SOC 49-9021

HVAC/R Technician 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 77.0% Realized
$37,103 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $48,160 $23.15/hr
Effective Tax Drag 16.96% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$8,167 $314.12/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 $23.15 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$2,890/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$347/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$3,252
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$2,986
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$698
Arkansas Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$1,230
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$37,103 ($1,427.05 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Fort Smith, AR-OK HVAC/R Technician Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $48,160
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $36.0k 25th $41.4k Median: $48,160 50th (Median) $48.2k 75th $57.6k 90th $64.5k You: $48,160
10th (Entry) $36,020 $17.32/hr
25th (Junior) $41,430 $19.92/hr
50th (Median) $48,160 $23.15/hr
75th (Senior) $57,570 $27.68/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $64,450 $30.99/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for HVAC/R Technician in Fort Smith, AR-OK
1
HVAC Apprentice / HelperEPA 608 Universal Certification, trade school certificate
$30,154$14.50/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Service TechnicianNATE certification, independent diagnostic electrical skills
$46,573$22.39/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Lead Commercial HVAC TechChiller, VRF, and building automation system certifications
$61,966$29.79/hr · 5-9 Years
4
HVAC Mechanical ContractorState Mechanical Contractor license, bonded, business operations
$85,253$40.99/hr · 9+ Years
Scaled to the Fort Smith, AR-OK medianView National HVAC/R Technician Salary Data
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)
24% 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$48,160-$8,167$37,103$1,427.05
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$57,190-$10,207$43,551$1,675.05
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$66,220-$12,248$49,999$1,923.04
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$75,250-$14,712$56,023$2,154.74
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$84,280-$17,601$61,622$2,370.08
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

HVAC/R Technician 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
$48,160/yr
$23.15/hr · SOC 49-9021
Statutory Tax Drag
16.96% Effective
-$8,167 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
24% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,344/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 49-9021
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

HVAC/R Technician in Fort Smith, AR-OK: Market Snapshot

HVAC/R Technician roles in Fort Smith, AR-OK report a median annual wage of $48,160, 21.1% below the national median of $61,010. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $36,020 to $64,450, and HUD’s $748 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 18.6% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $20.54 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for HVAC/R Technician

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Fairbanks-College, AK$93,820+94.8%
Anchorage, AK$85,620+77.8%
Napa, CA$84,570+75.6%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$82,050+70.4%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$80,100+66.3%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$79,510+65.1%
Peoria, IL$78,710+63.4%
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$78,640+63.3%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$78,530+63.1%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$78,490+63.0%

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, 389 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.

HVAC/R Technician Salary in Fort Smith, AR-OK (2026) Overview

HVAC/R Technician median pay in Fort Smith, AR-OK is $48,160 a year ($23.15/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents & living.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a HVAC/R Technician in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

The median annual wage is $48,160 ($23.15 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $36,020 and $64,450. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a HVAC/R Technician in Fort Smith, AR-OK after taxes?

On the median wage of $48,160, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $39,534 a year ($3,294 a month) after $8,626 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 17.91%, using 2026 tax rules.