How Much Does an LPN Make in Arkansas in 2026?

A typical LPN in Arkansas earns about $27.22 per hour ($56,620 per year), according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). That works out to roughly $4,718 a month, or $1,089 a week, when the annual figure is broken down. Pay varies by employer and city, but these figures represent the typical LPN in the state.

Nationally, LPNs typically earn $64,400 a year, which puts Arkansas pay 12% below the national figure. Arkansas ranks 48th among the 51 states and D.C. for LPN pay. Around 10,010 LPNs work in the state, giving a sense of scale for how many people this figure represents. Lower pay in Arkansas tends to track the state's lower cost of living compared with many other states.

Entry-level positions in Arkansas typically offer around $21.48 an hour ($44,670 a year) for LPNs just starting out. Pay tends to move toward the state's typical figure of $27.22 an hour within the first few years on the job. Newer LPNs often start in settings like long-term care or home health, where entry-level openings are common.

Experienced LPNs in Arkansas often earn upwards of $29.43 an hour ($61,220 a year), and the top 10% of earners make over $31.26 an hour ($65,020 a year). The gap between entry-level and top pay runs about $20,350 a year. Setting, years of experience, and city tend to separate the two ends of that range more than any single factor.

In 2015, LPNs in Arkansas typically earned $36,170 a year. By 2025, that figure had climbed to $56,620, a gain of $20,450 over the decade. That amounts to a 57% rise in typical pay over ten years. The increase has been steady rather than sudden, building year over year.

Nationally, LPN pay rose 49% over the same ten years, so Arkansas's climb outpaced the national trend. Pay has moved up steadily for LPNs in Arkansas, though these figures describe what has already happened rather than what will happen next. Anyone starting out now enters a field where pay has been trending upward for a decade.

Pay runs highest in Fayetteville, where LPNs typically earn $61,970 a year, about 9% above the statewide figure. Springdale and Rogers, part of the same metro area, post identical typical pay. Little Rock and North Little Rock, grouped with Conway in the central Arkansas metro area, follow at $59,240 a year.

At the lower end, Jonesboro typically pays $50,980 a year, putting the spread between the highest- and lowest-paying Arkansas cities at $10,990. Conway, part of the Little Rock metro area, has the largest LPN workforce in the state at 2,470 jobs, with typical pay of $59,240 a year. Each city figure reflects its full metro area rather than city limits, and higher pay in places like Fayetteville often comes with a higher cost of living.

Among neighboring states, Texas pays LPNs the most, at $62,240 a year, about 10% above Arkansas's figure, with Missouri close behind at $61,530 a year, 9% higher. Mississippi is the only neighbor that pays less, at $50,220 a year, about 11% below Arkansas. Tennessee ($58,870), Oklahoma ($58,320), and Louisiana ($57,470) all pay somewhat more than Arkansas. LPN licensure can often be transferred or endorsed into a neighboring state, which can make comparing pay across state lines useful when considering a move.

LPNs in Arkansas typically earn $56,620 a year ($27.22 an hour), a figure that has risen 57% over the past decade. Pay varies by city and experience, with entry-level openings starting lower and top earners well above the statewide figure. Readers considering this path can check Arkansas's nursing licensing and registry requirements, and look at city-level pages for local pay figures in places like Fayetteville, Conway, or Little Rock.