SOC 15-2051.00

Data Scientist Salary in Fort Smith, AR-OK (2026)

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + AR
COL Index: 92.87 (-7.1% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 69.5% Realized
$83,590 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $120,230 $57.80/hr
Effective Tax Drag 24.47% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$29,426 $1,131.77/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $57.80 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$7,214/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,587/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$16,034
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$7,454
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,743
Arkansas Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$4,195
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$83,590 ($3,215.01 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Fort Smith, AR-OK Data Scientist Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $120,230
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $67.2k 25th $85.7k Median: $120,230 50th (Median) $120k 75th $159k 90th $199k You: $120,230
10th (Entry) $67,240 $32.33/hr
25th (Junior) $85,660 $41.18/hr
50th (Median) $120,230 $57.80/hr
75th (Senior) $158,880 $76.38/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $199,130 $95.74/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Data Scientist in Fort Smith, AR-OK
1
Junior Data ScientistBachelor's degree (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$67,200$32.31/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Data ScientistDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities
$85,700$41.20/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Data ScientistFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team
$120,200$57.79/hr · 5-9 Years
4
Staff / Lead Data ScientistOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$158,900$76.39/hr · 9-14 Years
5
Principal Data ScientistExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$199,100$95.72/hr · 14+ Years
Scaled to the Fort Smith, AR-OK medianView National Data Scientist Salary Data
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Financial Specialists, All Other-$39,130/yr
National median: $81,100
Skill overlap: 95%
Statisticians-$14,580/yr
National median: $105,650
Skill overlap: 94%
Operations Research Analysts-$31,290/yr
National median: $88,940
Skill overlap: 91%View Salary
Statistical Assistants-$69,900/yr
National median: $50,330
Skill overlap: 88%
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Fort Smith, AR-OK under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
11% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $748/month Requires minimum annual gross of $29,920
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $979/month Requires minimum annual gross of $39,160
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $20.54/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $17.93/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Fort Smith, AR-OK.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$120,230-$29,426$83,590$3,215.01
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$142,773-$36,887$97,320$3,743.06
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$165,316-$44,524$110,873$4,264.36
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$187,859-$51,952$124,636$4,793.68
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$210,403-$58,285$139,493$5,365.13
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

Data Scientist in Fort Smith, AR-OK: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and Arkansas tax codes.

Market Baseline
$120,230/yr
$57.80/hr · SOC 15-2051.00
Statutory Tax Drag
24.47% Effective
-$29,426 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
11% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$6,218/mo
Post-$748/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 15-2051.00
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

Data Scientist in Fort Smith, AR-OK: Market Snapshot

BLS publishes no Data Scientist wage estimate for Fort Smith, AR-OK, so this page uses the national median of $120,230 (10th to 90th percentile $67,240 to $199,130). HUD’s $748 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 7.5% of that national median. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $20.54 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Data Scientist

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs national median
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$185,080+53.9%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$170,110+41.5%
Idaho Falls, ID$167,840+39.6%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$164,740+37.0%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$156,830+30.4%
Charlottesville, VA$149,800+24.6%
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL$146,980+22.2%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$141,760+17.9%
Corvallis, OR$140,190+16.6%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$135,980+13.1%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Fort Smith, AR-OK

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Architectural and Engineering Managers$131,100$63.03/hr
Nurse Practitioner$129,270$62.15/hr
Purchasing Managers$125,330$60.25/hr
Physician Assistant$119,840$57.62/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$114,760$55.17/hr
Chief Executives$114,550$55.07/hr
Software Engineer$114,140$54.88/hr
Industrial Production Managers$106,520$51.21/hr
Financial Manager$104,990$50.48/hr
Human Resources Managers$103,580$49.80/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 282 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

Data Scientist Salary in Fort Smith, AR-OK (2026) Overview

Data Scientist median pay in Fort Smith, AR-OK is $120,230 a year ($57.80/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents & living.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Data Scientist in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

The median annual wage is $120,230 ($57.80 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $67,240 and $199,130. Source: the national BLS OEWS distribution, because BLS does not publish this occupation for the metro.

What is the take-home pay for a Data Scientist in Fort Smith, AR-OK after taxes?

On the median wage of $120,230, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $88,936 a year ($7,411 a month) after $31,294 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 26.03%, using 2026 tax rules.