Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Arkansas
Cooks, Fast Food in Arkansas have a median of $27,710 a year, below the national $30,890 (−10%); the state ranks 42nd of 51 states by median. That is 36% less than the median across all occupations in Arkansas ($43,630). Among neighbouring states, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas and Oklahoma pay more (up to $29,890 in Missouri) and Louisiana and Mississippi pay less (down to $22,670 in Mississippi). Arkansas employs 7,860 cooks, fast food, 6.03 per 1,000 jobs, the 25th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.46 means the occupation is more concentrated in Arkansas than nationally.
Arkansas vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Arkansas | Hourly | $11.43 | $11.83 | $13.32 | $14.02 | $15.73 | $13.35 | 7,860 | 6.03 | 1.46 |
| Annual | $23,770 | $24,600 | $27,710 | $29,150 | $32,720 | $27,770 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $10.86 | $13.11 | $14.85 | $17.92 | $20.63 | $15.57 | 641,070 | – | – |
| Annual | $22,580 | $27,260 | $30,890 | $37,260 | $42,910 | $32,390 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 42nd of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 25th of 49 states
- Location quotient
- 1.46
- Jobs per 1,000
- 6.03
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Arkansas's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Arkansas
6 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Arkansas publish a row for cooks, fast food, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $13.74 | $28,580 | $24,210 | $31,200 | 3,050 | 8.51 | 2.06 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $13.32 | $27,710 | $24,600 | $32,910 | 1,660 | 6.02 | 1.46 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $13.09 | $27,230 | $22,040 | $35,030 | 2,270 | 3.72 | 0.90 |
| Jonesboro, AR | $12.78 | $26,580 | $23,740 | $30,950 | 490 | 8.14 | 1.98 |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | $12.73 | $26,480 | $23,050 | $30,400 | 640 | 6.68 | 1.62 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | $11.78 | $24,500 | $20,730 | $30,040 | 230 | 4.04 | 0.98 |
| West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $12.76 | $26,550 | $22,880 | $33,630 | 190 | 2.18 | 0.53 |
| East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $12.69 | $26,380 | $22,900 | $29,810 | 380 | 5.52 | 1.34 |
| South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $12.59 | $26,180 | $22,880 | $30,250 | 610 | 5.20 | 1.26 |
| North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $12.54 | $26,080 | $22,880 | $29,830 | 470 | 3.93 | 0.95 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Cooks, Fast Food (every state ranked) and the Arkansas wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Arkansas estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.