How much do Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers make in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

Percentile spread

For Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers, the published 10th percentile is $36,760 and the 90th percentile is $62,690. The difference is $25,930, which is 50.8% 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 $42,370 to the 75th at $60,530, covers $18,160.

The mean annual wage is $50,300, which sits below the median of $51,070. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Fort Smith, AR-OK median is 33% lower than the national median of $76,210 for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers. In 2024 national prices the local median is $59,461, which is 22% lower than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 7.1% higher than the Arkansas median of $47,670.

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 $51,070 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers at $59,461 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

10 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers. Fort Smith, AR-OK ranks 9th of 11 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 $53,420 and employment of 870. That median is 4.6% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $58,476, against $59,461 here.
• Hot Springs, AR is 94 miles away, with a median of $44,850 and employment of 140. That median is 12.2% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $52,315, against $59,461 here.
• Tulsa, OK is 112 miles away, with a median of $64,190 and employment of 2,310. That median is 25.7% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $71,951, against $59,461 here.

Employment share

Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers accounts for 0.42% of wage-and-salary employment in Fort Smith, AR-OK (400 of 95,560). Nationally the occupation is 0.43% of employment (670,520 of 155,495,730). The local share is 0.97 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.