Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary Salary
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondaries in Fort Smith, AR-OK make a median of $57,080 a year, or about $27.44 an hour. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $70K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.89), which stretches that salary to about $66,457 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $937/month, or 25% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $57K get you in Fort Smith?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Fort Smith’s Regional Price Parity (85.89). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About career/technical education teachers, postsecondaries
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What this looks like in Fort Smith
Pay for career/technical education teachers, postsecondary in Fort Smith runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $64K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $937/month, 24.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Fort Smith can be a reasonable trade-off for career/technical education teachers, postsecondarys who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for career/technical education teachers, postsecondaries in metros near Fort Smith, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway | $58K | $65K |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers | $57K | $63K |
| Hattiesburg | $62K | $71K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $61K | $60K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Fort Smith, AR-OK
Entry-level career/technical education teachers, postsecondaries (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $70K or more, a $42K spread from bottom to top.
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | $83K | +29% | 2,000 |
| South Carolina | $80K | +25% | 1,980 |
| Massachusetts | $79K | +23% | 1,660 |
| Washington | $78K | +21% | 3,610 |
| Alaska | $77K | +21% | 1,120 |
| Minnesota | $77K | +21% | 1,510 |
| California | $77K | +20% | 11,040 |
| New York | $75K | +18% | 5,250 |
| Wyoming | $74K | +16% | 360 |
| North Dakota | $74K | +15% | 430 |
| South Dakota | $73K | +14% | 350 |
| New Jersey | $72K | +14% | 2,590 |
| Colorado | $70K | +10% | 2,060 |
| Oklahoma | $67K | +5% | 3,040 |
| Oregon | $65K | +3% | 1,140 |
| Rhode Island | $65K | +2% | 310 |
| West Virginia | $65K | +2% | 300 |
| Texas | $65K | +2% | 12,620 |
| New Hampshire | $65K | +2% | 220 |
| Arizona | $65K | +2% | 2,190 |
| Michigan | $63K | -1% | 3,480 |
| Pennsylvania | $63K | -1% | 4,780 |
| Alabama | $63K | -2% | 2,350 |
| Illinois | $62K | -2% | 4,420 |
| Vermont | $62K | -2% | 210 |
| Delaware | $62K | -2% | 190 |
| North Carolina | $62K | -2% | 6,510 |
| Tennessee | $62K | -2% | 2,140 |
| Iowa | $62K | -2% | 1,170 |
| Maryland | $62K | -3% | 780 |
| Nevada | $62K | -3% | 950 |
| Maine | $62K | -3% | 510 |
| Kentucky | $61K | -4% | 1,560 |
| Ohio | $61K | -5% | 3,440 |
| New Mexico | $60K | -5% | 1,070 |
| Nebraska | $60K | -5% | 470 |
| Georgia | $60K | -5% | 3,920 |
| Florida | $60K | -6% | 7,600 |
| Idaho | $60K | -6% | 570 |
| Missouri | $60K | -7% | 1,630 |
| Connecticut | $59K | -7% | 1,130 |
| District of Columbia | $59K | -7% | N/A |
| Indiana | $58K | -9% | 2,250 |
| Virginia | $58K | -9% | 1,860 |
| Montana | $57K | -10% | 430 |
| Louisiana | $56K | -12% | 780 |
| Hawaii | $52K | -19% | 70 |
| Utah | $51K | -20% | 2,280 |
| Mississippi | $51K | -21% | 1,030 |
| Arkansas | $50K | -21% | 1,550 |
| Kansas | $49K | -24% | 1,160 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a career/technical education teachers, postsecondary afford a 2BR apartment alone in Fort Smith?
Yes — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 24.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $937/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for career/technical education teachers, postsecondaries in Fort Smith?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new career/technical education teachers, postsecondaries typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,699/month. At HUD’s $937/month FMR, rent would take 55% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is career/technical education teachers, postsecondary a high-paying job in Fort Smith?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $57K here vs. $64K nationally. Cost of living is 14% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Fort Smith compare to the national average for career/technical education teachers, postsecondaries?
Fort Smith pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $66K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do career/technical education teachers, postsecondaries make in Fort Smith, AR-OK?
The median is $57,080 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,320, and experienced career/technical education teachers, postsecondaries can clear $70,470. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in Fort Smith?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,820/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $937/month, which eats 24.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a career/technical education teachers, postsecondary salary go in Fort Smith?
Fort Smith has a Regional Price Parity of 85.89 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median career/technical education teachers, postsecondary salary is worth about $66,457 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do career/technical education teachers, postsecondaries get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.