Highest and lowest paying health care jobs in Fort Smith

Written by:
February 17, 2021
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock

Highest and lowest paying health care jobs in Fort Smith

Anybody who has taken a course in marketing, psychology or sociology is likely familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. First detailed by psychologist Andrew Maslow in his 1943 work “A Theory of Human Motivation,” the hierarchy breaks down the complex network of human thoughts into a categorical triage, placing self-development at the top and security and physical health at the bottom. In setting up this pyramid, Maslow framed self-recognition and creative development as ultimate goals, while also prioritizing personal safety and strong physical health.

As such, it has never been more important to recognize the health care professionals who work tirelessly to keep the population healthy. In 2019, the United States spent 17.7% of its GDP on health. While it’s encouraging to know that the country is investing in those responsible for maintaining the nation’s well-being, not all health care professionals receive equal compensation.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest and lowest paying health care jobs in Fort Smith, AR-OK using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2019 annual mean wage. Keep reading to see which health care jobs make the most and least in your city.

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#29. Pharmacy aides

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $21,960
- #136 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $30,490
- Employment: 37,280
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fresno, CA ($46,610)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($46,430)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($42,620)
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#28. Physical therapist aides

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $24,300
- #151 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $29,180
- Employment: 49,270
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Savannah, GA ($50,470)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($44,720)
--- Boulder, CO ($41,450)
3 / 29
GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock

#27. Nursing assistants

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $24,790
- #358 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,800

National
- Annual mean salary: $30,720
- Employment: 1,419,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($46,170)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($45,100)
--- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($44,710)
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#26. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $26,490
- #185 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

National
- Annual mean salary: $29,690
- Employment: 97,030
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New Haven, CT ($48,240)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($43,890)
--- Port St. Lucie, FL ($43,200)
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Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock

#25. Pharmacy technicians

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $27,740
- #382 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330

National
- Annual mean salary: $35,250
- Employment: 417,780
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($51,090)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($50,790)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($50,070)
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Milkovasa // Shutterstock

#24. Medical assistants

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $29,050
- #359 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210

National
- Annual mean salary: $35,720
- Employment: 712,430
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($49,880)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($48,920)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($47,140)
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Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

#23. Phlebotomists

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $32,100
- #219 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80

National
- Annual mean salary: $36,480
- Employment: 128,290
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($58,610)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($54,040)
--- Redding, CA ($52,310)
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#22. Ophthalmic medical technicians

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $32,190
- #182 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $38,760
- Employment: 58,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Duluth, MN-WI ($56,620)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($53,770)
--- New Bedford, MA ($53,250)
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Syda Productions // Shutterstock

#21. Dental assistants

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $35,560
- #314 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280

National
- Annual mean salary: $41,170
- Employment: 351,470
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($56,010)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($54,510)
--- Rochester, MN ($53,010)
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Gerain0812 // Shutterstock

#20. Surgical technologists

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $38,310
- #263 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130

National
- Annual mean salary: $50,110
- Employment: 109,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($74,280)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($72,790)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($69,750)
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Rido // Shutterstock

#19. Opticians, dispensing

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $38,390
- #134 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $40,730
- Employment: 72,330
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Utica-Rome, NY ($70,730)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($68,970)
--- New Haven, CT ($66,020)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#18. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $41,740
- #314 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,070

National
- Annual mean salary: $48,500
- Employment: 697,510
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($69,490)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($68,160)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($67,990)
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lenetstan // Shutterstock

#17. Radiologic technologists and technicians

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $44,290
- #334 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170

National
- Annual mean salary: $63,120
- Employment: 207,360
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($110,180)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($109,680)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,670)
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Halfpoint // Shutterstock

#16. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $48,120
- #141 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $59,600
- Employment: 56,110
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salem, OR ($106,620)
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($103,050)
--- Medford, OR ($82,780)
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Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock

#15. Respiratory therapists

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $53,200
- #231 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120

National
- Annual mean salary: $63,950
- Employment: 132,090
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($101,520)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($98,810)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($97,950)
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Kzenon // Shutterstock

#14. Optometrists

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $53,540
- #175 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $122,980
- Employment: 39,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Champaign-Urbana, IL ($238,460)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($210,490)
--- Evansville, IN-KY ($183,380)
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#13. Speech-language pathologists

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $54,920
- #344 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140

National
- Annual mean salary: $82,000
- Employment: 154,360
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($117,710)
--- Corvallis, OR ($105,380)
--- Chico, CA ($104,640)
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#12. Physical therapist assistants

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $56,740
- #170 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170

National
- Annual mean salary: $58,520
- Employment: 96,840
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($78,530)
--- Victoria, TX ($78,070)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($75,470)
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#11. Dietitians and nutritionists

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $58,450
- #163 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $62,330
- Employment: 67,670
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($88,350)
--- Salinas, CA ($87,930)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($87,890)
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Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

#10. Registered nurses

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $59,120
- #346 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,310

National
- Annual mean salary: $77,460
- Employment: 2,982,280
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($140,740)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($138,000)
--- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($134,000)
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SofikoS // Shutterstock

#9. Diagnostic medical sonographers

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $63,110
- #202 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30

National
- Annual mean salary: $75,780
- Employment: 72,790
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($126,850)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($118,880)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($115,280)
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#8. Occupational therapy assistants

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $64,470
- #63 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $61,880
- Employment: 44,990
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($92,580)
--- Visalia-Porterville, CA ($83,690)
--- Reno, NV ($81,800)
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Austin Community College // Flickr

#7. Veterinarians

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $72,530
- #271 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

National
- Annual mean salary: $104,820
- Employment: 74,540
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Sherman-Denison, TX ($210,960)
--- Lubbock, TX ($176,730)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($161,230)
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#6. Dental hygienists

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $74,280
- #142 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120

National
- Annual mean salary: $77,230
- Employment: 221,560
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($140,150)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($120,420)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($113,940)
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ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock

#5. Occupational therapists

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $86,690
- #136 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

National
- Annual mean salary: $86,210
- Employment: 133,570
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- The Villages, FL ($115,090)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($108,870)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($107,450)
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Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock

#4. Physical therapists

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $94,770
- #75 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200

National
- Annual mean salary: $90,170
- Employment: 233,350
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Yuba City, CA ($116,360)
--- Bakersfield, CA ($116,120)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($113,950)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#3. Nurse practitioners

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $118,590
- #76 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130

National
- Annual mean salary: $111,840
- Employment: 200,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($175,060)
--- Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA ($160,110)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($157,150)
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Grace Nichols // U.S. Air Force

#2. Pharmacists

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $132,090
- #94 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320

National
- Annual mean salary: $125,510
- Employment: 311,200
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Tyler, TX ($161,790)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($158,250)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($157,850)
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#1. Family medicine physicians

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $239,610
- #70 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150

National
- Annual mean salary: $213,270
- Employment: 109,370
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Racine, WI ($286,030)
--- Jacksonville, NC ($282,580)
--- Gadsden, AL ($281,430)

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