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Accountant salary in the South Arkansas nonmetro area

Hiring an accountant costs less in the South Arkansas nonmetro area than in Arkansas or the country as a whole. The median is $61,510 a year1: 7.3% below the Arkansas statewide median of $66,330 and 26.5% below the US median of $83,680. Only 3 of 521 US areas pay less for this job. About 480 accountants work here, 6% of the Arkansas total.

$5,126median pay per month in the South Arkansas nonmetro area
$6,614employer cost per month with benefits
$29.57median pay per hour
480people in this job in the South Arkansas nonmetro area

BLS occupation 13-2011, area South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

Pay in the South Arkansas nonmetro area against Arkansas and the US

Range10thMedian90th
South Arkansas (Nonmetro)$43,300$61,510$103,380
Arkansas$45,810$66,330$119,520
United States$56,020$83,680$144,090
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of accountants in the South Arkansas nonmetro area earns $46,020–$77,990. The top tenth earns $103,380 or more, 2.4 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.6 times. The mean ($68,800) is 12% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $31,970 wide, against $36,380 across Arkansas and $42,790 nationally: employers in the South Arkansas nonmetro area pay within a narrower band.

What to budget for an accountant here

Point in the local rangePer yearPer monthPer hourEmployer cost per year
10th percentile$43,300$3,608$20.82$55,871
25th percentile$46,020$3,835$22.12$59,381
Median$61,510$5,126$29.57$79,368
75th percentile$77,990$6,499$37.50$100,632
90th percentile$103,380$8,615$49.70$133,394

An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $16,480 a year in pay and about $21,265 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $15,490 in pay. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.

For scale, the US median of $83,680 falls between the 75th and 90th percentiles in the South Arkansas nonmetro area, and the Arkansas statewide median of $66,330 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local accountants earn.

What a hire really costs in the South Arkansas nonmetro area

Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $17,858 to the $61,510 median and brings it to $79,368 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.

We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for accountants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.

$79,368local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,888remote hire, first year incl. fee
$65,480difference in year one
83%of the local cost saved

Other roles in the South Arkansas nonmetro area

Of the 14 roles we track in the South Arkansas nonmetro area, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($72,030); recruiters come next at $52,620.

The 5 roles closest in pay. All 14 roles in South Arkansas (Nonmetro)
RoleMedianvs accountantJobs
Project Coordinator
$72,030
+17.1%290
Accountant
$61,510
this role480
Recruiter
$52,620
-14.5%370
Marketing Specialist
$52,110
-15.3%210
Office Manager
$51,100
-16.9%980

Measured against the US median, accountants rank #9 of the 14 roles we track in the South Arkansas nonmetro area (-26.5%), between office managers (-26.5%) and project coordinators (-29.6%). The typical role here is at -25.9%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 7.1% of the jobs in these 14 roles in the South Arkansas nonmetro area, 7.5% across Arkansas and 9.5% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.

Other areas in Arkansas

Across the 9 areas of Arkansas with data for this job, the median runs from $59,770 in Hot Springs to $77,190 in Fayetteville-Springdale, a gap of $17,420 a year. All 3 areas in Arkansas with more accountants than the South Arkansas nonmetro area also pay more, among them Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR ($65,810) and Fayetteville-Springdale, AR ($77,190).

AreaMedianvs the South Arkansas nonmetro areaJobs
Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR
$65,810
+7.0%2,620
West Arkansas (Nonmetro)
$63,750
+3.6%360
Fort Smith, AR-OK
$62,990
+2.4%520
South Arkansas (Nonmetro)
$61,510
this area480
North Arkansas (Nonmetro)
$60,980
-0.9%420
East Arkansas (Nonmetro)
$60,690
-1.3%300
Hot Springs, AR
$59,770
-2.8%190

the South Arkansas nonmetro area against other US metro areas

By number of jobs, the South Arkansas nonmetro area is #367 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. No metro area outside Arkansas pays accountants less than the South Arkansas nonmetro area; the table shows the next lowest outside Arkansas. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, all three pay more.

Metro areaMedianvs the South Arkansas nonmetro areaJobsClose in
Bloomington, IN
$76,640
+24.6%480jobs
Houma-Bayou Cane, LA
$74,620
+21.3%480jobs
Las Cruces, NM
$67,470
+9.7%480jobs
Laredo, TX
$63,410
+3.1%510pay
Gadsden, AL
$63,250
+2.8%280pay
Terre Haute, IN
$63,170
+2.7%510pay
Tallahassee, FL
$61,840
+0.5%2,450pay
South Arkansas (Nonmetro)
$61,510
this area480

Questions

How much does it cost to hire an accountant in South Arkansas (Nonmetro)?

About $79,368 a year at the median, or $6,614 a month: $61,510 in pay plus about $17,858 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.

What is the pay range for accountants in the South Arkansas nonmetro area?

Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $61,510 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $43,300, the 90th $103,380, and the middle half earned $46,020 to $77,990.

Is the South Arkansas nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Arkansas for accountants?

Yes, it costs less: a median of $61,510 against $66,330 statewide. The next area up in Arkansas is Fort Smith at $62,990, the next down the North Arkansas nonmetro area at $60,980.

How many accountants work in the South Arkansas nonmetro area?

BLS counts about 480 in the May 2025 survey. That is 6% of the Arkansas total of 7,870. 3 areas in Arkansas have more; the closest in size is Fort Smith, with about 520.

Does an accountant cost more than a recruiter in the South Arkansas nonmetro area?

Yes: $8,890 a year more at the median. The medians are $61,510 and $52,620.

Sources

4 sources, with links
  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: bls.gov
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
  3. Stafka pricing: stafka.com
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.