Cost of hiring in Jonesboro, AR
BLS counts about 4,150 people in these 15 roles in Jonesboro1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($66,430 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($32,540), and Customer Support Specialist is the largest job, with about 730 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Jonesboro
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Entry Specialist | -8.5% | 40 | |
| Bookkeeper | -11.9% | 470 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -13.5% | 40 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -14.4% | 670 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -17.9% | 730 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -20.0% | 90 | |
| Accountant | -21.1% | 320 | |
| Executive Assistant | -24.3% | 70 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -24.5% | 380 | |
| Office Manager | -25.5% | 560 | |
| Paralegal | -27.6% | 70 | |
| Recruiter | -29.2% | 200 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -30.3% | 220 | |
| Project Coordinator | -35.1% | 120 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -35.4% | 170 |
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 $36,770 median for customer support specialists, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $47,445 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Jonesboro against the US
Jonesboro pays below the US median for all 15 roles. The gap is smallest for data entry specialists (-8.5%) and bookkeepers (-11.9%) and largest for marketing specialists (-35.4%). The middle gap across all 15 is -24.3%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for data entry specialists, #261 of 394 areas by median pay; its lowest is for project coordinators, #517 of 518.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Jonesboro has more virtual receptionists (16.1% of these jobs here, against 5.8% nationally) and office managers (13.5% against 9.1%), and fewer medical administrative assistants (2.2% against 6.1%) and project coordinators (2.9% against 6.8%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Laredo, TX is nearest, at -24.2%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria, LA | -23.3% | 14 | 4,980 |
| Eagle Pass, TX | -23.6% | 11 | 1,250 |
| Laredo, TX | -24.2% | 17 | 10,520 |
| Jonesboro, AR | -24.3% (this area) | 15 | 4,150 |
| Gadsden, AL | -24.4% | 11 | 2,870 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | -24.4% | 17 | 15,460 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, marketing specialists in Jonesboro span $29,640–$109,060, the widest band (3.7×); virtual receptionists the narrowest, $27,880–$39,420. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 8 of 15 roles, virtual receptionists most ($28,760–$49,950 across the US). Budget from the median for marketing specialists, paralegals, sales development representatives and 6 more roles: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($66,020 against a $50,900 median for marketing specialists).
Jonesboro against Arkansas
Against Arkansas as a whole, Jonesboro pays more for 4 of 15 roles, led by executive assistants (+12.3%) and data entry specialists (+11.7%), and less for 9, most of all marketing specialists (-22.2%). It has the highest median in Arkansas for payroll specialists and data entry specialists, and the lowest for project coordinators and paralegals.
Other areas in Arkansas
By jobs in these roles, Jonesboro is #7 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 |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | 7,690 | 16 |
| South Arkansas (Nonmetro) | 6,720 | 14 |
| West Arkansas (Nonmetro) | 4,930 | 15 |
| East Arkansas (Nonmetro) | 3,880 | 12 |
| Hot Springs, AR | 2,720 | 12 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Jonesboro?
Of the 15 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $66,430 a year, about $85,716 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $32,540.
Is hiring in Jonesboro cheaper than the US median?
Yes, for every role we track: all 15 medians are below the US figure, the furthest for marketing specialists (-35.4%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.