Travel Nurse Pay in Arkansas (2026)
Arkansas staff RN pay runs well below the national median, but the state's compact license, low costs and booming northwest corridor keep travel demand steadier than outsiders expect.
By the NursePayLab editorial team · Updated $1
Key numbers at a glance
| Pay measure | Arkansas | U.S. overall |
|---|---|---|
| Staff RN median hourly wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | $37.95 | $46.90 |
| Staff RN median annual wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | $78,940 | $97,550 |
| Staff RN mean annual wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | $81,520 | $101,420 |
| Registered nurses employed (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | 29,400 | 3,379,720 |
Travel nurse pay in Arkansas: the numbers
The baseline first. Per the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025), Arkansas employs 29,400 registered nurses (just under 1% of the nation's 3.38 million registered nurses) at a median wage of $37.95 an hour ($78,940 a year), with a mean of $81,520. The national median is $46.90 an hour ($97,550 a year), so Arkansas staff RNs earn roughly 19% less than the typical U.S. nurse — one of the larger gaps in the country.
| Pay measure | Arkansas | U.S. overall |
|---|---|---|
| Staff RN median hourly wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | $37.95 | $46.90 |
| Staff RN median annual wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | $78,940 | $97,550 |
| Staff RN mean annual wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | $81,520 | $101,420 |
| Registered nurses employed (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | 29,400 | 3,379,720 |
| Typical travel gross package (hedged — varies by specialty, facility, season) | roughly $1,600–$2,300/week | roughly $1,800–$3,200/week |
| State income tax on wages, 2026 | Graduated, top rate under 4% (recent years have trimmed it — verify with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration) | varies by state |
Treat the travel band as hedged market context, not a quote: routine med-surg in a metro community hospital can land below it, while ICU, NICU, cath lab and L&D contracts, rural referral coverage and rapid-response extensions routinely clear the top. Arkansas taxes wages on a graduated schedule whose top rate has been repeatedly trimmed in recent years and now sits under 4% — among the lower top rates of any taxing state. On a traveler's modest taxable base the weekly bite is roughly $20–30. Verify the current brackets with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration before modeling an offer; the rate has moved nearly every year.
The map: Little Rock anchors the market around its academic medical center, the state's biggest referral hospital and a consistent buyer of ICU, step-down and L&D travelers. Northwest Arkansas — Fayetteville, Springdale and Rogers — is the growth story, with a fast-expanding hospital corridor competing for staff against corporate employers. Fort Smith and Jonesboro add steady regional demand, and the Mississippi Delta counties along the east post the sharpest premiums for scarce specialties. Arkansas is a Nurse Licensure Compact member (implemented January 19, 2018, per NCSBN), so a multistate RN license issued by your compact home state covers Arkansas assignments. Compare Arkansas against every other state on the travel nurse pay by state hub, and check the underlying BLS tables at bls.gov/oes.
How stipends change the math in Arkansas
Every Arkansas offer splits into taxable wages and tax-free stipends, and the split matters as much as the number. Housing and meal stipends stay untaxed only while you maintain a valid tax home with duplicated living expenses, and they are capped by the GSA per diem tables for your assignment city. Little Rock and the Northwest Arkansas corridor carry moderate GSA tables; the rest of the state runs at low standard rates — so stipend ceilings vary meaningfully by county. Decide early whether to take the stipend or agency housing — in the bigger Arkansas metros that choice is routinely worth several hundred dollars a week.
Illustrative contract, Little Rock: $23 an hour taxable times 36 guaranteed hours is $828 of weekly taxable gross. Federal income tax runs about $60 a week for a single filer after the standard deduction, FICA about $63, and state income tax roughly $25 on this base — call it about $680 net from the taxable side. Add $1,200 housing plus $400 meals and incidentals, untaxed with a valid tax home, and weekly take-home is roughly $2,280, a blended rate near $63 an hour. A 13-week contract lands near $29,600. Run your own offer through the take-home pay calculator — this is an estimate, not tax advice.
The comparison that matters: Arkansas is a low-gross, high-net state. Weekly packages look small next to California or Alaska, but housing is cheap, GSA per diems cover a disproportionate share of real costs there, and the sub-4% state tax barely dents the taxable base. A $2,200 Arkansas week can out-net a $2,500 week in a high-cost, high-tax metro. The state rewards travelers who compare on take-home rather than sticker gross — which is the whole point of running every offer through a calculator. Score any two offers with the contract comparison calculator or the blended rate calculator, and if this is your first contract, walk the first assignment checklist before you sign anything.
FAQ
How much do travel nurses make in Arkansas?
Arkansas staff RNs earn a median of $78,940 a year ($37.95 an hour) per BLS OEWS May 2025 data, about 19% below the $97,550 national median. Travel packages typically run roughly $1,600–$2,300 a week gross, with Little Rock ICU and Northwest Arkansas posts on the higher end and rural Delta hospitals posting premiums for scarce specialties.
Does Arkansas have a state income tax on travel nurse wages?
Yes — Arkansas taxes wages on a graduated schedule with a top rate under 4%, among the lower top rates of any taxing state. On a traveler's taxable base the bite is roughly $20–30 a week. Verify current brackets with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration; the rate keeps moving.
Is Arkansas part of the Nurse Licensure Compact?
Yes. Arkansas has been a Nurse Licensure Compact member since January 19, 2018 (per NCSBN), so a multistate RN license issued by your compact home state covers Arkansas assignments. The compact counted 43 jurisdictions in late 2026 — confirm at nursecompact.com.
Where are the biggest travel nurse markets in Arkansas?
Little Rock anchors the market around its academic medical center, the state's biggest referral hospital and a consistent buyer of ICU, step-down and L&D travelers. Northwest Arkansas — Fayetteville, Springdale and Rogers — is the growth story, with a fast-expanding hospital corridor competing for staff against corporate employers. Fort Smith and Jonesboro add steady regional demand, and the Mississippi Delta counties along the east post the sharpest premiums for scarce specialties.
Are stipends tax-free in Arkansas?
Federal rules decide, not the state: housing and meal stipends are tax-free only while you maintain a valid tax home and duplicated living expenses, capped by GSA per diem rates for the assignment city. State income tax, where it exists, applies to your wages; it does not change how stipends are treated.
Why would a travel nurse pick Arkansas over nearby states?
Net pay efficiency. Arkansas contracts quote lower gross figures than Memphis, Dallas or Nashville, but very low living costs, low GSA-based stipends that still cover local housing, a sub-4% state income tax and compact licensing make the after-tax math competitive — and rural referral hospitals pay real premiums for ICU, L&D and cath lab coverage.