SOC 29-2061 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses — Arkansas
Arkansas · 5 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Arkansas is $56,620 a year, trailing the national median of $64,400 by 12.1%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +2.6%
- Openings per year
- 54,400
- Typical entry-level education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
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
Median pay for this occupation in Arkansas is $56,620 a year, trailing the national median of $64,400 by 12.1%. Half of workers earn between $49,550 and $61,220. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $44,670 and the ninetieth at $65,020.
The area has 10,010 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 1.84 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Among the 51 states with published data for this occupation, Arkansas ranks 48th by median wage. Fayetteville leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $61,970. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 252nd of 673 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $44,670 | −30.6% |
| 25th | $49,550 | −23.1% |
| Median (50th) | $56,620 | −12.1% |
| 75th | $61,220 | −4.9% |
| 90th | $65,020 | +1.0% |
| Mean | $55,690 | −13.5% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Arkansas
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fayetteville | $61,970 | 1,270 | |
| 2 | Little Rock | $59,240 | 2,470 | |
| 3 | Hot Springs | $56,120 | 410 | |
| 4 | Fort Smith | $55,880 | 960 | |
| 5 | Jonesboro | $50,980 | 630 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Arkansas run 13.1% below the national average, so the median of $56,620 goes as far as $65,155 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 1.2% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$56,620as reported by BLSLocal price level
86.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$65,155US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $56,620 a year, 12.1% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $44,670 to $65,020 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 10,010 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 48th of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Fayetteville, at $61,970.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses in Arkansas?
The median annual wage is $56,620, or $27.22 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 $64,400, so pay in Arkansas is 12.1% 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 $65,020 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $44,670 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 Fayetteville, at $61,970 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 10,010 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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