Cost of hiring in Fort Smith, AR-OK
Customer Support Specialist is the largest of these 16 jobs in Fort Smith, with about 1,860 people1. Medians run from $34,000 a year for virtual receptionists to $74,990 for project coordinators.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Fort Smith
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Entry Specialist | -10.4% | 50 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -10.5% | 630 | |
| Bookkeeper | -11.2% | 960 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -16.2% | 1,860 | |
| Office Manager | -17.8% | 960 | |
| HR Assistant | -19.6% | 50 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -20.8% | 720 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -22.0% | 280 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -22.2% | 100 | |
| Accountant | -24.7% | 520 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -25.1% | 290 | |
| Paralegal | -25.9% | 120 | |
| Project Coordinator | -26.7% | 290 | |
| Recruiter | -28.6% | 400 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -31.1% | 360 | |
| Executive Assistant | -34.4% | 100 |
The employer pays more than the wage: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, so a $37,500 median for customer support specialists, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $48,387 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Fort Smith against the US
Fort Smith pays below the US median for all 16 roles. The gap is smallest for data entry specialists (-10.4%) and virtual receptionists (-10.5%) and largest for executive assistants (-34.4%). The middle gap across all 16 is -22.1%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for data entry specialists, #288 of 394 areas by median pay; its lowest is for accountants, #514 of 521.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Fort Smith has more customer support specialists (24.2% of these jobs here, against 16.4% nationally) and bookkeepers (12.5% against 8.7%), and fewer executive assistants (1.3% against 2.9%) and project coordinators (3.8% against 6.8%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Cape Girardeau, MO-IL is nearest, at -22.3%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hattiesburg, MS | -21.5% | 15 | 5,210 |
| McAllen-Edinburg, TX | -21.6% | 17 | 28,300 |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | -22.1% (this area) | 16 | 7,690 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | -22.3% | 14 | 3,590 |
| Hammond, LA | -22.6% | 14 | 3,540 |
| Valdosta, GA | -22.8% | 15 | 4,420 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, marketing specialists in Fort Smith span $35,730–$123,380, the widest band (3.5×); medical administrative assistants the narrowest, $34,140–$42,790. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 10 of 16 roles, sales development representatives most ($37,980–$148,840 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives, paralegals, marketing specialists and 4 more roles: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($59,980 against a $48,210 median for sales development representatives).
Fort Smith against Arkansas
Against Arkansas as a whole, Fort Smith pays more for 2 of 16 roles, led by data entry specialists (+9.5%) and bookkeepers (+5.1%), and less for 12, most of all HR assistants (-11.9%). Its best rank within Arkansas is #2 of 9 areas, for bookkeepers.
Other areas in Arkansas
By jobs in these roles, Fort Smith is #4 of 9 areas in Arkansas. The table shows the other 8.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR | 32,430 | 17 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale, AR | 25,800 | 17 |
| North Arkansas (Nonmetro) | 8,220 | 17 |
| South Arkansas (Nonmetro) | 6,720 | 14 |
| West Arkansas (Nonmetro) | 4,930 | 15 |
| Jonesboro, AR | 4,150 | 15 |
| East Arkansas (Nonmetro) | 3,880 | 12 |
| Hot Springs, AR | 2,720 | 12 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Fort Smith?
Of the 16 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $74,990 a year, about $96,761 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $34,000.
Is hiring in Fort Smith cheaper than the US median?
Yes, for every role we track: all 16 medians are below the US figure, the furthest for executive assistants (-34.4%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.