Programmer.
Little Rock.
$78,000
median salary, 21% below the national average
$57,000 to $102,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
The median Programmer salary in Little Rock is $78,000, 21% below the national average. Entry level starts near $57,000. Experienced professionals push past $102,000. Little Rock's economy is driven by Walmart's nearby headquarters ecosystem, state government, healthcare, and logistics. That spread is your negotiation window. 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 Programmer 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 $100,070 for Computer Programmers (SOC 15-1251) in the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metropolitan area, based on 350 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$62,820
25th percentile
$77,500
Median
$100,070
75th percentile
$126,950
90th percentile
$134,750
Workers surveyed
350
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Computer Programmers (SOC 15-1251) rather than Programmer 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 15-1251Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $70,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$51,000
to $62,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$66,000
to $82,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$86,000
to $101,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$98,000
to $121,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $23,000 to the total package.
Base
$78,000
Equity
$13,000
Bonus
$8,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $101,000
How Little Rock compares.
Little Rock, AR
$78,000
Cost of living: 18% below average
National Average
$99,000
Little Rock is $21,000 below
Programmer salary by city.
Salary by role in Little Rock.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for Programmer roles in Little Rock, here is what you are walking into. 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. Programmer compensation is driven by years of experience, specialization depth, and the industry domain. Base salary carries most of the total compensation, with bonuses adding roughly 8% in a typical year. Within tech-sector Programmers specifically, employer tier (FAANG and frontier-AI labs vs mid-stage startups vs traditional enterprise) drives 65%+ variance across the compensation band.
Programmers progress from entry to senior over 5 to 8 years, with lead and management levels requiring 10+ years and demonstrated cross-functional scope. 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. Total compensation for Programmers runs roughly $95K at median when factoring base + typical bonus (~8% of base). Base salary carries most of the compensation; benefits (healthcare, 401(k) match, PTO) add an estimated 15–25% in imputed value on top. At tech companies specifically, equity and sign-on are often the largest delta between offers — two roles with matching base can differ by $100K+ at total when equity is included. 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 $78,000, 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 Programmers in Little Rock runs from $57,000 to $102,000. 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
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Common questions.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Programmer Salary in Little Rock, AR." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/programmer/little-rock
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