Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Arkansas
In Arkansas, cooks, restaurant earn a median $30,180 a year, well below the national median of $37,390 (−19%); the state ranks 48th of 51 states by median. That is 31% less than the median across all occupations in Arkansas ($43,630). Among neighbouring states, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas and Oklahoma pay more (up to $36,940 in Missouri) and Mississippi and Louisiana pay less (down to $29,050 in Louisiana). Arkansas employs 11,270 cooks, restaurant, 8.65 per 1,000 jobs, the 33rd largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.95 is close to the national share.
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 | $12.51 | $13.69 | $14.51 | $17.03 | $17.86 | $15.22 | 11,270 | 8.65 | 0.95 |
| Annual | $26,020 | $28,470 | $30,180 | $35,410 | $37,140 | $31,650 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.80 | $16.35 | $17.98 | $21.45 | $23.03 | $18.62 | 1,409,890 | – | – |
| Annual | $28,700 | $34,010 | $37,390 | $44,620 | $47,900 | $38,730 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 48th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 33rd of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.95
- Jobs per 1,000
- 8.65
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
7 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Arkansas publish a row for cooks, restaurant, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $17.47 | $36,340 | $27,030 | $44,560 | 4,800 | 7.84 | 0.86 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $16.22 | $33,730 | $28,550 | $38,080 | 2,940 | 10.67 | 1.18 |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $14.76 | $30,690 | $27,150 | $37,140 | 3,560 | 9.94 | 1.10 |
| Jonesboro, AR | $14.52 | $30,190 | $26,780 | $37,650 | 540 | 8.94 | 0.99 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | $14.18 | $29,490 | $22,010 | $34,790 | 640 | 11.18 | 1.23 |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | $14.12 | $29,370 | $24,140 | $36,200 | 850 | 8.87 | 0.98 |
| Hot Springs, AR | $14.07 | $29,260 | $23,610 | $35,810 | 690 | 17.80 | 1.96 |
| North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $13.97 | $29,050 | $23,940 | $35,740 | 960 | 8.07 | 0.89 |
| West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $13.69 | $28,470 | $23,850 | $35,790 | 640 | 7.42 | 0.82 |
| South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $13.66 | $28,410 | $23,910 | $35,920 | 480 | 4.08 | 0.45 |
| East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $13.46 | $28,000 | $23,910 | $35,470 | 350 | 5.19 | 0.57 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Cooks, Restaurant (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.