SOC 47-4011 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Construction and Building Inspectors — Arkansas
Arkansas · 4 metro areas compared
At $52,700, this is one of the lower medians recorded for Construction and Building Inspectors, 29.4% beneath the national figure of $74,690.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -0.8%
- Openings per year
- 14,800
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- 5 years or more
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Arkansas.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
At $52,700, this is one of the lower medians recorded for Construction and Building Inspectors, 29.4% beneath the national figure of $74,690. Pay ranges from under $39,450 at the tenth percentile to more than $81,340 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $46,280 to $66,560.
Employment stands at 800, or 0.6 jobs per thousand held locally. Arkansas ranks number 50th out of 51 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Fort Smith records the highest median at $59,800. Of the 673 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 281st.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $39,450 | −47.2% |
| 25th | $46,280 | −38.0% |
| Median (50th) | $52,700 | −29.4% |
| 75th | $66,560 | −10.9% |
| 90th | $81,340 | +8.9% |
| Mean | $57,710 | −22.7% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Arkansas
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort Smith | $59,800 | 50 | |
| 2 | Fayetteville | $54,990 | 160 | |
| 3 | Little Rock | $50,880 | 260 | |
| 4 | Jonesboro | $50,460 | 40 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Arkansas run 13.1% below the national average, so the median of $52,700 goes as far as $60,644 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 18.8% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$52,700as reported by BLSLocal price level
86.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$60,644US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $52,700 a year, 29.4% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $39,450 to $81,340 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 800 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 50th of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Fort Smith, at $59,800.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Construction and Building Inspectors in Arkansas?
The median annual wage is $52,700, or $25.34 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $74,690, so pay in Arkansas is 29.4% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Arkansas earns more than $81,340 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $39,450 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Fort Smith, at $59,800 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 800 jobs in this occupation in Arkansas. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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