Benton County again ranks first in Arkansas for average weekly wages

Of the $19.067 billion in total third quarter 2025 wages paid in Arkansas, 55.7%, or $10.632 billion, were paid in 5 counties – Benton, Craighead, Pulaski, Sebastian, and Washington. Pulaski County had the highest total wages paid at $4.151 billion.

Benton County had the highest weekly average in the quarter at $1,582.

The wage data posted Tuesday (March) by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows a 3.8% gain in weekly wages in Arkansas during the third quarter of 2025 compared with the same quarter in 2024. Arkansas’ average was below the national average of 4.7%.

Arkansas’ weekly wage was $1,135 in the third quarter, and total wages paid in the state during the quarter totaled $19.067 billion, up 4.47% compared with $18.25 billion in the same period of 2024. There were 111,203 business establishments in Arkansas during the third quarter, up 7.3% compared with the same quarter of 2024.

Among Arkansas’ top five counties in terms of total wages paid in the quarter, Benton County had the largest gains in total wages paid and average weekly wages, at 9.11% and 4.5%, respectively.

Among the top five counties, Benton County also had the largest percentage gain in the number of businesses. The Northwest Arkansas county had a gain of 10.4% in businesses between the third quarter of 2024 and third quarter of 2025.

SECOND QUARTER DATA
Following are the wage and business establishment numbers from the BLS in the third quarter of 2025 for Arkansas and the top five counties in terms of total wages paid. The counties are ranked by total wages paid in the quarter. The percentage shows the change compared with the third quarter of 2024.

Arkansas
Q3 2025 Establishments: 111,203 (7.3%)
Q3 2025 Average weekly wages: $1,135 (3.8%)
Q3 2025 Total wages paid in the quarter: $19.067 billion (4.5%)

Pulaski County
Q3 2025 Establishments: 14,804 (4.2%)
Q3 2025 Average weekly wages: $1,229 (3.4%)
Q3 2025 Total wages paid in the quarter: $4.151 billion (3%)

Benton County
Q3 2025 Establishments: 9,262 (10.4%)
Q3 2025 Average weekly wages: $1,582 (4.5%)
Q3 2025 Total wages paid in the quarter: $3.094 billion (9.1%)

Washington County
Q3 2025 Establishments: 7,491 (6.3%)
Q3 2025 Average weekly wages: $1,138 (2.9%)
Q3 2025 Total wages paid in the quarter: $1.792 billion (4.4%)

Sebastian County
Q3 2025 Establishments: 3,819 (2.3%)
Q3 2025 Average weekly wages: $1,044 (2.3%)
Q3 2025 Total wages paid in the quarter: $912.656 million (2.9%)

Craighead County
Q3 2025 Establishments: 3,117 (3.8%)
Q3 2025 Average weekly wages: $990 (3%)
Q3 2025 Total wages paid in the quarter: $707.868 million (3.5%)

NATIONAL NUMBERS
From September 2024 to September 2025, employment increased in 167 of the 372 largest U.S. counties, according to the BLS report.. In September 2025, national employment increased to 155.8 million, a 0.1% increase over the year, as measured by the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program. Boone County, Ky., had the largest over-the-year increase in employment, with a gain of 3.8%.

Among the 372 largest counties, 358 had over-the-year increases in average weekly wages. In the third quarter of 2025, average weekly wages for the nation increased to $1,459, a 4.7% increase over the year. San Mateo, Calif., had the largest third quarter over-the-year wage gain at 31.7%.

Following are contiguous state average weekly wage comparisons ranked by percentage gain.
Tennessee: $1,327, up 5.7%
Mississippi: $1,005, up 4.7%
Missouri: $1,249, up 4.4%
Oklahoma: $1,409, up 4.2%
Arkansas: $1,135, up 3.8%
Texas: $1,444, up 3.6%
Louisiana: $1,187, up 3.3%