Arkansas (AR)
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H1BIndex State Grade
i
B
FY 2026
2023
A+
2024
A+
2025
A+
Total State Visa Volume i
509
Filings in FY 2026
Median State Salary i
$117,632
Standard yearly salary
True Purchasing Power i
$111,751
Adjusted for Cost of Living
USCIS Approval Rate i
99.4%
Official Adjudication
State Economic & Immigration Overview
An automated macro-level review of Arkansas's tech ecosystem.Overall Arkansas Rating
Federal records show 509 total work visa filings for Arkansas. When we look at local wages and job availability, the region gets an official H1B Index Rating of "B".
Active Recruiting
Transferring workers is a primary hiring strategy in this state. Rather than bringing in new arrivals, 67.9% of applications shifted existing visa holders to new Arkansas employers.
Actual Take-Home Value
While the $117,632 median pay is competitive, local deductions apply. Factoring in the 5.0% state income tax and regional pricing, professionals realize a true spending power of about $111,751.
Confirmed Approvals
The data shows a very safe hiring environment. Employers in Arkansas secure a 99.4% success rate on work visas and currently sponsor 150 professionals for permanent residency.
Seniority Focused
This state strongly utilizes seasoned expertise. Federal tracking confirms that 46.4% of the labor market here operates strictly at higher, senior wage tiers.
Main Employment Hub
If you are moving to Arkansas, Bentonville is the most active city for securing a work visa. Overall, the Professional, Scientific, and Tech Services industry provides the majority of these positions.
Layoff Radar & Risk Indicators
Clean Layoff Record
Zero Job Cuts: There are no records of companies in Arkansas letting go of staff while applying for these work visas.
Top Metro Hubs in Arkansas
Hiring volume across major cities mapped against the state baseline compensation rate of $117,632.Talent Sourcing Pipeline
Are companies hiring fresh talent or poaching from competitors?Fresh Hires (32.1%)Corporate Poaching (67.9%)
State Wage Premium
$34,182
Above Legal Minimum
On average, employers in Arkansas offer salaries that are $34,182 higher than the baseline prevailing wage required by the Department of Labor.
10-Year Salary Trends
Comparing state-level base compensation growth for temporary H-1B visas versus permanent Green Cards (PERM). Decade Salary Rise: +73.2%. Base wages in this state show a steady upward trend.
Lower Wage: -$12,126. Surprisingly, permanent jobs in 2026 actually pay 10.5% less than temporary contracts in this state.
Top Hiring Employers
Companies sponsoring the most visas in this state.
Company & Median Pay
Total Approvals
O*NET Wage Level Distribution
Experience requirements matched against pay tiers across the state.| Experience Level | Total Filings | Cohort Size | Minimum Base | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Level (Level I) | 52 | 10.2% | $42,290 | $60,979 |
| Qualified (Level II) | 219 | 43.0% | $48,455 | $101,000 |
| Experienced (Level III) | 175 | 34.4% | $45,000 | $137,379 |
| Fully Competent (Level IV) | 61 | 12.0% | $62,961 | $145,670 |
| Not Disclosed (Blank) | 2 | 0.4% | $99,873 | $299,936 |
Geographic Deployment & Worksites
The top locations where state employers place their workers.| City/Metro Area | Workforce % | City Median Pay | Wage (Level IV) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bentonville, AR | 49.3% (251 Filings) | $121,547 | 14.3% |
| Lowell, AR | 17.1% (87 Filings) | $126,384 | 0.0% |
| Little Rock, AR | 8.6% (44 Filings) | $88,000 | 13.6% |
| Rogers, AR | 5.9% (30 Filings) | $98,310 | 13.3% |
| Centerton, AR | 3.9% (20 Filings) | $100,687 | 25.0% |
| Fayetteville, AR | 2.0% (10 Filings) | $78,658 | 0.0% |
| Springdale, AR | 1.8% (9 Filings) | $64,938 | 22.2% |
| North Little Rock, AR | 1.4% (7 Filings) | $64,813 | 14.3% |
| Fort Smith, AR | 1.2% (6 Filings) | $78,084 | 33.3% |
| Conway, AR | 1.2% (6 Filings) | $70,995 | 0.0% |
| Pine Bluff, AR | 1.0% (5 Filings) | $62,254 | 0.0% |
| Siloam Springs, AR | 0.8% (4 Filings) | $148,433 | 50.0% |
| Blytheville, AR | 0.6% (3 Filings) | $62,150 | 0.0% |
| Russellville, AR | 0.6% (3 Filings) | $62,275 | 0.0% |
| Osceola, AR | 0.6% (3 Filings) | $99,549 | 0.0% |
| West Memphis, AR | 0.4% (2 Filings) | $71,614 | 0.0% |
| Sherwood, AR | 0.4% (2 Filings) | $57,803 | 0.0% |
| Jonesboro, AR | 0.4% (2 Filings) | $65,686 | 0.0% |
| Nashville, AR | 0.4% (2 Filings) | $160,000 | 50.0% |
| El Dorado, AR | 0.4% (2 Filings) | $109,450 | 50.0% |
| Bentoville, AR | 0.2% (1 Filings) | $163,200 | 0.0% |
| England, AR | 0.2% (1 Filings) | $75,000 | 0.0% |
| Batesville, AR | 0.2% (1 Filings) | $347,360 | 0.0% |
| Jefferson, AR | 0.2% (1 Filings) | $79,363 | 0.0% |
| Hamburg, AR | 0.2% (1 Filings) | $50,500 | 0.0% |
| Monticello, AR | 0.2% (1 Filings) | $62,962 | 100.0% |
| Mountain Home, AR | 0.2% (1 Filings) | $500,000 | 0.0% |
| Pea Ridge, AR | 0.2% (1 Filings) | $100,610 | 0.0% |
| Maumelle, AR | 0.2% (1 Filings) | $91,520 | 0.0% |
| Pocahontas, AR | 0.2% (1 Filings) | $64,022 | 0.0% |
| Van Buren, AR | 0.2% (1 Filings) | $125,367 | 0.0% |
Most Poached Roles
Roles with the highest volume of H-1B transfers, indicating aggressive headhunting.
Role & Transfer Pay
Total Transferred
Dominant Industries
Distribution of cases by broad industry sector.33.2%
25.7%
20.4%
8.6%
4.5%
Historical Retention Rate
Year-over-year percentage of successful visa renewals and extensions.Top Third-Party End Clients i
Where consultants are deployed.
End Client & Placement Data
Total Approvals
Highest Compensation Roles i
Top positions ranked by median base pay.
Role & Market Data
Median Base
Law Firms & Third-Party Work i
Leading legal counsel for visas.
Law Firm & Market Data
Total Approvals
Visa Volume & Success
-89.1% YoY Decline
LCA approvals, denials, and overall certification rates.
USCIS Petition Processing
New vs. Renewed approvals and denials in the state.Green Card Sponsorships
PERM residency applications and median GC wages.Noticing a difference in dates? Salary metrics reflect real-time DOL filings, while approval metrics rely on finalized USCIS historical data. View timelines
Complete Employers Matrix
A detailed ledger of all corporate clients operating in Arkansas.| Sponsoring Employer | Market Share | LCA Count | Median Salary | Vs State Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wal-Mart Associates, Inc. | 24.8% | 126 | $143,013 | +21.6% Avg |
| J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc. | 15.5% | 79 | $126,500 | +7.5% Avg |
| University Of Arkansas For Medical Sciences | 3.1% | 16 | $62,714 | -46.7% Avg |
| Compunnel Software Group, Inc. | 2.8% | 14 | $101,000 | -14.1% Avg |
| Little Scholars Of Arkansas | 2.4% | 12 | $45,980 | -60.9% Avg |
| Cognizant Technology Solutions Us Corp. | 1.8% | 9 | $76,482 | -35.0% Avg |
| Ust Global Inc. | 1.8% | 9 | $100,589 | -14.5% Avg |
| Skilltune Technologies Inc. | 1.6% | 8 | $111,880 | -4.9% Avg |
| Federal Soft Systems Inc. | 1.2% | 6 | $83,325 | -29.2% Avg |
| Infosys Limited | 1.2% | 6 | $60,000 | -49.0% Avg |
| University Of Arkansas System Division Of Agriculture | 1.0% | 5 | $99,181 | -15.7% Avg |
| University Of Arkansas | 1.0% | 5 | $54,912 | -53.3% Avg |
| Invincible Tech Systems Inc. | 1.0% | 5 | $83,325 | -29.2% Avg |
| Tata Consultancy Services Limited | 1.0% | 5 | $76,482 | -35.0% Avg |
| Accenture LLP | 0.8% | 4 | $127,350 | +8.3% Avg |
| Jefferson Hospital Association, Inc. | 0.8% | 4 | $61,495 | -47.7% Avg |
| Simmons Prepared Foods, Inc. | 0.8% | 4 | $148,433 | +26.2% Avg |
| The Jones Center For Families, Inc. | 0.8% | 4 | $64,938 | -44.8% Avg |
| Hcl Global Systems Inc. | 0.6% | 3 | $109,283 | -7.1% Avg |
| Americold Logistics LLC | 0.6% | 3 | $62,275 | -47.1% Avg |
| Oracle America, Inc. | 0.6% | 3 | $102,274 | -13.1% Avg |
| Tyson Foods, Inc. | 0.6% | 3 | $145,000 | +23.3% Avg |
| Southern Illinois Medical Services | 0.6% | 3 | $144,352 | +22.7% Avg |
| Mississippi County Hospital System | 0.6% | 3 | $62,150 | -47.2% Avg |
| J. B. Hunt Transport, Inc. | 0.6% | 3 | $116,500 | Market Rate |
| Humana Inc. | 0.6% | 3 | $137,000 | +16.5% Avg |
| Cohesity, Inc. | 0.4% | 2 | $113,131 | -3.8% Avg |
| Capgemini America Inc. | 0.4% | 2 | $106,055 | -9.8% Avg |
| Bmr Infotek, Inc. | 0.4% | 2 | $104,000 | -11.6% Avg |
| Arkansas State University | 0.4% | 2 | $65,686 | -44.2% Avg |
| Baptist Health | 0.4% | 2 | $51,938 | -55.8% Avg |
| Arkansas Health Group | 0.4% | 2 | $285,000 | +142.3% Avg |
| Ahtap LLC | 0.4% | 2 | $96,000 | -18.4% Avg |
| Oreilly Technology Services, Inc. | 0.4% | 2 | $141,075 | +19.9% Avg |
| Neni Techsystems Inc. | 0.4% | 2 | $112,625 | -4.3% Avg |
| Paynearme, Inc. | 0.4% | 2 | $164,000 | +39.4% Avg |
| Info Keys Inc. | 0.4% | 2 | $76,004 | -35.4% Avg |
| Hendrix College | 0.4% | 2 | $58,000 | -50.7% Avg |
| Solum America, Inc. | 0.4% | 2 | $89,253 | -24.1% Avg |
| Pro Care Innovations | 0.4% | 2 | $45,000 | -61.7% Avg |
Complete Jobs Matrix
The job titles most frequently sponsored in this state.| Job Title in State | LCA Count | Median Pay | Salary Variance | Legal Wage Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer Iii | 65 | $121,250 | $42,214 Range | +$37,925 Over Min |
| Senior Software Engineer | 58 | $137,560 | $90,000 Range | +$35,286 Over Min |
| Software Developer | 40 | $84,000 | $31,675 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Staff Software Engineer | 14 | $151,870 | $31,566 Range | +$49,596 Over Min |
| Software Engineer | 12 | $107,630 | $73,000 Range | +$5,356 Over Min |
| Assistant Professor | 11 | $99,181 | $329,582 Range | +$18,435 Over Min |
| Computer Programmer | 10 | $101,000 | $67,585 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Medical Technologist | 9 | $62,254 | $4,077 Range | +$9,464 Over Min |
| Java Developer | 5 | $83,325 | $675 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Math Teacher | 4 | $46,380 | $800 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Science Teacher | 4 | $42,920 | $630 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Staff, Software Engineer | 4 | $153,443 | $21,254 Range | +$51,169 Over Min |
| Senior Manager, Advanced Analytics | 4 | $138,670 | $8,647 Range | +$25,081 Over Min |
| Psychiatrist | 4 | $144,352 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Senior Manager, Operations | 4 | $150,000 | Fixed Pay | +$47,726 Over Min |
| Senior Software Developer | 4 | $96,000 | $12,000 Range | +$12,675 Over Min |
| Senior Manager, Data Analytics | 4 | $154,702 | $43,313 Range | +$41,112 Over Min |
| Senior Associate Jc60 -Computer Systems Engineers/Architects | 3 | $60,000 | Fixed Pay | +$1,906 Over Min |
| Product Manager Iii | 3 | $167,567 | $73,010 Range | +$109,473 Over Min |
| Data Engineer | 3 | $83,990 | $3,057 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Data Analyst | 3 | $51,938 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Devops Engineer | 3 | $105,000 | $21,650 Range | +$21,675 Over Min |
| Director, Data Science | 3 | $192,507 | $7,129 Range | +$59,886 Over Min |
| Senior Manager, Data Science | 3 | $206,000 | $71,888 Range | +$92,411 Over Min |
| Senior Data Engineer | 3 | $132,600 | $10,143 Range | +$30,326 Over Min |
| Senior Data Analyst | 3 | $142,530 | $11,482 Range | +$28,941 Over Min |
| Senior, Software Engineer | 3 | $131,250 | $2,315 Range | +$28,976 Over Min |
| Sustainability Engineer | 3 | $64,938 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Technical Lead | 3 | $76,482 | $5,682 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Specialist I - Software Engineering | 3 | $96,182 | $672 Range | +$12,857 Over Min |
| Senior Manager, Product Management | 3 | $169,479 | $4,782 Range | +$74,610 Over Min |
| Programmer Analyst | 2 | $89,774 | $15,226 Range | +$20,312 Over Min |
| Research Assistant | 2 | $46,888 | $1,568 Range | +$4,248 Over Min |
| Automation Systems Analyst | 2 | $62,275 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Manager Jc50 - Information Technology Project Managers | 2 | $76,482 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Full Stack .Net Developer | 2 | $92,799 | $9,474 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Postdoctoral Fellow | 2 | $61,218 | $210 Range | +$14,626 Over Min |
| Mechanical Engineer | 2 | $71,614 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Production Engineer 6Xbu | 2 | $87,500 | $2,500 Range | +$3,842 Over Min |
| Senior Manager, Software Engineering | 2 | $218,936 | Fixed Pay | +$116,662 Over Min |
Historical Compensation Ledger
Year-over-year salary data comparing historical averages.| Fiscal Year | YoY Growth | Maximum | Median | Top-Heavy Skew i | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | In Progress | $320,000 | $116,006 | -6.1% Skew | $24.00/hr |
| 2025 | +6.4% | $384,000 | $117,000 | Balanced | $20.00/hr |
| 2024 | +11.7% | $400,000 | $110,011 | Balanced | $16.00/hr |
| 2023 | +4.7% | $400,000 | $98,488 | Balanced | $18.00/hr |
| 2022 | +5.6% | $400,000 | $94,100 | Balanced | $15.00/hr |
| 2021 | +17.2% | $400,000 | $89,095 | Balanced | $18.00/hr |
| 2020 | -0.7% | $374,200 | $76,000 | +9.3% Skew | $12.00/hr |
| 2019 | +1.3% | $385,000 | $76,523 | Balanced | $17.00/hr |
| 2018 | +7.9% | $380,000 | $75,559 | +7.0% Skew | $17.00/hr |
| 2017 | +4.5% | $400,000 | $70,000 | +11.1% Skew | $8.00/hr |
| 2016 | N/A | $375,000 | $66,973 | +9.3% Skew | $10.00/hr |
Recent Visa Filings (FY 2026)
Raw, unedited federal disclosures processed in this state.State Intelligence (FAQ)
Common questions and insights regarding Arkansas.How much state tax will I pay on an H-1B salary in Arkansas?
Based on local tax brackets (5.0%), an employee earning the $117,632 median will see around $5,882 withheld for state-level taxes.
What is the best-paying market in Arkansas?
For candidates looking to maximize compensation, Bentonville leads the state with a median salary of $121,547.
Is it easy to get Green Card sponsorship in Arkansas?
Companies in Arkansas invest in long-term talent, filing 150 Green Card applications for a 29.5% conversion rate.