 24 | Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $124,890 | $107,310 | 2,080 |
| 25 | Psychiatrists | $124,750 | $281,870 | 150 |
| 26 | Optometrists | $124,470 | $136,570 | 320 |
| 27 | Computer Hardware Engineers | $120,290 | $161,740 | 160 |
| 28 | Chief Executives | $119,990 | $213,990 | 3,550 |
| 29 | Natural Sciences Managers | $119,430 | $167,220 | 340 |
| 30 | Physician Assistants | $118,430 | $135,880 | 850 |
| 31 | Industrial Production Managers | $118,120 | $126,060 | 2,560 |
| 32 | Power Distributors and Dispatchers | $117,370 | $106,730 | 210 |
| 33 | Financial Managers | $116,570 | $166,570 | 7,120 |
| 34 | Psychologists, All Other | $114,340 | $110,840 | 120 |
| 35 | Computer Programmers | $111,840 | $100,390 | 1,050 |
| 36 | Computer Network Architects | $110,400 | $134,050 | 910 |
| 37 | Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $109,830 | $130,220 | 150 |
| 38 | Air Traffic Controllers | $109,760 | $148,080 | 80 |
| 39 | Data Scientists | $109,390 | $120,230 | 530 |
| 40 | Human Resources Managers | $108,580 | $149,280 | 1,290 |
| 41 | Sales Managers | $108,330 | $148,270 | 3,710 |
| 42 | Veterinarians | $107,710 | $130,100 | 540 |
| 43 | Occupational Therapists | $106,360 | $100,330 | 2,160 |
| 44 | Statisticians | $105,720 | $105,650 | 570 |
| 45 | Chemical Engineers | $105,270 | $125,040 | 290 |
| 46 | Software Developers | $104,490 | $135,980 | 6,050 |
| 47 | Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | $104,210 | $109,270 | 120 |
| 48 | Public Relations Managers | $104,170 | $146,910 | 340 |
| 49 | Database Architects | $104,070 | $139,500 | 360 |
| 50 | Materials Engineers | $103,900 | $112,860 | 90 |
Median reported only as “$239,200 or more” in Arkansas: Emergency Medicine Physicians, Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The exact figures are not published, so these are not ranked.
Dashes mean the employment estimate was not published.
Best-paid occupations with at least 1,000 jobs in Arkansas
- Dentists, General — $178,930 (1,210 jobs)
- Architectural and Engineering Managers — $140,600 (1,220 jobs)
- Physicians, All Other — $136,880 (4,290 jobs)
- Marketing Managers — $136,520 (1,860 jobs)
- Pharmacists — $136,060 (2,900 jobs)
- Computer and Information Systems Managers — $127,220 (3,420 jobs)
- Nurse Practitioners — $125,660 (3,970 jobs)
- Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary — $124,890 (2,080 jobs)
- Chief Executives — $119,990 (3,550 jobs)
- Industrial Production Managers — $118,120 (2,560 jobs)
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state file.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024.