Office Manager salary in Fort Smith, AR-OK
Hiring an office manager costs less in Fort Smith than in Arkansas or the country as a whole. The median is $57,130 a year1: 1.7% below the Arkansas statewide median of $58,100 and 17.8% below the US median of $69,500. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#452 of 519). About 960 office managers work here.
BLS occupation 43-1011, area Fort Smith, AR-OK. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Fort Smith against Arkansas and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | $40,040 | $57,130 | $87,800 | |
| Arkansas | $38,600 | $58,100 | $86,580 | |
| United States | $45,610 | $69,500 | $104,710 |
The middle half of office managers in Fort Smith earns $47,970–$70,990. The top tenth earns $87,800 or more, 2.2 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.3 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $23,020 wide, against $24,470 across Arkansas and $29,140 nationally: employers in Fort Smith pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an office manager here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $40,040 | $3,337 | $19.25 | $51,665 |
| 25th percentile | $47,970 | $3,998 | $23.06 | $61,897 |
| Median | $57,130 | $4,761 | $27.47 | $73,716 |
| 75th percentile | $70,990 | $5,916 | $34.13 | $91,600 |
| 90th percentile | $87,800 | $7,317 | $42.21 | $113,290 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $13,860 over the median, the 25th only $9,160 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $17,884 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 $69,500 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Fort Smith, and the Arkansas statewide median of $58,100 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Fort Smith
At the $57,130 median, a local hire costs about $73,716 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $16,586 here. 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 office managers 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.
Other roles in Fort Smith
Of the 16 roles we track in Fort Smith, this one ranks #4 by median pay, between marketing specialists ($58,970) and recruiters ($54,220). Project Coordinator is the highest at $74,990.
| Role | Median | vs office manager | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant | +10.3% | 520 | |
| Marketing Specialist | +3.2% | 290 | |
| Office Manager | this role | 960 | |
| Recruiter | -5.1% | 400 | |
| Executive Assistant | -12.1% | 100 |
Measured against the US median, office managers rank #5 of the 16 roles we track in Fort Smith (-17.8%), between customer support specialists (-16.2%) and HR assistants (-19.6%). The typical role here is at -22.1%, so, measured against the US, office managers cost more in Fort Smith than the area's general pay level would suggest. Office managers hold 12.5% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Fort Smith, 12.8% across Arkansas and 9.1% nationally. The job is a bigger 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 $48,680 in the East Arkansas nonmetro area to $63,620 in Fayetteville-Springdale, a gap of $14,940 a year. Of the 4 areas in Arkansas with more office managers than Fort Smith, 2 pay less: the North Arkansas nonmetro area ($50,800) and the South Arkansas nonmetro area ($51,100).
| Area | Median | vs Fort Smith | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville-Springdale, AR | +11.4% | 3,310 | |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR | +2.8% | 4,240 | |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | this area | 960 | |
| Hot Springs, AR | -7.6% | 400 | |
| Jonesboro, AR | -9.3% | 560 | |
| South Arkansas (Nonmetro) | -10.6% | 980 | |
| North Arkansas (Nonmetro) | -11.1% | 1,200 |
Fort Smith against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Fort Smith is #246 of 517 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Arkansas, Brunswick-St. Simons and Florence-Muscle Shoals pay just above Fort Smith and Wichita Falls and Houma-Bayou Cane just below. All four are within $200 a year of the median in Fort Smith. Of the three markets with about as many office managers, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Fort Smith | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appleton, WI | +21.4% | 960 | jobs | |
| Abilene, TX | +5.5% | 970 | jobs | |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | +3.4% | 960 | jobs | |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | +0.4% | 500 | pay | |
| Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | +0.2% | 350 | pay | |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | this area | 960 | ||
| Wichita Falls, TX | -0.1% | 590 | pay | |
| Houma-Bayou Cane, LA | -0.1% | 780 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an office manager in Fort Smith, AR-OK?
About $73,716 a year at the median, or $6,143 a month: $57,130 in pay plus about $16,586 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for office managers in Fort Smith?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $57,130 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $40,040, the 90th $87,800, and the middle half earned $47,970 to $70,990.
Is Fort Smith cheaper than the rest of Arkansas for office managers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $57,130 against $58,100 statewide. The next area up in Arkansas is Little Rock-North Little Rock at $58,720, the next down Hot Springs at $52,790.
How many office managers work in Fort Smith?
BLS counts about 960 in the May 2025 survey. 4 areas in Arkansas have more; the closest in size is the South Arkansas nonmetro area, with about 980.
Does an office manager cost more than a recruiter in Fort Smith?
Yes: $2,910 a year more at the median. The medians are $57,130 and $54,220.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-1011: 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.