Civil Engineers Salary
Civil Engineers in Arkansas make a median of $85,020 a year, or about $40.88 an hour. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $132K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.64), which stretches that salary to about $97,010 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,021/month, or 19% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Arkansas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $85K actually covers in Arkansas, month by month
About civil engineers
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What this looks like in Arkansas
Pay for civil engineers in Arkansas runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $101K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,021/month, 18.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.64 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Arkansas can be a reasonable trade-off for civil engineers who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Arkansas
Entry-level civil engineers (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $85K. Top earners bring in $132K or more, a $88K spread from bottom to top.
Civil Engineers salary by metro in Arkansas
4 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Smith | $100K | +18% | 110 |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway | $83K | -2% | 580 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers | $83K | -2% | 450 |
| Jonesboro | $82K | -4% | 30 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Arkansas numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a civil engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Arkansas?
Yes — at the median salary of $85K, rent takes 18.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,021/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for civil engineers in Arkansas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new civil engineers typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,039/month. At HUD’s $1,021/month FMR, rent would take 34% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is civil engineer a high-paying job in Arkansas?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $85K here vs. $101K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Arkansas compare to the national average for civil engineers?
Arkansas pays $85K median vs. the U.S. average of $101K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.64), the purchasing-power equivalent is $97K — below the national median.
How much do civil engineers make in Arkansas?
The median is $85,020 a year, that works out to about $41 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,810, and experienced civil engineers can clear $132,460. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $85K enough to live in Arkansas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,421/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,021/month, which eats 18.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a civil engineers salary go in Arkansas?
Arkansas has a Regional Price Parity of 87.64 (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 civil engineers salary is worth about $97,010 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do civil engineers 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.