SOC 51-9061

Quality Control Inspector 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 78.0% Realized
$32,305 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $41,440 $19.92/hr
Effective Tax Drag 16.04% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$6,649 $255.71/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 $19.92 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$2,486/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$298/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$2,494
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$2,569
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$601
Arkansas Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$984
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$32,305 ($1,242.50 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Fort Smith, AR-OK Quality Control Inspector Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $41,440
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $33.9k 25th $38.3k Median: $41,440 50th (Median) $41.4k 75th $52.1k 90th $59.8k You: $41,440
10th (Entry) $33,920 $16.31/hr
25th (Junior) $38,330 $18.43/hr
50th (Median) $41,440 $19.92/hr
75th (Senior) $52,060 $25.03/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $59,770 $28.74/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Quality Control Inspector in Fort Smith, AR-OK
1
QC Inspector ApprenticeVisual inspection, measurement calipers, rejection log documentation
$27,302$13.13/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Certified Quality InspectorCMM operation, blueprint GD&T interpretation, non-conformance reports
$39,247$18.87/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Quality Assurance TechSix Sigma green belt, statistical process control (SPC), ISO 9001 audits
$52,898$25.43/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Quality Assurance ManagerPlant quality management system, vendor audits, compliance signoff
$69,963$33.64/hr · 8+ Years
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Engine and Other Machine Assemblers+$5,140/yr
National median: $53,710
Skill overlap: 84%
Industrial Machinery Mechanics+$15,950/yr
National median: $64,520
Skill overlap: 81%View Salary
Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers+$16,810/yr
National median: $65,380
Skill overlap: 81%
Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping-$2,190/yr
National median: $46,380
Skill overlap: 78%
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)
28% 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$41,440-$6,649$32,305$1,242.50
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$49,210-$8,404$37,853$1,455.89
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$56,980-$10,160$43,401$1,669.28
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$64,750-$11,916$48,949$1,882.67
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$72,520-$13,838$54,331$2,089.64
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

Quality Control Inspector 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
$41,440/yr
$19.92/hr · SOC 51-9061
Statutory Tax Drag
16.04% Effective
-$6,649 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
28% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$1,944/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 51-9061
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

Quality Control Inspector in Fort Smith, AR-OK: Market Snapshot

Quality Control Inspector roles in Fort Smith, AR-OK report a median annual wage of $41,440, 14.7% below the national median of $48,570. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $33,920 to $59,770, and HUD’s $748 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 21.7% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $20.54 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Quality Control Inspector

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Lexington Park, MD$92,000+122.0%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$76,800+85.3%
Savannah, GA$72,800+75.7%
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$71,950+73.6%
Anchorage, AK$71,470+72.5%
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA$68,060+64.2%
Flagstaff, AZ$65,840+58.9%
Bismarck, ND$63,910+54.2%
Lake Charles, LA$63,570+53.4%
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS$63,520+53.3%

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, 388 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.

Quality Control Inspector Salary in Fort Smith, AR-OK (2026) Overview

Quality Control Inspector median pay in Fort Smith, AR-OK is $41,440 a year ($19.92/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for Quality Control Inspector in Fort Smith, AR-OK compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Quality Control Inspector in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

The median annual wage is $41,440 ($19.92 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $33,920 and $59,770. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Quality Control Inspector in Fort Smith, AR-OK after taxes?

On the median wage of $41,440, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $34,396 a year ($2,866 a month) after $7,044 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 17%, using 2026 tax rules.