AI Healthcare Data Engineer.
Little Rock.
$119,000
median salary, 15% below the national average
$90,000 to $152,000. Last updated April 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
AI Healthcare Data Engineer pay in Little Rock ranges from $90,000 to $152,000 in 2026. The median is $119,000, 15% below the national average. Little Rock's economy is driven by Walmart's nearby headquarters ecosystem, state government, healthcare, and logistics. Every dollar in that range is negotiable if you come prepared.
Salary range
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $107,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$77,000
to $95,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$101,000
to $125,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$131,000
to $155,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$149,000
to $184,000
Salary trend
+9% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $51,000 to the total package.
Base
$119,000
Equity
$31,000
Bonus
$13,000
Signing
$7,000
Estimated total: $170,000
How Little Rock compares
Little Rock, AR
$119,000
Cost of living: 18% below average
National Average
$140,000
Little Rock is $21,000 below
AI Healthcare Data Engineer salary by city
Salary by role in Little Rock
What you should know
Before you negotiate a AI Healthcare Data Engineer offer in Little Rock, understand the terrain. Little Rock's economy is driven by Walmart's nearby headquarters ecosystem, state government, healthcare, and logistics. The metro's extremely low cost of living means even moderate salaries deliver strong purchasing power. Tech jobs are growing as companies seek affordable alternatives to major metros. Compensation reflects the specialized knowledge needed to work with healthcare data formats (HL7, FHIR, DICOM) and privacy regulations (HIPAA, HITECH). Engineers who can build compliant data pipelines that prepare clinical data for ML model training earn premiums. Experience with de-identification, data harmonization across health systems, and real-world evidence generation is highly valued.
Junior healthcare data engineers start at $90,000 to $110,000. Mid-level engineers building HIPAA-compliant ML data pipelines reach $130,000 to $158,000. Senior engineers designing enterprise health data platforms earn $165,000 to $200,000. Directors of health data engineering can reach $220,000 to $280,000 in total compensation. In Little Rock, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 18% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity at health AI companies adds $15,000 to $60,000 annually. Bonuses of 10% to 18% are standard. Benefits often include comprehensive health coverage, continuing education stipends, and student loan repayment assistance. Some health systems offer pension benefits. And on the tax side: arkansas has a top income tax rate of 4.4%. Little Rock has no city income tax. The combination of low taxes and very affordable housing creates one of the best net pay environments in the country. When someone quotes you $119,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Reference the Walmart and Tyson ecosystem when negotiating. Northwest Arkansas and Little Rock employers benchmark against national corporate pay scales. The range for AI Healthcare Data Engineers in Little Rock runs from $90,000 to $152,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: SEC filings, H-1B LCA (DOL), BLS OES, 50+ job posting platforms. COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified April 8, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A Conversational AI Designer in Little Rock earns $118,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Little Rock is Distinguished Engineer at $273,000
Common questions.
AI Healthcare Data Engineer salary in other cities
Other salaries in Little Rock
Related
Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
Want this data on your site? Embed the salary widget — one script tag, free forever.