Build and deploy machine learning models and AI systems at production scale. Median salary in Fort Smith: $126K/year. Data from BLS, O*NET, and H-1B disclosures.
Figures represent annual base salary in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Reviewed by SalaryOptics Editorial · How we calculate this →
Analysis derived from the salary, COL, tax, and labor-market figures above — specific to this role and city.
Machine Learning Engineers in Fort Smith earn approximately 25% lower than the US national median for this role — a $42,000 discount on annual base salary. Fort Smith's lower wage level partially reflects the area's cost-of-living index of 75 (US avg = 100).
This role's national salaries are growing at 8.4% year-over-year, well above the BLS all-occupations average of ~3.5%. If that pace holds, the Fort Smith median reaches $188,589 in five years.
This role is 70% remote-eligible nationally according to job-posting analysis, which significantly expands the job market for Fort Smith-based Machine Learning Engineers. Many Fort Smith professionals in this role are paid on the locality scale of their employer's HQ rather than Fort Smith's local rate — verify which scale your offer references before negotiating.
Based on BLS 2022–2032 Employment Projections and WEF Future of Jobs Report 2026. At current growth rates, median salary reaches $166K by 2030.
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The median Machine Learning Engineer salary in Fort Smith, AR is $126,000 per year as of Q1 2026. This figure represents the midpoint of all reported compensation for this role in the Fort Smith–AR metropolitan area, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics, H-1B visa disclosures from the Department of Labor, and O*NET occupational data.
Entry-level Machine Learning Engineers in Fort Smith with 0–2 years of experience typically earn between $94,000 and $126,000 annually. Mid-career professionals with 3–7 years command $126,000 to $161,000, while senior-level practitioners with 8+ years of experience regularly earn $161,000 to $206,000 or more.
Fort Smith has a cost of living index of 75 compared to the US national average of 100. This means your salary goes approximately 25% further in Fort Smith than the national average. Arkansas has a 4.9% state income tax rate.
Master's or PhD in CS, Mathematics, or related. This role is 70% remote-eligible nationally, which can significantly expand the job market for Fort Smith-based professionals.