Environmental Engineer.
Little Rock.
$83,000
median salary, 20% below the national average
$64,000 to $104,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
If you are evaluating an Environmental Engineer offer in Little Rock, AR, here is the reality: $64,000 to $104,000, with $83,000 as the midpoint. 20% below the national average. PE licensure, specialization in water treatment or air quality, and experience with EPA regulatory compliance drive the biggest salary differences. Do not accept the first number. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Environmental Engineer in Little Rock, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $76,250 for Environmental Engineers (SOC 17-2081) in the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metropolitan area, based on 100 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$57,740
25th percentile
$60,070
Median
$76,250
75th percentile
$95,280
90th percentile
$128,070
Workers surveyed
100
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Environmental Engineers (SOC 17-2081) rather than Environmental Engineer specifically. The Little Rock range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 17-2081Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $75,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$54,000
to $66,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$71,000
to $87,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$91,000
to $108,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$104,000
to $129,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $22,000 to the total package.
Base
$83,000
Equity
$12,000
Bonus
$8,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $105,000
How Little Rock compares.
Little Rock, AR
$83,000
Cost of living: 18% below average
National Average
$104,000
Little Rock is $21,000 below
Environmental Engineer salary by city.
Salary by role in Little Rock.
What you should know.
The Environmental Engineer landscape in Little Rock is not what most salary sites will tell you. Little Rock's economy is driven by Walmart's nearby headquarters ecosystem, state government, healthcare, and logistics. The metro's extremely low cost of living means even moderate salaries deliver strong purchasing power. Tech jobs are growing as companies seek affordable alternatives to major metros. PE licensure, specialization in water treatment or air quality, and experience with EPA regulatory compliance drive the biggest salary differences. Engineers working on remediation of contaminated sites or in the oil and gas sector earn premiums for hazardous conditions expertise.
Junior Environmental Engineers earn $70,000 to $80,000. Mid-career engineers with PE licensure reach $88,000 to $105,000. Senior Engineers and Project Managers command $105,000 to $130,000, while Principal Engineers and Directors at consulting firms exceed $145,000. In Little Rock, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 18% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
Base salary is not the full picture. PE-licensed engineers receive immediate salary bumps of 10 to 15%. Annual bonuses of 5 to 12% are typical at consulting firms. Government roles offer pension benefits and strong job security, though base salaries trend 10 to 15% lower than private sector. And on the tax side: arkansas has a top income tax rate of 4.4%. Little Rock has no city income tax. The combination of low taxes and very affordable housing creates one of the best net pay environments in the country. When someone quotes you $83,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Reference the Walmart and Tyson ecosystem when negotiating. Northwest Arkansas and Little Rock employers benchmark against national corporate pay scales. The range for Environmental Engineers in Little Rock runs from $64,000 to $104,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A Systems Administrator in Little Rock earns $82,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Little Rock is CTO at $253,000
Common questions.
Environmental Engineer salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Little Rock.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Environmental Engineer Salary in Little Rock, AR." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/environmental-engineer/little-rock
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