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Registered nurse salary in Arkansas (2026)
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The average registered nurse salary in Arkansas is $81,520 per year. A small pool of very high earners pulls that average upward, so the median of $78,940 gives employers a more reliable starting point for most hiring decisions. Arkansas employs 29,400 registered nurses, and the $2,580 gap between the mean and median reflects real variation in the candidate pool you will be evaluating. Junior registered nurses in Arkansas typically earn around $60,780, while senior specialists reach and exceed the $103,660 threshold at the 90th percentile. Plan for a range rather than a single number when budgeting for a registered nurse hire in Arkansas, and anchor that range to the seniority and specialization of the role you are filling.
Metric / Value
Metric | Value |
Median Annual Salary | $78,940 |
Average Annual Salary | $81,520 |
vs. National Average | 19.6% below the national mean of $101,420 |
Data comes from the BLS OEWS and covers 29,400 employed registered nurses across Arkansas.
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Employers hiring entry-level registered nurses in Arkansas can anchor offers near $60,780, while roles requiring specialized experience or leadership typically command offers approaching or exceeding $103,660. The $42,880 spread across the distribution means that role scope and specialization should drive where within the range you set your offer.
City | Average Annual Salary |
Little Rock | $85,890 |
Fayetteville | $83,300 |
Jonesboro | $81,950 |
Texarkana | $79,130 |
Fort Smith | $77,970 |
Location meaningfully affects what you will need to offer a registered nurse in Arkansas, so employers should calibrate budgets to the specific market rather than relying on the statewide average alone. Little Rock leads at $85,890 per year, while Fort Smith sits at $77,970, a difference of $7,920 that can shift your compensation budget noticeably if you are hiring across multiple sites.
Arkansas is a cost-effective market for registered nurse hiring relative to most of its regional peers, which gives employers here a real budget advantage when competing for talent that has not yet relocated. The Arkansas mean of $81,520 sits below Missouri ($85,900), Tennessee ($85,390), Oklahoma ($85,060), and Texas ($95,380), though it edges above Mississippi ($78,950), so candidates with cross-state options may factor those differences into their decisions.
Frequently asked questions about registered nurse salary in Arkansas
Registered Nurse salary by state
Data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2025, SOC code 29-1141 (Registered Nurses).
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