Quick answer: The Fort Smith metro employs about 100 architectural and engineering managers (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through your state engineering licensing board.
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. There is no separate license for engineering management. What carries regulatory weight is the underlying engineering credential: an ABET-accredited degree, and a Professional Engineer license from a state board where the role holds responsible charge or seals work. In manufacturing and product organizations many engineering managers never license. The graduate management degree is a hiring signal rather than a regulatory requirement.
See the Arkansas licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state engineering licensing board.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 3 schools
within 210 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
3 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
#1
University of Arkansas
📍
Fayetteville, AR
•50.9 miles away•BOC Score
70.7
Tuition$10,104 - $29,966
Contact
1125 W Maple St, Administration Bldg 425 Fayetteville, AR 72701
What Architectural and Engineering Managers Earn in Fort Smith
Architectural and Engineering Managers in the Fort Smith area earn a median $131,100 per year, below the national median of $171,270 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Engineering Management Pay in Fort Smith, AR
Metric
Fort Smith metro
Arkansas
National
Median annual wage
$131,100
$140,600
$171,270
10th percentile
$99,320
$98,520
$120,810
25th percentile
$101,760
$110,310
$139,360
75th percentile
$160,810
$174,650
$212,500
90th percentile
$199,930
$209,320
$262,760
Employment
100
1,220
220,260
Location quotient
0.75
-
1.00
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Fort Smith, AR-OK metropolitan statistical area.
What the Numbers Say About This Market
The Fort Smith median of $131,100 is below the national median of $171,270, and below the Arkansas statewide median of $140,600 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 0.75 means architectural and engineering managers are less concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Engineering management demand follows the concentration of engineering employers in a region - design firms, manufacturers and infrastructure programs - rather than population.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do architectural and engineering managers make in Fort Smith?
The median annual wage for architectural and engineering managers in the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area is $131,100, below the national median of $171,270 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many architectural and engineering managers work in the Fort Smith area?
The Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area employs about 100 architectural and engineering managers (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Do architectural and engineering managers in Fort Smith need a license?
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. There is no separate license for engineering management. What carries regulatory weight is the underlying engineering credential: an ABET-accredited degree, and a Professional Engineer license from a state board where the role holds responsible charge or seals work. In manufacturing and product organizations many engineering managers never license. The graduate management degree is a hiring signal rather than a regulatory requirement. Confirm current requirements with your state engineering licensing board.
Can I study engineering management online from Fort Smith?
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies your state engineering licensing board.
Is Fort Smith a better market than the rest of Arkansas?
The Fort Smith metro median is $131,100 against a statewide median of $140,600 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Architectural and Engineering Managers (SOC 11-9041), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
