Executive Assistant salary in Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR
Hiring an executive assistant costs less in Little Rock-North Little Rock than in Arkansas or the country as a whole. The median is $49,730 a year1: 3.6% below the Arkansas statewide median of $51,600 and 35.1% below the US median of $76,590. Nationally that is #494 of 509 areas, in the bottom tenth. It is the largest market for the job in Arkansas: about 860 people, 42% of the Arkansas total.
BLS occupation 43-6011, area Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Little Rock-North Little Rock against Arkansas and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR | $43,300 | $49,730 | $80,620 | |
| Arkansas | $37,830 | $51,600 | $82,110 | |
| United States | $50,560 | $76,590 | $109,850 |
The middle half of executive assistants in Little Rock-North Little Rock earns $43,400–$64,410. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $80,620, only 1.9 times the bottom tenth, against 2.2 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($56,760) is 14% 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 $21,010 wide, against $22,540 across Arkansas and $33,000 nationally: employers in Little Rock-North Little Rock pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an executive assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $43,300 | $3,608 | $20.82 | $55,871 |
| 25th percentile | $43,400 | $3,617 | $20.87 | $56,000 |
| Median | $49,730 | $4,144 | $23.91 | $64,168 |
| 75th percentile | $64,410 | $5,368 | $30.97 | $83,110 |
| 90th percentile | $80,620 | $6,718 | $38.76 | $104,026 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $14,680 over the median, the 25th only $6,330 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $18,942 a year in employer cost. 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 $76,590 falls between the 75th and 90th percentiles in Little Rock-North Little Rock, and the Arkansas statewide median of $51,600 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local executive assistants earn.
What a hire really costs in Little Rock-North Little Rock
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 $14,438 to the $49,730 median and brings it to $64,168 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
Our open executive assistant roles pay $800–$1,100 a month under a direct contract. The one-time fee is $2,5003 with a 180-day replacement; paying through Deel adds $49 a month4. Change any number below to match your plan.
A local hire here costs about 4.4 times as much as a remote hire in year one at the midpoint of our range. From year two, when the fee drops out, it is 5.4 times the remote figure of $11,988. About the candidates: most apply through our assessment platform with a written and a spoken English task; each profile shows the English level (B1–C2); Silkstaff interviews every shortlisted candidate live, in English, before you meet them.
Other roles in Little Rock-North Little Rock
Of the 17 roles we track in Little Rock-North Little Rock, this one ranks #7 by median pay, between sales development representatives ($52,770) and payroll specialists ($49,600). Project Coordinator is the highest at $73,480.
| Role | Median | vs executive assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruiter | +15.9% | 1,630 | |
| Sales Development Representative | +6.1% | 1,880 | |
| Executive Assistant | this role | 860 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -0.3% | 320 | |
| HR Assistant | -3.6% | 170 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the lowest paid of the 17 roles we track in Little Rock-North Little Rock (-35.1%); e-commerce order specialists come first (-3.6%). The typical role here is at -18.1%, so, measured against the US, executive assistants cost less in Little Rock-North Little Rock than the area's general pay level would suggest. Executive assistants hold 2.7% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Little Rock-North Little Rock, 1.9% across Arkansas and 2.9% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Arkansas
Across the 8 areas of Arkansas with data for this job, the median runs from $47,790 in the South Arkansas nonmetro area to $65,400 in Fayetteville-Springdale, a gap of $17,610 a year. No other area in Arkansas has as many executive assistants, and 4 of the other 7 pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Little Rock-North Little Rock | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville-Springdale, AR | +31.5% | 430 | |
| Jonesboro, AR | +16.6% | 70 | |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | +1.0% | 100 | |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR | this area | 860 | |
| Hot Springs, AR | -1.2% | 40 | |
| North Arkansas (Nonmetro) | -2.8% | 150 | |
| West Arkansas (Nonmetro) | -3.9% | 110 |
Little Rock-North Little Rock against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Little Rock-North Little Rock is #70 of 506 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, yet its pay sits in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Arkansas, Shreveport-Bossier City and Sierra Vista-Douglas pay just above Little Rock-North Little Rock and Goldsboro and Monroe just below. Of the three markets with about as many executive assistants, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Little Rock-North Little Rock | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder, CO | +59.2% | 880 | jobs | |
| Fresno, CA | +56.1% | 880 | jobs | |
| Memphis, TN-MS | +27.9% | 870 | jobs | |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | +1.2% | 70 | pay | |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | +1.0% | 790 | pay | |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR | this area | 860 | ||
| Goldsboro, NC | -0.0% | 60 | pay | |
| Monroe, LA | -2.9% | 300 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an executive assistant in Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR?
About $64,168 a year at the median, or $5,347 a month: $49,730 in pay plus about $14,438 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for executive assistants in Little Rock-North Little Rock?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $49,730 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $43,300, the 90th $80,620, and the middle half earned $43,400 to $64,410.
Is Little Rock-North Little Rock cheaper than the rest of Arkansas for executive assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $49,730 against $51,600 statewide. The next area up in Arkansas is Fort Smith at $50,220, the next down Hot Springs at $49,150.
How many executive assistants work in Little Rock-North Little Rock?
BLS counts about 860 in the May 2025 survey. That is 42% of the Arkansas total of 2,070. No other area in Arkansas has as many.
Does an executive assistant cost more than a payroll specialist in Little Rock-North Little Rock?
Yes: $130 a year more at the median. The medians are $49,730 and $49,600.
What does a remote executive assistant cost compared with Little Rock-North Little Rock?
Our open roles pay $800–$1,100 a month. At the midpoint, with the one-time fee and Deel, year one comes to $14,488, against about $64,168 for a local hire at the median.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.