How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in Arkansas in 2026?

A typical Medical Assistant in Arkansas earns about $18.15 per hour ($37,760 per year), per the latest government wage data (May 2025). Broken down further, that works out to roughly $3,147 a month, calculated from the annual figure. On a weekly basis, pay lands near $726. These figures represent typical pay reported by employers across the state's clinics, hospitals, and physician offices.

Arkansas pay sits 17% below the national figure of $45,690 a year, and the state ranks 47th out of 51 states and the District of Columbia for Medical Assistant wages. Lower pay in Arkansas tends to track the state's lower cost of living compared with higher-cost regions. About 5,150 Medical Assistants work across the state, giving a sense of scale for a profession found in nearly every clinic and physician's office.

Entry-level positions in Arkansas typically offer around $14.83 per hour, or about $30,840 a year, for Medical Assistants just starting out. This level of pay is common in the first year or two on the job, often in smaller clinics or roles with limited clinical experience. Within a few years, most Medical Assistants see pay move up toward the state's typical figure of $37,760 a year.

Experienced Medical Assistants in Arkansas often earn upwards of $22.14 per hour, or about $46,060 a year, once they reach the top of the pay range. That top-earning group makes about $15,220 more per year than those just entering the field. Setting, years of experience, and city all play a part in where a given Medical Assistant falls within that range.

Arkansas Medical Assistant pay has risen over the past decade, from $27,710 in 2015 to $37,760 in 2025. That's a gain of $10,050, or 36%, over ten years. Pay dipped briefly in 2021 before resuming its climb, and has increased every year since.

Nationally, Medical Assistant pay rose 49% over the same ten-year stretch, a faster pace than Arkansas saw. The gap between the two trends doesn't change what a paycheck looks like today, only how quickly it got there. Someone starting as a Medical Assistant in Arkansas now is entering a field where pay has moved up steadily, though there's no guarantee that pattern continues at the same rate.

Pay runs highest in the Fayetteville area, where Medical Assistants typically earn $38,400 a year, or $18.46 an hour, about 2% above the state figure. Springdale and Rogers, part of the same metro area, report the same pay. The Little Rock metro, covering Conway, Little Rock, and North Little Rock, follows closely at $38,110 a year, or $18.32 an hour.

Hot Springs pays the least among the state's largest markets, with Medical Assistants earning $36,600 a year, or $17.60 an hour, a spread of $1,800 between the highest- and lowest-paying areas. The Conway metro area employs the most Medical Assistants in the state, at 1,660. These figures reflect entire metro areas rather than single cities, and differences across them often mirror local living costs.

Among neighboring states, Missouri pays the most for Medical Assistants at $40,440 a year, about 7% above Arkansas. Tennessee and Texas both pay around 5% more. Mississippi comes in lowest at $35,360, about 6% below Arkansas, with Louisiana close behind. Certification and training requirements are similar enough across these states that many Medical Assistants can transfer their credentials when they move.

Medical Assistants in Arkansas typically earn $37,760 a year, or $18.15 an hour, according to the latest data. That figure has climbed 36% over the past decade. Readers weighing this career should check Arkansas's licensing and registry requirements for specific steps, and review city-level pages for local pay figures in markets like Fayetteville, Conway, and Little Rock before deciding where to work.