Real Estate Agent · Arkansas · SOC 41-9022
Real Estate Agent Salary in Arkansas (2026)
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2024 reference period · BEA Regional Price Parity 2023 vintage · Last synced 2026-05-08.
TL;DR
- Median Real Estate Agent salary in Arkansas: $38,450 nominal, $44,292 real (BEA RPP basis).
- Below-100 RPP flips this state above its nominal rank in real-wage terms; the gap is about $5,842.
- BLS percentile breakdown: P10 $22,880 · P25 $29,120 · P75 $60,510 · P90 $97,260.
- Real Estate Agent ranking: #47 on the BLS table, #42 once cost of living is in.
Wage breakdown — Arkansas
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $22,880 | $26,356 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $29,120 | $33,545 |
| P50 (median) | $38,450 | $44,292 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $60,510 | $69,704 |
| P90 (top tier) | $97,260 | $112,038 |
| Mean | $51,440 | $59,256 |
| Employment | 1,630 Real Estate Agents 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 (Real Estate Agent) | $38,450 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$2,476 | 6.4% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$1,000 | 0–3.9% (graduated) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$2,941 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $32,032 | 83.3% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $36,899 | ÷ (86.8 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Arkansas state-tax burden means for Real Estate Agent take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 2.6% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $32,032 (83.3% of gross). After the 86.8 RPP, real take-home is $36,899.
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 $56,320 for Real Estate Agents with mean pay of $70,970 and total employment of 190,600. Arkansas sits at #47 on nominal pay and #42 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Arkansas climbs 5 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Real Estate Agent make in Arkansas?
- BLS reports a median annual wage of $38,450 for Real Estate Agents in Arkansas as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $29,120 and the 75th-percentile is $60,510.
- What is the real (cost-adjusted) Real Estate Agent salary in Arkansas?
- After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 86.8 for Arkansas), the real-wage equivalent is $44,292 — what the $38,450 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $33,545 to $69,704.
- How are Arkansas Real Estate Agent salaries calculated on this page?
- Nominal wages come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) — annual employer surveys, May 2026 reference period. Real-wage figures use BEA Regional Price Parities (2023 vintage) to adjust for state-level cost of living. No self-report or jobs-board data is mixed in.
- What does the top of the Real Estate Agent pay scale look like in Arkansas?
- The 90th percentile lands at $97,260. 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 $60,510.
- How wide is the wage spread in Arkansas?
- P10 to P90 spans $22,880 to $97,260. 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 Real Estate Agents?
- Yes — the BEA RPP of 86.8 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $38,450 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $44,292. The take-home advantage versus a higher-RPP state is meaningful for Real Estate Agents comparing offers across regions.
- What are the limits of these Real Estate Agent salary numbers?
- BLS OES is an employer survey of W-2 wages — it excludes contractor pay, bonuses outside the base wage definition, equity compensation, and tip income. Self-employed practitioners and gig workers are not represented. For occupations with significant non-W-2 income, the BLS figure is a floor, not a complete picture.
Sources & methodology
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 41-9022, 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.
Cross-comparison: see how Arkansas Real Estate Agent 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.