AI/ML Data Analyst.
Little Rock.
$107,000
median salary, 14% below the national average
$81,000 to $141,000. Last updated April 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Little Rock is 18% cheaper than the national average. For AI/ML Data Analysts, that shakes out to a median of $107,000, with the full range spanning $81,000 to $141,000. Compensation varies based on proficiency with ML-specific data pipelines, feature engineering, and model evaluation metrics. Know the range before you walk in.
Salary range
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $96,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$70,000
to $86,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$91,000
to $112,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$118,000
to $139,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$134,000
to $166,000
Salary trend
+9% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $53,000 to the total package.
Base
$107,000
Equity
$33,000
Bonus
$14,000
Signing
$6,000
Estimated total: $160,000
How Little Rock compares
Little Rock, AR
$107,000
Cost of living: 18% below average
National Average
$125,000
Little Rock is $18,000 below
AI/ML Data Analyst salary by city
Salary by role in Little Rock
What you should know
The AI/ML Data Analyst landscape in Little Rock is not what most salary sites will tell you. 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 varies based on proficiency with ML-specific data pipelines, feature engineering, and model evaluation metrics. Analysts who can build automated data quality monitoring for training datasets earn more. Experience with large-scale data platforms like Databricks or Snowflake adds 10 to 15% to offers.
Junior ML data analysts start at $70,000 to $90,000. Mid-level analysts earn $95,000 to $125,000. Senior analysts reach $140,000 to $165,000, and those who transition into ML engineering or data science roles can exceed $180,000 to $220,000. 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. Bonuses typically range from 5 to 15% of base salary. Equity is less common than in pure engineering roles but increasingly offered at AI-first startups, usually valued at $10,000 to $30,000 annually. 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 $107,000, 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/ML Data Analysts in Little Rock runs from $81,000 to $141,000. 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 Software Engineer in Little Rock earns $108,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Little Rock is Chief AI Officer at $259,000
Common questions.
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