Between $49,700 and $57,000 per year in 2024, depending on the role. These figures represent the annual median wage for Arkansas pre-K–12 teachers. Preschool teachers tend to be at the lower end of the range, while middle school teachers tend to be at the higher end, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates. The median wage is the midpoint — half of teachers in each role earn more, and half earn less.
For comparison, in Arkansas, the median wage across all occupations was $41,000 in 2024 — about 17% lower than the median preschool teacher wage.
$49.7K
median annual wage for preschool teachers in Arkansas (2024)
$57K
median annual wage for middle school teachers in Arkansas (2024)
Among teachers working in elementary, middle, and high schools, annual pay varied by the grade level taught. In Arkansas in 2024, preschool teachers earned the least, earning around $49,700 annually. Middle school teachers made the most at around $57,000 per year. In other words, middle school teachers earned about 15% more than preschool teachers.
Middle school teachers earn $57,000 annually, more than any other AR teachers
Median annual salary of elementary and secondary school teachers, excluding teachers of students with disabilities and technical teachers (AR, 2024)
Teacher salaries vary nationwide. In 2024, Arkansas teachers earned less than the national median for every grade level reported. The largest percentage difference was among elementary school teachers, who earned 19% less than the national median. Middle school teachers — typically the highest-paid group — earned about 9% less than their counterparts nationwide.
Arkansas teachers earn less than the national average at every level
Median annual salary of elementary and secondary school teachers, excluding teachers of students with disabilities and technical teachers (AR, 2024)
Pay also varies by specialization. Teachers of students with disabilities (collected in the data as “special education”), earn about the same or less than general education teachers at 3 of 5 levels in Arkansas. In 2024, the median wages for teachers of students with disabilities ranged from 8% lower to 3% higher than those of other teachers at the same grade level.
The largest difference for teachers of students with disabilities was at the Preschool level, where they earned $45,500 per year compared to $49,700 for other Preschool teachers, an 8% difference.
Some schools, primarily middle and high schools, also employ technical teachers. These teachers provide vocational and technical training in fields such as automotive repair, culinary arts, cosmetology, and information technology, to help students develop career skills. In Arkansas, their median wages were $59,100 at the middle school level and $60,100 at the high school level in 2024, 4% higher and 6% higher, respectively, than those of general education teachers at the same levels.
In Arkansas, teachers of students with disabilities earned about the same or less than other teachers at every grade level.
Median annual salary of elementary and secondary school teachers (AR, 2024)
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
