How much does a Firefighter make in Arkansas?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $42,100 for Firefighters in Arkansas as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $32,610 and the 75th-percentile is $54,830.

What is the real (cost-adjusted) Firefighter salary in Arkansas?

After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 86.8 for Arkansas), the real-wage equivalent is $48,497 — what the $42,100 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $37,565 to $63,161.

What does the top of the Firefighter pay scale look like in Arkansas?

The 90th percentile lands at $63,930. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $54,830.

Why is the BEA RPP for Arkansas different from a single CPI number?

BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. Arkansas's overall index of 86.8 reflects rents 56.7, services 81.9, and goods 93.1.

How wide is the wage spread in Arkansas?

P10 to P90 spans $28,600 to $63,930. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

Is Arkansas a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Firefighters?

Yes — the BEA RPP of 86.8 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $42,100 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $48,497. The take-home advantage versus a higher-RPP state is meaningful for Firefighters comparing offers across regions.

How does the 24/48 shift schedule distort BLS firefighter pay in Arkansas?

Most career firefighters in Arkansas work a 24-hours-on, 48-hours-off rotation totaling roughly 56 hours per week — substantially more than the 40-hour assumption underlying many salary comparisons. BLS OEWS reports annual W-2 wages, which include the structurally elevated base from the longer schedule plus FLSA-mandated overtime above 53 hours/week. The headline number understates intensity: per-shift effective compensation looks high; per-hour-of-life-spent-at-the-station it's closer to a typical municipal worker's rate.

Firefighter Salary in Arkansas (2026): $42K Median, BEA RPP-Adjusted

TL;DR

Firefighters in Arkansas earn a BLS median of $42,100, with real take-home of $48,497 after BEA RPP adjustment.
State ranks #44 nationally on nominal wage, #40 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.
After the cost-of-living adjustment, take-home rises by $6,397 versus the BLS median — purchasing-power arbitrage.
BLS percentile breakdown: P10 $28,600 · P25 $32,610 · P75 $54,830 · P90 $63,930.

Wage breakdown — Arkansas

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$28,600	$32,946
P25 (lower quartile)	$32,610	$37,565
P50 (median)	$42,100	$48,497
P75 (upper quartile)	$54,830	$63,161
P90 (top tier)	$63,930	$73,644
Mean	$43,870	$50,536
Employment	2,280 Firefighters in Arkansas

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Arkansas index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	86.8
Goods	93.1
Services	81.9
Rents	56.7

Arkansas sits below the national baseline (RPP 86.8), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 56.7.

After-tax take-home — Arkansas (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Firefighter)	$42,100	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$2,914	6.9% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$1,143	0–3.9% (graduated)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$3,221	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$34,823	82.7% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$40,114	÷ (86.8 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Arkansas state-tax burden means for Firefighter take-home

Mid-band state-tax burden at 2.7% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $34,823 (82.7% of gross). After the 86.8 RPP, real take-home is $40,114.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $59,530 for Firefighters with mean pay of $63,890 and total employment of 332,240. Arkansas sits at #44 on nominal pay and #40 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Arkansas climbs 4 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Firefighter make in Arkansas?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $42,100 for Firefighters in Arkansas as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $32,610 and the 75th-percentile is $54,830.
What is the real (cost-adjusted) Firefighter salary in Arkansas?: After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 86.8 for Arkansas), the real-wage equivalent is $48,497 — what the $42,100 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $37,565 to $63,161.
What does the top of the Firefighter pay scale look like in Arkansas?: The 90th percentile lands at $63,930. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $54,830.
Why is the BEA RPP for Arkansas different from a single CPI number?: BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. Arkansas's overall index of 86.8 reflects rents 56.7, services 81.9, and goods 93.1.
How wide is the wage spread in Arkansas?: P10 to P90 spans $28,600 to $63,930. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
Is Arkansas a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Firefighters?: Yes — the BEA RPP of 86.8 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $42,100 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $48,497. The take-home advantage versus a higher-RPP state is meaningful for Firefighters comparing offers across regions.
How does the 24/48 shift schedule distort BLS firefighter pay in Arkansas?: Most career firefighters in Arkansas work a 24-hours-on, 48-hours-off rotation totaling roughly 56 hours per week — substantially more than the 40-hour assumption underlying many salary comparisons. BLS OEWS reports annual W-2 wages, which include the structurally elevated base from the longer schedule plus FLSA-mandated overtime above 53 hours/week. The headline number understates intensity: per-shift effective compensation looks high; per-hour-of-life-spent-at-the-station it's closer to a typical municipal worker's rate.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 33-2011, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-05.

Cross-comparison: see how Arkansas Firefighter pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.