SOC 19-1012 · Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metro

Food Scientists and Technologists Salary in Little Rock, AR

The average salary for food scientists and technologists in Little Rock, Arkansas is $95,860 a year ($46.09 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $94,770: half of the 50 people in this job in the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($95,360).

$95,860average per year

$46.09 / hourMedian $94,770Take-home ≈ $73,209

  • $48K10th
  • $65K25th
  • $95KMedian
  • $125K75th
  • $159K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

50people in this job
+1%vs U.S. average
#2 of 2Arkansas metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Food Scientists and Technologists pay range in Little Rock

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,060 a year or less, while the top 10% make $159,240 or more. The middle half of food scientists and technologists in Little Rock earn between $65,230 and $125,040.

  • $48K10th
  • $65K25th
  • $95KMedian
  • $125K75th
  • $159K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$95,860$7,988$46.09
Median$94,770$7,898$45.56
Entry level (25th percentile)$65,230$5,436$31.36
Experienced (75th percentile)$125,040$10,420$60.12

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Food Scientists and Technologists pay in Little Rock vs. Arkansas and the U.S.

Food scientists and technologists in Little Rock earn about the same as the Arkansas average ($98,310) and about the same as the U.S. average ($95,360). At the median the gap is +7% against the U.S. median of $88,720.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Little Rock$95,860$94,770$48,060$159,24050
Arkansas$98,310$84,330$49,120$165,790310
United States$95,360$88,720$52,920$145,28013,060

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Food Scientists and Technologists salary after taxes in Little Rock

On the average salary of $95,860, a single filer in Little Rock takes home about $73,209 a year, or $6,101 a month and $2,816 every two weeks. Taxes take 24% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Arkansas tax is estimated with the Department of Finance and Administration's 2026 withholding formula.

Arkansas paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Little Rock a good place for food scientists and technologists? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Little Rock area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 89.4), so the average $95,860 buys what about $107,269 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Little Rock ($45,790). A typical home costs $231,039, or 2.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $95,860 is worth in another city

Food Scientists and Technologists salary in other Arkansas cities

Little Rock ranks 2nd of 2 Arkansas metro areas for this job; Fayetteville pays the most ($104,620).

All Food Scientists and Technologists salaries in Arkansas

Highest-paying cities for food scientists and technologists

Boston, MA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($120,200).

Food Scientists and Technologists salary by city

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Food Scientists and Technologists salary in Little Rock: questions

How much do food scientists and technologists make an hour in Little Rock?

$46.09 an hour on average, and $45.56 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level food scientists and technologists salary in Little Rock?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,060 a year and the 25th percentile is $65,230, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the food scientists and technologists take-home pay in Little Rock?

About $73,209 a year ($6,101 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $95,860. Arkansas tax is estimated with the Department of Finance and Administration's 2026 withholding formula.

Do food scientists and technologists earn more in Little Rock than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($95,360).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 19-1012; area Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR (30780). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 12.9%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Arkansas tax is estimated with the Department of Finance and Administration's 2026 withholding formula.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.70, this job is 1.7 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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