Medical Billing and Coding Salary in Fort Smith, AR (BLS 2025)

Key takeaway: In May 2025 BLS reported a median annual wage of $37,020 for medical records specialists in the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro (SOC 29-2072).

The occupation includes billers and coders at every experience level. Starting pay sits near the lower percentiles. Remote work is usually certification plus experience first. Source file: CSV of BLS OEWS May 2025 wages. Compare programs on the Arkansas schools page.

Medical records specialist pay in Fort Smith, AR-OK

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 29-2072. The occupation includes billers and coders. These figures describe workers already in the metro, not program graduates.

Fort Smith, AR-OK had a median of $37,020, next to the Arkansas median of $41,740 and the U.S. median of $51,140. If you are leaving an hourly job, the closer published proxies for newer workers here are the 10th percentile ($33,140 a year, $15.93 an hour) and the 25th ($34,960). Ads that say "up to" a round number are often quoting the 75th percentile ($42,340 here), not a first offer.

Bar chart of annual wage percentiles for medical records specialists in Fort Smith, AR-OK (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 29-2072): 10th $33,140, median $37,020, 90th $60,430.
Fort Smith, AR-OK percentiles. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025, SOC 29-2072. No rounding.
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Fort Smith wage percentiles. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025, SOC 29-2072. No rounding.
PercentileAnnual wage
10th percentile$33,140
25th percentile$34,960
Median$37,020
75th percentile$42,340
90th percentile$60,430
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Bar chart comparing median annual wages for medical records specialists: Fort Smith $37,020; Arkansas $41,740; United States $51,140 (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 29-2072).
Metro median next to the state and national medians. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025, SOC 29-2072. No rounding.
View the data behind this chart
Fort Smith vs state vs U.S.. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025, SOC 29-2072. No rounding.
AreaMedian annual wage
Fort Smith$37,020
Arkansas$41,740
United States$51,140
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MeasureFort Smith, AR-OKUnited States
Median annual wage$37,020$51,140
Mean annual wage$41,950$56,790
10th percentile$33,140$37,000
25th percentile$34,960$43,490
75th percentile$42,340$64,820
90th percentile$60,430$81,150
Median hourly wage$17.8$24.59
Employment120194,720
Jobs per 1,000 workers1.3041.2523
Location quotient1.041.0

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 29-2072 (Medical Records Specialists), metropolitan estimates. Location quotient 1.0 is the national share of employment. A missing cell is suppressed in the source; we do not estimate it.

Arkansas statewide median for the same occupation: $41,740 (May 2025). See the Arkansas salary page.

Download the CSV of national, state, and metro wages (BLS OEWS May 2025, public domain).

No campus in this metro reported CIP 51.07 completions in the latest IPEDS file. Wage data still applies. Use the program finder for schools that enroll here online, and see Arkansas schools.

Frequently asked questions

How much do medical billers and coders make in Fort Smith?
BLS reported a median annual wage of $37,020 for medical records specialists (SOC 29-2072) in the Fort Smith, AR-OK metropolitan area in May 2025. The 10th percentile was $33,140 and the 90th was $60,430. The occupation includes billers and coders at every experience level.
How many medical records specialists work in the Fort Smith metro?
BLS counted 120 medical records specialists in the Fort Smith, AR-OK metropolitan area in May 2025.
How does Fort Smith compare with Arkansas overall?
The Arkansas median for the same occupation was $41,740 in May 2025. Metro and state estimates are separate BLS samples. Use both; do not average them.
Is this the pay for a new graduate in Fort Smith?
No. BLS does not publish a new-graduate wage. The 10th and 25th percentiles are the closest published proxies for newer workers in this metro.

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