Labor Market Pulse

Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR Metro Edition

Focus: FINANCE

Little Rock finance jobs shrink as metro labor market hits record highs.

-1,200 YoY

Arkansas financial activities jobs

vs. statewide unemployment falling to 3.9%

4.3%

Pulaski County unemployment

vs. 3.4% Saline Co., 3.7% Faulkner Co.

$120,204

FP&A Manager advertised pay (metro)

down significantly vs. $128,139 national, stable

-129,000 since May 2025

National financial activities job losses

led by insurance carriers, -90,000

This Month's Takeaways

01

Local financial activities sector is shrinking while demand holds.

Arkansas financial activities lost 1,200 jobs year-over-year even as statewide unemployment fell to 3.9% and the labor force hit record highs. Fewer sector positions chasing a tighter overall labor pool may intensify retention risk for remaining Finance staff.

02

FP&A Manager pay is softening against a stable national trend.

Metro FP&A Manager advertised pay fell significantly to $120,204 while the national median held stable near $128,139. Divergence this sharp from national trend lines warrants a closer look at local demand before recalibrating offers downward.

03

Tax and credit roles are repricing upward, unlike the broader market.

Tax Specialist and Credit Analyst advertised pay both moved up significantly locally and nationally, standing out against stable trends for Senior Accountant and Financial Analyst roles. Concentrated movement in compliance-adjacent and risk roles is consistent with the national CPA shortage signal (Talent Shortage Index of 77%).

04

National wage deceleration offers mid-cycle budget relief.

September's 0.13% monthly gain in average hourly earnings, below economist expectations, eases pressure on salary budgets built around higher assumptions. Local Controller pay still rose significantly, suggesting this relief may not extend evenly across all Finance roles in Little Rock.

Local Labor Conditions

Little Rock metro employment climbed to historic highs in 2026, with civilian employment topping 385,000 and labor force exceeding 400,000 for the first time, even as Arkansas's financial activities sector shed 1,200 jobs year-over-year — a divergence that mirrors the national 129,000-job contraction in financial activities since May 2025. Pulaski County unemployment sits at 4.3%, slightly above the metro's tightening labor supply story, as net in-migration of young professionals fuels growth concentrated in manufacturing, logistics and trade rather than finance roles.

Leadership & Talent Implications

Sector-level contraction in financial activities, set against broad metro labor tightness and double-digit growth projected for management and technical consulting services, points to intensifying competition for Finance talent even as total headcount in the sector shrinks — a signal for workforce planning rather than pure compensation strategy. National F&A hiring intentions (74% planning headcount increases) contrast sharply with local sector job losses, suggesting Little Rock employers may need to compete harder for a shrinking qualified pool while budgeting for role-specific pay pressure in tax and credit functions. Consider reviewing headcount plans for Controller and FP&A Manager roles against local wage softening before assuming national compensation trends apply directly to this metro.

Advertised Pay Indicators

Role	P25	Median	P75	Local Trend	National	Nat. Trend
Controller	$85,161	$111,400	$120,028	↑ Significant increase	$113,754	↑ Moderate increase
Senior Accountant	$74,613	$81,490	$85,000	→ Stable	$87,731	→ Stable
Financial Analyst	$73,073	$90,000	$106,600	→ Stable	$94,782	→ Stable
Billing Specialist	$36,452	$41,600	$45,760	→ Stable	$49,512	↑ Moderate increase
Tax Specialist	$35,791	$51,121	$59,736	↑ Significant increase	$65,842	↑ Significant increase
Credit Analyst	$47,899	$62,514	$64,703	↑ Significant increase	$71,758	↑ Moderate increase
FP&A Manager	$96,408	$120,204	$126,300	↓ Significant decline	$128,139	→ Stable

Looking Ahead · Next 30–60 Days

Worth watching

Pulaski County unemployment at 4.3% sits above several neighboring counties (Saline at 3.4%, Faulkner at 3.7%). Watch whether this gap widens, which could signal localized sorting of finance talent toward surrounding counties with tighter labor markets.

Emerging pressure point

National financial activities losses are concentrated in insurance carriers (-90,000 since May 2025); confirm whether similar sub-sector softness is emerging locally before assuming Little Rock's financial activities contraction is broad-based.

Potential inflection point

Management and technical consulting services are projected to grow nearly 28% through 2026 in Arkansas, a likely draw on the same analytical talent pool Finance teams compete for. Monitor whether this accelerates turnover among FP&A and financial analyst staff.

Expected

Indeed's Job Postings Index turned positive year-over-year nationally for the first time in nearly four years. Track whether Little Rock finance postings follow this national uptick or continue to lag, given local FP&A Manager pay softness.

WageScape Member Benefit

Monitor more markets, industries, and job families.

Your Pulse covers one metro and one function or industry. Add coverage if you want to see the latest intelligence for other markets, industries, or functions.

Pulse Plus

3 metro reports

$149/year

Pulse Pro

10 metro reports

$349/year

Enterprise

10+ markets

Contact us

Scan or click to add coverage

WageTrak · 15% Member Discount

On-demand advertised pay data across thousands of job titles, all metro areas, full percentile coverage, and monthly updates. Use code WAGESCAPE15 at wagetrak.com.

Forwarded This Briefing?

Receive your own personalized monthly briefing, filtered to your local market. Scan to enroll below.