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 43,700 jobs. The three largest employers of retail salespersons are Memphis (17,050 jobs), Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway (10,620 jobs), Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers (7,940 jobs), which hold 81.5% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $27,890 to $32,580 a year, against $29,270 for the whole state and $35,410 for the whole country.
BLS reports a national median of $35,410 a year for retail salespersons (the lowest-paid tenth earn under $27,210 and the highest-paid tenth over $47,890). Employment is projected to change by -0.3% between 2025 and 2035, with about 520,600 openings a year including replacements. The typical entry route is: No formal educational credential; on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. 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.
Retail salespersons in Arkansas: the highest median pay is in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR area ($32,580 a year); the most jobs are in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR area (17,050). Statewide the median is $29,270 with 35,510 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 | 17,050 | $32,580 | $23,760 | $47,060 | 1.11 | 45% | 92.2 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | 7,940 | $30,300 | $26,260 | $43,460 | 1.15 | 46% | 91.4 |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | 10,620 | $29,150 | $23,780 | $38,820 | 1.18 | 43% | 89.4 |
| Jonesboro, AR | 1,940 | $28,960 | $24,210 | $40,120 | 1.28 | 38% | 85.9 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | 1,650 | $28,700 | $22,230 | $39,090 | 1.14 | 40% | 84.0 |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | 2,880 | $28,350 | $23,180 | $38,850 | 1.20 | 37% | 85.9 |
| Hot Springs, AR | 1,620 | $27,890 | $22,900 | $39,550 | 1.67 | 42% | 85.7 |
National page: Retail salespersons →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 $32,580 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Memphis, TN-MS-AR area, with 17,050 jobs.