Ranked by median pay, with jobs and rent share; from BLS and Census data.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
7 metro areas in Arkansas publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 16,760 jobs. The three largest employers of nursing assistants are Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway (5,250 jobs), Memphis (4,930 jobs), Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers (2,320 jobs), which hold 74.6% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $29,940 to $38,010 a year, against $34,430 for the whole state and $42,260 for the whole country.
BLS reports a national median of $42,260 a year for nursing assistants (the lowest-paid tenth earn under $33,940 and the highest-paid tenth over $51,980). Employment is projected to change by +2.6% between 2025 and 2035, with about 196,200 openings a year including replacements. The typical entry route is: Postsecondary nondegree award. Education requirements are BLS's typical ones, not legal rules; many states also license this work, so check the state board before applying.
Higher pay is not the whole story: look at the rent share column (yearly rent divided by median pay) and the price level (100 is the national average). A metro with a lower salary but cheaper housing can leave more money at the end of the month. The location quotient shows where the occupation is concentrated; employers cluster where it is above 1, which usually means more openings and more competition among employers for the same skills.
Nursing assistants in Arkansas: the highest median pay is in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR area ($38,010 a year); the most jobs are in the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR area (5,250). Statewide the median is $34,430 with 17,260 jobs. Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation are listed; click a column to sort.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Yearly rent as % of median pay ⇅ | Price level (US = 100) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 4,930 | $38,010 | $31,660 | $44,540 | 0.86 | 39% | 92.2 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | 2,320 | $35,820 | $30,210 | $41,180 | 0.91 | 39% | 91.4 |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | 5,250 | $35,370 | $29,460 | $44,480 | 1.57 | 36% | 89.4 |
| Jonesboro, AR | 1,050 | $35,210 | $29,510 | $39,020 | 1.87 | 32% | 85.9 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | 820 | $32,880 | $24,620 | $40,970 | 1.54 | 35% | 84.0 |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | 1,580 | $32,020 | $25,040 | $36,960 | 1.77 | 32% | 85.9 |
| Hot Springs, AR | 810 | $29,940 | $29,550 | $37,800 | 2.25 | 39% | 85.7 |
National page: Nursing assistants →Cities of Arkansas
Rent uses the metro median gross rent (ACS) and appears only for metros that contain a city of this guide. "n/a" means BLS suppressed the figure or we have no rent for that metro.
In the Memphis, TN-MS-AR area, with a median of $38,010 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR area, with 5,250 jobs.