By State · Arkansas

Women in Arkansas: Pay, Representation, and Firsts

Everything the data says about women in Arkansas — pay, legislature representation, historical firsts, and how the state ranks against the rest of the US.

82.1%
Women’s earnings as % of men’s in Arkansas
Census ACS S2001
#24
of 51 US jurisdictions for pay equity (1 = highest)
Computed from state ratios
26.7%
Women in the Arkansas state legislature
CAWP Rutgers 2024
#40
Rank for women’s legislative representation
Computed from CAWP data
1
Women from Arkansas in 119th US Congress
CAWP 2025
2015
Year of first woman governor
CAWP State Executive

Where Arkansas sits

Women in Arkansas earn 82.1 cents for every dollar men earn — a gap of 17.9%. That puts Arkansas #24 out of the 51 US jurisdictions on pay equity. The women-in-legislature figure of 26.7% ranks Arkansas #40 nationally.

Notable firsts & figures

Hattie Caraway (1932) — first woman elected to US Senate in her own right. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (2023) — current governor, first woman and daughter of former governor.

Professions in Arkansas

State-adjusted pay and gap figures for women in 20 common professions in Arkansas. Each page combines national BLS medians with Arkansas’s Census ACS wage environment.

SurgeonsWomen surgeons in ArkansasDoctorsWomen doctors in ArkansasLawyersWomen lawyers in ArkansasRegistered NursesWomen nurses in ArkansasSoftware DevelopersWomen software developers in ArkansasChief ExecutivesWomen CEOs in ArkansasEngineersWomen engineers in ArkansasElementary TeachersWomen teachers in ArkansasAccountantsWomen accountants in ArkansasProfessorsWomen professors in ArkansasDentistsWomen dentists in ArkansasPharmacistsWomen pharmacists in ArkansasArchitectsWomen architects in ArkansasPsychologistsWomen psychologists in ArkansasAirline PilotsWomen airline pilots in ArkansasElectriciansWomen electricians in ArkansasPlumbersWomen plumbers in ArkansasPolice OfficersWomen police officers in ArkansasJournalistsWomen journalists in ArkansasFinancial AnalystsWomen financial analysts in Arkansas

Fields in Arkansas

AcademiaWomen in Academia in ArkansasConstruction and the Skilled Trades (2026)Women in Construction and the Skilled Trades (2026) in ArkansasEngineeringWomen in Engineering in ArkansasFinanceWomen in Finance in ArkansasLawWomen in Law in ArkansasMedicineWomen in Medicine in ArkansasSportsWomen in Sports in ArkansasTechWomen in Tech in ArkansasUS PoliticsWomen in US Politics in Arkansas

Related national data

HistoricalWomen at work, 2000 NationalWomen in US politics ToolPay Gap Lookup (Arkansas) CompareWomen vs men at work HubAll 51 US states

Frequently asked

What is the gender pay gap in Arkansas?

Women in Arkansas earn 82.1% of what men earn — a gap of 17.9%. Census ACS S2001 data.

How many women are in Arkansas’s state legislature?

26.7% of Arkansas state legislators are women — rank #40 nationally among 51 US jurisdictions (CAWP 2024).

Has Arkansas elected a woman governor?

Yes — the first woman governor of Arkansas took office in 2015.

Has Arkansas elected a woman US Senator?

Yes — the first woman US Senator from Arkansas took office in 1932.

How many women does Arkansas send to Congress?

1 women from Arkansas serve in the 119th US Congress (House + Senate, 2025-27).