SOC 53-7063 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Machine Feeders and Offbearers — Arkansas
Arkansas · 3 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Arkansas comes to $45,250 a year, ahead of the national median of $41,220 by 9.8%.
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
- -13.0%
- Openings per year
- 4,700
- Typical entry-level education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Short-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
Median pay for this occupation in Arkansas comes to $45,250 a year, ahead of the national median of $41,220 by 9.8%. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $37,400 and $45,550. The lowest tenth earn under $33,280, while the highest tenth earn more than $49,760.
Employment stands at 1,580, or 1.2 jobs per thousand held locally. Among the 43 states with published data for this occupation, Arkansas ranks 11th by median wage. Little Rock leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $48,430. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 401st of 673 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $33,280 | −19.3% |
| 25th | $37,400 | −9.3% |
| Median (50th) | $45,250 | +9.8% |
| 75th | $45,550 | +10.5% |
| 90th | $49,760 | +20.7% |
| Mean | $43,290 | +5.0% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Arkansas
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Little Rock | $48,430 | 200 | |
| 2 | Fayetteville | $38,330 | 140 | |
| 3 | Fort Smith | $37,710 | 230 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Arkansas run 13.1% below the national average, so the median of $45,250 goes as far as $52,071 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 26.3% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$45,250as reported by BLSLocal price level
86.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$52,071US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $45,250 a year, 9.8% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $33,280 to $49,760 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 1,580 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 11th of 43 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Little Rock, at $48,430.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Machine Feeders and Offbearers in Arkansas?
The median annual wage is $45,250, or $21.75 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 $41,220, so pay in Arkansas is 9.8% higher. 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 $49,760 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $33,280 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 Little Rock, at $48,430 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 1,580 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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