How much do Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders make in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

Percentile spread

For Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, the published 10th percentile is $31,670 and the 90th percentile is $49,260. The difference is $17,590, which is 45.5% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $31,670 to the 75th at $41,640, covers $9,970.

The mean annual wage is $38,650, which sits above the median of $38,650. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Fort Smith, AR-OK median is 15.5% lower than the national median of $45,760 for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. In 2024 national prices the local median is $45,000, which is 1.7% lower than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 20% lower than the Arkansas median of $48,320.

Fort Smith, AR-OK covers more than one state. The state comparison uses Arkansas, the primary state on the BLS area record.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Fort Smith, AR-OK is 85.888, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $38,650 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders at $45,000 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

3 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. Fort Smith, AR-OK ranks 2nd of 4 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Tulsa, OK is 112 miles away, with a median of $38,690 and employment of 270. That median is 0.1% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $43,368, against $45,000 here.
• Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR is 125 miles away, with a median of $37,210 and employment of 30. That median is 3.7% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $41,639, against $45,000 here.
• Oklahoma City, OK is 172 miles away, with a median of $35,990 and employment of 100. That median is 6.9% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $39,808, against $45,000 here.

Employment share

Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders accounts for 0.03% of wage-and-salary employment in Fort Smith, AR-OK (30 of 95,560). Nationally the occupation is 0.04% of employment (58,770 of 155,495,730). The local share is 0.83 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.