How much do Gas Plant Operators make in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

Percentile spread

For Gas Plant Operators, the published 10th percentile is $61,240 and the 90th percentile is $105,510. The difference is $44,270, which is 59.6% 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 $64,940 to the 75th at $105,500, covers $40,560.

The mean annual wage is $81,970, which sits above the median of $74,230. 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 $87,820 for Gas Plant Operators. In 2024 national prices the local median is $86,427, which is 1.6% lower than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 26.4% lower than the Arkansas median of $100,870.

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 $74,230 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Gas Plant Operators at $86,427 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 Gas Plant Operators. Fort Smith, AR-OK ranks 4th 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).).

• Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR is 52 miles away, with a median of $88,460 and employment of 30. That median is 19.2% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $96,833, against $86,427 here.
• Tulsa, OK is 112 miles away, with a median of $78,550 and employment of 270. That median is 5.8% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $88,047, against $86,427 here.
• Oklahoma City, OK is 172 miles away, with a median of $78,310 and employment of 230. That median is 5.5% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $86,618, against $86,427 here.

Employment share

Gas Plant Operators accounts for 0.05% of wage-and-salary employment in Fort Smith, AR-OK (50 of 95,560). Nationally the occupation is 0.01% of employment (18,030 of 155,495,730). The local share is 4.51 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.