Career Atlas USA

Careers in Arkansas

Arkansas’s regional price level is below the national average (index 86.937, where 100 = U.S. average, 2024 BEA data).

Unemployment rate: 4.4% · Labor force participation: 59.6% · 1,404,728 people employed (2026-07, BLS LAUS, not seasonally adjusted).

Highest-Paying Careers

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  1. 1Dermatologists$422,060
  2. 2Neurologists$317,880
  3. 3Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric$262,470
  4. 4Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric$259,320
  5. 5Surgeons, All Other$254,940

Largest Occupations

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  1. 1Fast Food and Counter Workers35,660 employed
  2. 2Retail Salespersons35,510 employed
  3. 3General and Operations Managers34,570 employed
  4. 4Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers32,220 employed
  5. 5Office Clerks, General29,940 employed

Highest Concentration

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  1. 1Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products7.84× national avg
  2. 2Log Graders and Scalers7.43× national avg
  3. 3Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers7.39× national avg
  4. 4Agricultural Workers, All Other7.34× national avg
  5. 5Logging Equipment Operators7.26× national avg

Best Purchasing Power

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cost-of-living adjusted

  1. 1Dermatologists$485,478
  2. 2Neurologists$365,644
  3. 3Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric$301,908
  4. 4Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric$298,285
  5. 5Surgeons, All Other$293,247

Strongest Opportunity Score

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  1. 1Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders92.8 / 100
  2. 2Machine Feeders and Offbearers90.3 / 100
  3. 3Occupational Therapy Assistants90.2 / 100
  4. 4Occupational Therapists89.2 / 100
  5. 5Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders87.7 / 100

Sources

Wage and employment data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities. Unemployment rate: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS). Opportunity Score is a Career Atlas USA calculation — see methodology.