Connecting PAs with Rewarding Healthcare Careers Across the Natural State. This page is maintained by Blake Moser, founder of Advanced Practice Recruiters in Tyler, Texas. APR places physician assistants exclusively — surgical, primary care, hospitalist, EM, dermatology, orthopedic, and procedural specialties. Below is what you need to evaluate the Arkansas PA market: salary ranges, the supervision framework, where active hiring is concentrated, and how the search actually runs.
Arkansas offers physician assistants a growing healthcare market with strong demand for advanced practice providers across rural and urban settings alike. The state faces significant physician shortages, particularly in rural communities, making PAs essential to delivering quality healthcare to underserved populations throughout Arkansas.
With one of the lowest costs of living in the nation, physician assistants in Arkansas can enjoy excellent purchasing power and a high quality of life. Major healthcare systems in Little Rock, Fayetteville, and Fort Smith actively recruit PAs across primary care, surgery, emergency medicine, and specialty settings.
Arkansas operates under a required supervision model for physician assistants, but many PAs enjoy considerable clinical autonomy in practice. The state's expanding healthcare infrastructure and rural health initiative programs create abundant opportunities for PAs interested in making a meaningful impact on patient care.
PA base salaries in our Arkansas searches cluster around $106K, with most offers landing between $90K and $125K. Total compensation typically runs 10–25% above base once productivity bonuses, call pay, sign-on, relocation, CME, malpractice, and retirement match are included. Cost of living in Arkansas sits below national average — material for translating an offer into actual purchasing power.
The factors that move offers most: subspecialty (surgical first-assist, neurosurgery, cardiovascular, EM, dermatology, and orthopedic spine/sports run at the top end), post-certification experience, the supervision model described below, urban-versus-rural placement, employer model (academic system, private group, hospital employment, FQHC, telehealth), wRVU structure, call frequency, and any NCCPA Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ).
Reference data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Physician Assistants (OOH) publishes the national mean wage and Arkansas state-area estimates; AAPA Compensation Resources and the NCCPA Statistical Profile track specialty and credentialing breakdowns.
Supervision model: Required Supervision. Arkansas requires direct physician supervision for physician assistants. PAs must maintain a written supervision agreement, may face a ratio cap per supervising physician, and may have additional limits on prescribing Schedule II–V controlled substances or signing certain orders. The hiring conversation usually centers on supervisor bandwidth, ratio room, and which procedures need cosignature.
Arkansas PAs are licensed by the Arkansas State Medical Board. A written supervision agreement with a licensed Arkansas physician is required. PAs must maintain NCCPA certification and complete continuing medical education requirements. Controlled substance prescribing requires separate DEA registration.
The metros and regions where we are most often opening PA searches:
Recurring employer relationships in Arkansas include UAMS Medical Center, Baptist Health, CHI St. Vincent, Washington Regional Medical Center, St. Bernards Healthcare, Arkansas Children's Hospital, plus a long tail of regional health systems, surgical and dermatology groups, orthopedic private practices, urgent-care networks, FQHCs, and telehealth platforms credentialed in Arkansas. Procedural and surgical PA roles tend to pay above the state average; rural and Critical Access roles often carry a sign-on or geographic premium.
Every search opens with a 20-minute call to nail down the role: scope, NCCPA certification + any CAQ, procedural case mix, supervision arrangement under Arkansas law, geographic flexibility within the state, and the realistic compensation envelope. From there we work the active and passive PA pool — verifying PA-C status with NCCPA, Arkansas licensure (or licensure-eligibility), DEA, malpractice history, and recent procedural logs for surgical or interventional roles — and present a screened shortlist within a few business days.
The engagement is contingent — no upfront fee and no exclusivity required. Permanent placements carry a written replacement guarantee covering the initial employment period; if the placed PA leaves inside the guarantee window we re-run the search at no additional fee.
Demand pressure in Arkansas is currently high. Nationally, the BLS projects physician assistant employment to grow roughly 28% between 2023 and 2033 — far above the average for all occupations. Arkansas's exceptionally low cost of living combined with competitive PA salaries creates outstanding financial stability and a strong work-life balance in a state with growing healthcare needs.
Physician assistants in Arkansas earn an average salary of approximately $106,000 per year, with ranges typically between $90,000 and $125,000. Surgical and emergency medicine PAs tend to earn at the higher end of the scale. Given Arkansas's low cost of living, these salaries translate to strong purchasing power compared to many other states.
To practice as a PA in Arkansas, you must be certified by the NCCPA, hold an active Arkansas PA license through the State Medical Board, and establish a written supervision agreement with a licensed Arkansas physician. You must also complete required continuing medical education and renew your license biennially. DEA registration is required for controlled substance prescribing.
Yes, rural Arkansas has some of the strongest PA job opportunities in the state. Many rural communities and federally qualified health centers offer competitive salaries along with loan repayment programs through the National Health Service Corps and state rural health initiatives. PAs willing to serve in medically underserved areas often receive significant financial incentives.
UAMS Medical Center in Little Rock is the state's flagship academic medical center and a major PA employer. Baptist Health and CHI St. Vincent operate multiple facilities across the state. Washington Regional Medical Center serves northwest Arkansas, one of the state's fastest-growing regions. Arkansas Children's Hospital offers unique pediatric PA opportunities.
Reach Blake Moser at Advanced Practice Recruiters: 469-457-4570 or blake@advancedpracticerecruiters.com. Most inquiries get a same-business-day reply.
Related: PA recruiting (national) · 2026 PA Salary Guide · PA supervision by state · NP recruiters in Arkansas