Highest-paying jobs in Little Rock
The rich are getting richer, and have been for some time.
Across the nation, wages have continued to rise this year despite the Federal Reserve's efforts to temper inflation. In June, average weekly earnings grew at a higher rate than the Consumer Price Index, the nation's primary inflation indicator.
While pay is increasing across income levels, the historical growth for high-income jobs has been most profound. High-income jobs have grown 69% over the past 50 years—more than both middle- and lower-income jobs, a Pew Trusts analysis shows.
The highest earners in the U.S. are what you'd expect: doctors and other medical professionals, engineers, tech workers, executives, and corporate leaders. Nationally, the 50 top-paying jobs all require at least a bachelor's degree, and many require a master's, doctorate, or another professional degree. Indeed, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that higher degree holders earn more in a typical week and face lower rates of unemployment.
Still, the exact positions that pay the most vary depending on where in the country you are located. Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the 50 highest-paying jobs in Little Rock. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2022, so jobs without annual compensation estimates available were excluded from this analysis.
#50. Financial examiners
- Median annual wage: $82,750
- Median hourly wage: $39.78
- Total employment: 240 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#49. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $82,780
- Median hourly wage: $39.80
- Total employment: 360 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#48. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $82,870
- Median hourly wage: $39.84
- Total employment: 2,520 people (7.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#47. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $83,160
- Median hourly wage: $39.98
- Total employment: 90 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#46. Advertising and promotions managers
- Median annual wage: $83,260
- Median hourly wage: $40.03
- Total employment: 70 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#45. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $84,250
- Median hourly wage: $40.51
- Total employment: 100 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#44. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $84,390
- Median hourly wage: $40.57
- Total employment: 280 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#43. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $84,560
- Median hourly wage: $40.65
- Total employment: 400 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#42. Biological scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $84,640
- Median hourly wage: $40.69
- Total employment: 40 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#41. Psychiatrists
- Median annual wage: $84,670
- Median hourly wage: $40.71
- Total employment: 60 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#40. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $86,080
- Median hourly wage: $41.39
- Total employment: 60 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#39. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $87,240
- Median hourly wage: $41.94
- Total employment: 1,610 people (4.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#38. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $87,300
- Median hourly wage: $41.97
- Total employment: 50 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#37. Computer science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $87,410
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 90 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#36. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $87,420
- Median hourly wage: $42.03
- Total employment: 70 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#35. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $88,790
- Median hourly wage: $42.69
- Total employment: 60 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#34. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $89,730
- Median hourly wage: $43.14
- Total employment: 670 people (2.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#33. Audiologists
- Median annual wage: $89,980
- Median hourly wage: $43.26
- Total employment: 60 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#32. Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $90,020
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#31. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $90,880
- Median hourly wage: $43.69
- Total employment: 2,000 people (5.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#30. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $91,680
- Median hourly wage: $44.08
- Total employment: 130 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#29. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $94,790
- Median hourly wage: $45.57
- Total employment: 460 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#28. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $95,010
- Median hourly wage: $45.68
- Total employment: 40 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#27. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $95,220
- Median hourly wage: $45.78
- Total employment: 70 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#26. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $96,790
- Median hourly wage: $46.53
- Total employment: 1,520 people (4.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#25. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $97,490
- Median hourly wage: $46.87
- Total employment: Not available
#24. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $100,090
- Median hourly wage: $48.12
- Total employment: 350 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#23. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $101,050
- Median hourly wage: $48.58
- Total employment: 320 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#22. Economics teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $101,360
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: Not available
#21. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $102,270
- Median hourly wage: $49.17
- Total employment: 1,970 people (5.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#20. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $102,420
- Median hourly wage: $49.24
- Total employment: 320 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#19. Business teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $102,680
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 110 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#18. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $102,880
- Median hourly wage: $49.46
- Total employment: 930 people (2.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#17. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $103,280
- Median hourly wage: $49.66
- Total employment: 260 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#16. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $103,340
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 100 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#15. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $103,890
- Median hourly wage: $49.95
- Total employment: 320 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#14. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $104,180
- Median hourly wage: $50.09
- Total employment: 1,270 people (3.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#13. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Median annual wage: $110,430
- Median hourly wage: $53.09
- Total employment: 150 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#12. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $113,800
- Median hourly wage: $54.71
- Total employment: 650 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#11. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $120,450
- Median hourly wage: $57.91
- Total employment: 90 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#10. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers
- Median annual wage: $125,610
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#9. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $127,840
- Median hourly wage: $61.46
- Total employment: 1,070 people (3.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#8. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $128,030
- Median hourly wage: $61.55
- Total employment: 250 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#7. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $128,980
- Median hourly wage: $62.01
- Total employment: 740 people (2.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#6. Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $164,640
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,590 people (4.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#5. Nurse anesthetists
- Median annual wage: $169,070
- Median hourly wage: $81.28
- Total employment: 160 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#4. Physicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $178,000
- Median hourly wage: $85.58
- Total employment: 780 people (2.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#3. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
- Median annual wage: $180,130
- Median hourly wage: $86.60
- Total employment: 60 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#2. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $200,530
- Median hourly wage: $96.41
- Total employment: 270 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Physicians, pathologists
- Median annual wage: Exact median salary unknown; at least $239,200 per year or $115 per hour
- Total employment: 60 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
