Quick answer: Physical Therapists in Arkansas earn a median $99,010 per year, below the national median of $102,760 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The state employs about 2,680 of them. Licensing runs through your state physical therapy licensing board.
| Metric | Arkansas | National | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $99,010 | $102,760 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| 10th percentile | $73,050 | $77,140 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| 25th percentile | $81,260 | $86,160 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| 75th percentile | $111,470 | $121,160 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| 90th percentile | $127,210 | $135,140 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Employment | 2,680 | 267,330 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Location quotient | 1.2 | 1.00 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Projected change (2024-34) | not published by state | 10.9% | BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34 |
The Arkansas median of $99,010 sits below the national median of $102,760 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Percentiles matter more than the midpoint when you are deciding whether a degree pays for itself: the 10th percentile is roughly where people start, and the 90th is what the top of the local market looks like after years of experience.
A location quotient of 1.2 puts Arkansas well above the national average, so the work is noticeably more common here than in the typical state. That usually means a deeper job market and more room to change employers without relocating (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The measure compares how concentrated the occupation is here against the national average of 1.00.
| Metro area | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville | $104,500 | 430 |
| Jonesboro | $100,010 | 190 |
| Little Rock | $99,940 | 1,040 |
| Fort Smith | $98,730 | 160 |
| Hot Springs | $97,260 | 90 |
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Physical therapy demand tracks the local mix of outpatient orthopedic clinics, hospital systems, skilled nursing facilities and school districts.
Fayetteville * Fort Smith * Jonesboro * Little Rock
Every state licenses physical therapists through its own board. The national constants are a degree from a program with accreditation from CAPTE, the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, and the National Physical Therapy Examination administered through the FSBPT. Boards add their own requirements around jurisprudence exams, background checks and continuing competence, and rules for licensure by endorsement between states vary.
Requirements are set at state level and are amended periodically. Before you enroll in any program, confirm with your state physical therapy licensing board that the specific program you are considering satisfies the education requirement, and ask what it accepts from any training you have already completed. Get the answer in writing.
Most people reading this already have a job in the field, and the practical question is whether the credential can be earned without leaving it. Programs designed for working adults deliver the academic portion online or in the evening, while any labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience happen in person and locally. Prior college credit, military training, apprenticeship coursework and industry certifications can all shorten the path, so request a written transfer credit evaluation before you commit to any school.
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.
This page lists 5 schools within 120 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 5 of them carry a score.
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.
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 therapists in Arkansas is $99,010, below the national median of $102,760 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $81,260 at the 25th percentile to $111,470 at the 75th.
Arkansas holds about 2,680 physical therapist jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Nationally the occupation employs 267,330, and BLS projects about 13,200 openings per year through 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Every state licenses physical therapists through its own board. The national constants are a degree from a program with accreditation from CAPTE, the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, and the National Physical Therapy Examination administered through the FSBPT. Boards add their own requirements around jurisprudence exams, background checks and continuing competence, and rules for licensure by endorsement between states vary. Requirements are set at the state level and change periodically, so confirm the current rules with your state physical therapy licensing board before you enroll in any program.
Often yes. Programs built for working adults deliver coursework online or in the evenings, though any required labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience are completed in person. Confirm that the program's accreditation satisfies your state physical therapy licensing board.
Among Arkansas metro areas with published data, Fayetteville reports the highest median at $104,500 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
On pay, the state median of $99,010 sits below the national $102,760 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 1.2 means the occupation is more concentrated here than in the average state. Weigh that against cost of living and how concentrated the work is near where you actually want to live.
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/.
