Quick answer: Physical Therapist Assistants in the Fort Smith area earn a median $63,210 per year, below the national median of $68,380, and the metro employs about 140 of them (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Metric | Fort Smith metro | Arkansas | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $63,210 | $64,520 | $68,380 |
| 10th percentile | $37,500 | $31,540 | $47,750 |
| 25th percentile | $55,380 | $49,140 | $59,820 |
| 75th percentile | $76,450 | $78,680 | $78,680 |
| 90th percentile | $79,550 | $85,280 | $89,510 |
| Employment | 140 | 1,620 | 112,430 |
| Location quotient | 2.03 | - | 1.00 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Fort Smith, AR-OK metropolitan statistical area.
The Fort Smith median of $63,210 is below the national median of $68,380, and below the Arkansas statewide median of $64,520 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 2.03 means physical therapist assistants are more 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.
Outpatient clinics, skilled nursing facilities and home health agencies are all local employers, so metro demand tracks the local care network.
| Metro area | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Little Rock | $64,110 | 460 |
| Fayetteville | $73,100 | 200 |
| Jonesboro | $62,700 | 170 |
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Physical therapist assistants are licensed in most states. The national framework is a CAPTE-accredited associate degree and the National Physical Therapy Examination for PTAs, administered through FSBPT. CAPTE accreditation is what makes a graduate eligible to sit the examination, so it is not optional.
See the Arkansas licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state physical therapy board.
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.
We first gather the schools closest to the city or state page you are viewing, then rank that local group by BOC Score, with the highest at the top. The BOC Score is computed from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data; schools without enough data to score appear last.
Schools without enough federal outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
The median annual wage for physical therapist assistants in the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area is $63,210, below the national median of $68,380 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area employs about 140 physical therapist assistants (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Physical therapist assistants are licensed in most states. The national framework is a CAPTE-accredited associate degree and the National Physical Therapy Examination for PTAs, administered through FSBPT. CAPTE accreditation is what makes a graduate eligible to sit the examination, so it is not optional. Confirm current requirements with your state physical therapy board.
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 physical therapy board.
The Fort Smith metro median is $63,210 against a statewide median of $64,520 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
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.
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/.
