Ranking · original analysis of BLS and O*NET data
Highest-paying jobs in Arkansas
The 40 best-paid occupations in Arkansas with at least 100 people employed, by state median wage.
Quick answer
The highest-paying occupation in Arkansas with at least 100 people employed was Orthopedic Surgeon, with a state median of $262,470 (BLS May 2025).
The ranking
40 occupations
Data Every figure is from BLS OEWS May 2025 or O*NET 31.0; the selection rule is below.
| # | Occupation | Median pay in Arkansas | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orthopedic Surgeon | $262,470 | 350 |
| 2 | Surgeons, All Other | $254,940 | 280 |
| 3 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $233,130 | 290 |
| 4 | Family Medicine Physician | $215,820 | 290 |
| 5 | Pathologist | $214,100 | 130 |
| 6 | Dentist | $178,930 | 1,210 |
| 7 | Airline Pilot | $168,970 | 250 |
| 8 | Pediatrician | $160,440 | 100 |
| 9 | Purchasing Manager | $156,450 | 930 |
| 10 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $140,600 | 1,220 |
| 11 | Physicians, All Other | $136,880 | 4,290 |
| 12 | Marketing Manager | $136,520 | 1,860 |
| 13 | Pharmacist | $136,060 | 2,900 |
| 14 | IT Manager | $127,220 | 3,420 |
| 15 | Nurse Practitioner | $125,660 | 3,970 |
| 16 | Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $124,890 | 2,080 |
| 17 | Psychiatrist | $124,750 | 150 |
| 18 | Optometrist | $124,470 | 320 |
| 19 | Computer Hardware Engineer | $120,290 | 160 |
| 20 | CEO | $119,990 | 3,550 |
| 21 | Natural Sciences Managers | $119,430 | 340 |
| 22 | Physician Assistant | $118,430 | 850 |
| 23 | Industrial Production Manager | $118,120 | 2,560 |
| 24 | Power Distributors and Dispatchers | $117,370 | 210 |
| 25 | Financial Manager | $116,570 | 7,120 |
| 26 | Psychologists, All Other | $114,340 | 120 |
| 27 | Computer Programmer | $111,840 | 1,050 |
| 28 | Network Engineer | $110,400 | 910 |
| 29 | Electronics Engineer | $109,830 | 150 |
| 30 | Data Scientist | $109,390 | 530 |
| 31 | HR Manager | $108,580 | 1,290 |
| 32 | Sales Manager | $108,330 | 3,710 |
| 33 | Veterinarian | $107,710 | 540 |
| 34 | Occupational Therapist | $106,360 | 2,160 |
| 35 | Statistician | $105,720 | 570 |
| 36 | Chemical Engineer | $105,270 | 290 |
| 37 | Software Engineer | $104,490 | 6,050 |
| 38 | Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | $104,210 | 120 |
| 39 | Public Relations Manager | $104,170 | 340 |
| 40 | Database Architect | $104,070 | 360 |
Method
How this page is built
BLS OEWS state estimates for Arkansas, May 2025: occupations with at least 100 people employed and a published median, ranked by median annual wage.
What this page can't tell you
Sources- Pay at a specific employer or for self-employed workers.
- Openings in your area: these are national figures.
- Whether a job suits you personally.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.